Reform has come under fire over plans to spend thousands on political advisors
Reform-led Warwickshire County Council pushed through plans yesterday to spend £150,000 on political advisers.
The new 19-year-old leader of the council, George Finch, put forward the proposals, which were narrowly approved yesterday. This is despite Reform having promised to cut “wasteful spending” within councils before the local elections in May.
The plan will allow the three main parties on the council, Reform, the Lib Dems and the Tories to each hire a political assistant funded by the taxpayer.
The Lib Dems, Labour and Green Party opposed the idea.
Green councillor Sam Jones told The Guardian: “Reform have had a sniff of power, they’re making it so clear that they never cared a jot for the will of their supporters.”
He added: “No to overpaid, unelected bureaucrats before the election, but yes to up to £150,000 of unfunded spending on political assistants now the campaigning is over.”
Finch defended the plan stating that it is legal and happens in other councils.
He said if other parties were against it, they could vote against the plan or choose not to hire political assistants. Reform councillor Michael Bannister described the move as “value for money”.
“These proposals are all about spending some money so they can have a chum in their group and I think that is not particularly helpful given the financial state of this council,” said George Cowcher, councillor and deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats.
After winning control of several county councils in May, Nigel Farage said his party would set up teams modelled on Donald Trump’s ‘Doge’ (Department of Government Efficiency) to improve efficiency at councils it runs.
Yet the plan to spend £150,000 on political assistants doesn’t seem to align with that promise. Nor does the decision to increase the Reform mayor of Scarborough Town Council’s allowance by 600% from £500 to £3500.
At the same meeting, Reform lost a vote on climate change. Opposition councillors passed a motion acknowledging that scientific evidence clearly shows climate change is happening. The vote reinforced the council’s 2019 decision to declare a ‘climate emergency’.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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