“Our new team will shine a light on what Reform councils are up to, scrutinise their actions and fight to protect local services.”
The Lib Dems have created a national “Reform Watch” scrutiny board, bringing together Lib Dem leaders in areas where Reform has taken control to hold them to account.
Ed Davey has said Labour and the Tories are “too scared” of Reform to hold the right-wing party to account.
A key focus of the board will be monitoring whether Reform tries to cut public services, Davey told the Guardian.
The Lib Dems won 370 seats and three councils on 1 May, coming second to Reform UK in some areas such as Durham. Reform took control of 10 county councils at the local elections.
The board will be led by Amanda Hopgood, leader of the opposition on the Reform-run Durham County Council.
Antony Hook, leader of the opposition on Kent County Council will also be on the board, alongside Mike Ross, the leader of Hull City Council who came second behind Reform in the Hull and East Yorkshire mayoral race.
Davey said: “A lot of people are rightly very worried about the threat Reform poses to our communities and the public services we all rely on. Nigel Farage has made it clear that Reform wants to do to our councils what Donald Trump and Elon Musk are doing to America.”
The Lib Dem leader said their strong local election results mean the Lib Dems “can provide a real opposition to Reform”.
“Our councillors will be strong local champions, holding Reform to account, protecting local services and exposing any waste of taxpayers’ hard-earned cash,” he said.
Hopgood added that the Lib Dems “will be holding Reform’s feet to the fire and standing up for our communities.”
“On behalf of local people, our new team will shine a light on what Reform councils are up to, scrutinise their actions and fight to protect local services.”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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