Reform UK Cost-Cutting Units Investigate Lancashire, Staffordshire Councils

Reform UK, under the leadership of Nigel Farage, is deploying specialized teams modeled after Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to audit and identify cost savings across councils it controls, including Lancashire and Staffordshire County Councils. These teams, composed of software engineers, data analysts, and forensic auditors, work free of charge and aim to eliminate wasteful spending to reinvest in frontline services, although unions have expressed strong reservations about potential job cuts and the impact on vital services. Lancashire's council leader Stephen Atkinson emphasized a respectful and process-driven approach backed by an electoral mandate, while union leaders remain skeptical about the availability of savings. Farage highlighted the lack of tech entrepreneurship in local governments and the value of independent audits devoid of political biases, citing significant savings to be found especially in areas like climate change policies. In Staffordshire, the DOGE team has already begun work, with plans to visit all Reform-controlled authorities, signaling a broader effort by the party to revitalize council finances through technological and analytical expertise. This initiative reflects Reform UK's commitment to cost-cutting and governance efficiency amid ongoing debates about the future of local government services.