26/04/2026
Reform UK claim in their latest love letter from Nigel that they’re not cutting local services. But if you look at the councils they actually run, it’s a different picture. 👀
Across places like Kent, Lancashire, Durham, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire, the same story keeps cropping up 👇
➡️ Projects are being cancelled or quietly dropped
Things that were meant to improve local areas, from regeneration to environmental projects, are being paused or scrapped altogether.
➡️ SEND support is still under huge pressure
There’s a massive funding gap, and instead of fixing it, councils are talking about “savings” and “reviews”. Families aren’t seeing the support improve.
➡️ Libraries, youth services and community support are being scaled back
It’s often dressed up as a “review” or “restructure”, but it usually means doing less with less.
➡️ Adult social care is being squeezed even further
This is where most council money goes, and where cuts hit hardest. Less support, more pressure on families.
➡️ And council tax is going up 💷
Every single Reform-run council has increased it.
And this is the key bit they leave out…
There isn’t some huge pile of “waste” you can cut without consequences.
So when they say they’re just cutting waste, what that actually looks like in the real world is 👇
➡️ Scrapping projects
➡️ Scaling back services
➡️ Delaying improvements
➡️ Putting more strain on the services people rely on
That’s not protecting local services. It’s the same old cuts, just explained differently.
If you’re voting on May 7th, it’s worth looking past the leaflet and asking what’s really happening where they’re already in charge.
You’ll quickly find that the magic beans they’re promising don’t exist. 😬