And so it begins, Reform’s Britain

Just in case photo never arrives:-

*
Farage: Council staff working on diversity and net zero face sack
Council employees working on diversity and net zero initiatives should seek “alternative careers”, Nigel Farage has said.*

Yes I saw that. He also stressed working from home on his list. That was this a.m.He is following Musk's "work" as Doge. I have also seen he says there are too many on SEND lists.
It's a waiting game now. Personally I feel he is all mouth and trousers. He hadn't much idea what to do about Brexit .We'll see.

It's going to be an interesting few years. I've picked up that voters are unhappy about Labour's moves on WFA and PIP - and I understand that. Concerns which have been rumbling on for years is about social care and the long waiting lists to get children with special needs assessed - I understand that.

However, what I don't understand is what Reform is planning to do about the issues which bother people most. About 70-75% of county council's budgets is spent on social care, so what is Reform planning to do? Unless Council Tax is increased, even a 10% increase in the budget for social care would mean a cut of more than 25% in the remaining services provided by County Councils. Other major County Council responsibilities include education (including SEND transport), transport (including subsidised bus fares and the senior bus pass) and fire and public safety. Insisting that nobody works from home will involve increases in costs for heating and cleaning. Very little is actually spent on diversity and net zero initiatives, so savings in those areas won't compensate for shortages n other areas.

The people who have been hit hardest by the cut to WFA, changes to PIP and increase in bus fares are exactly the same people who will be affected by any cuts to County Councils' budgets.

I'm grateful my council didn't hold elections for another year, but it's going to be interesting to watch from the sidelines.

I think we all know what Reform is really about.

I’m not dismayed by any cutting of ‘diversity’ or ‘net zero’ jobs from Councils when there are pot holes to be mended and rubbish to be collected and gulleys to be cleared and all the many practical and useful jobs to be done.Councils have wasted money in lots of places on arty farty stuff.Look at the mess Birmingham are in.
It remains to be seen if Remain Councillors will be any better but at long as they try that’s something.

Savings on diversity and net zero jobs won't pay for many pot holes to be filled, especially if anybody wants to see improvements in social care.

It's really Reform's England. They don't figure much in Scottish politics at the moment

Quote Oreo Fri 02-May-25 17:50:24
I’m not dismayed by any cutting of ‘diversity’ or ‘net zero’ jobs from Councils when there are pot holes to be mended and rubbish to be collected and gulleys to be cleared and all the many practical and useful jobs to be done.Councils have wasted money in lots of places on arty farty stuff.Look at the mess Birmingham are in.
It remains to be seen if Remain Councillors will be any better but at long as they try that’s something.

Surely success is something, you will settle for less ?

There is more to life than potholes though. A bit of arty fartiness can lift the spirits of a community.

I know what you mean, but no, maybe I wasn’t clear enough Anniebach
I don’t think a lot of Councils are doing outstanding successes of it, and as long as Reform Councils aren’t actually worse than what we have now and they put their backs into it and try and do a good job, that will be something.
Am not a fan of Reform but understand why so many voters think the main political parties aren’t listening to them.
Starmer really needs not just to listen but to make sure Labour acts on the things that concern so many people, to think outside of the Westminster elite.

Ilovecheese

There is more to life than potholes though. A bit of arty fartiness can lift the spirits of a community.

As long as the potholes are filled in first.

lafergar

I think we all know what Reform is really about.

We do.

I think everybody is getting a bit carried away here. To put it into context, the Lib Dem’s lead 68 councils…..

Yes.
I would say away with the fairies, but actually, it's the bats. The street lights are keeping them awake.

Cossy

Just in case photo never arrives:-

*
Farage: Council staff working on diversity and net zero face sack
Council employees working on diversity and net zero initiatives should seek “alternative careers”, Nigel Farage has said.*

I would imagine that there will be a myriad of unfair dismissal cases. Probably the Unions are working on scenarios right now.
Not so easy here as it is in the US.

J52

Cossy

Just in case photo never arrives:-

*
Farage: Council staff working on diversity and net zero face sack
Council employees working on diversity and net zero initiatives should seek “alternative careers”, Nigel Farage has said.*

I would imagine that there will be a myriad of unfair dismissal cases. Probably the Unions are working on scenarios right now.
Not so easy here as it is in the US.

If the jobs disappear, they'll be redundancies not dismissals. I hope the councils have a few million squirrelled away to pay for all the redundancies.

Interesting that when Farage said this he was speaking to a room full of mostly older, white men - the group who will lose least from scrapping DEI policies.

County Durham meeting.

Either way growstuff, your quite right regarding the money needed.

That's my region churchview, unless they have been shipped in those men are from some of the most deprived areas in the country.

I just looked it up. Essex County Council spends approximately 1% of its total budget of £2 billion on DEI policies and programs. The money doesn't just fund policies and staff, but actual programs to support people with sever learning difficulties and mental health issues. It helps some of them find paid work.

The council already spends nearly double the amount spent on DEI on repairing potholes, so if other councils are similar, people can drive around with fewer potholes while they, their children and grandchildren are stuck at home without support.

Cutting DEI roles will make minimal difference.

Galaxy

That's my region churchview, unless they have been shipped in those men are from some of the most deprived areas in the country.

So what do they think Reform will do to improve their situation?

Well maybe they think reform will see them as the deeply disadvantaged group they are rather than privileged because they won't be impacted by DEI cuts. Now that probably won't be the case but their vote is completely understand.