Reform to begin Musk-style audits of councils

Spot on Windmill!

From reports of what Reform have or have not done so far, I'd imagine that Nazi-style book burnings will be as far as they get. Then they run right out of ideas and Nigel Farage will declare: "everyone down to the pub!"

The End.

I agree Casdon

It will be interesting to see what the outcome will be when there are by elections to replace the ousted. I don’t think councillors should be allowed to change their political allegiance or become independent after they have been elected to serve under a party banner, it’s no more acceptable than it is for MPs.

As a long standing woman of Kent ( or Kentish woman) I despair 😩

Yet another Reform local councillor has gone; Daniel Taylor, from Kent CC in what is described as a police issue.

www.markpack.org.uk/174958/daniel-taylor-kent-county-council-reform/

Yes, I understand that Reform Group in Kent have been rather tardy in undertaking meetings.
However, they are proud to announce that they have done one important thing - taken down the Ukrainian flag from County Hall.
It wasn't on my list of things - the - LA- needs - to - do - right - now, but priorities differ I suppose.

Well that is being proved now on a local level - just hope people realise it! there is a council election in England on Thursday see what happens - the line up of candidates has a lot of ultra lefties who might take the vote away from Labour, I hope people have the sense to vote tactically. the news re WFA should help Labour on the doorstep.

Dickens

... he's back again!

Two days after leaving REFORM, Yusuf is back in a new role. He's going to lead their DOGE team.

According to Farage he (Yusuf) "regrets what he said and did the other day. It was a combination of 11 months hard work and exhaustion."

... I know, we've all been there...

... and he is happy about the Burka comments, apparently.
It would seem racism had little to do with his flouncing.

Curiouser and Curiouser🤔
Over tired is the official line, Nigel's a cunning fox, I for one am not up to interpreting his intentions, except to say his promises are empty (add imv).

I wonder if there is something ‚on him’ which has forced him back into the job he resigned from only a day or so ago… surely this is ridiculous.

Ah, cross post as I just started a thread on it - I dont mind where it goes.

... he's back again!

Two days after leaving REFORM, Yusuf is back in a new role. He's going to lead their DOGE team.

According to Farage he (Yusuf) "regrets what he said and did the other day. It was a combination of 11 months hard work and exhaustion."

... I know, we've all been there...

For Reform to be serious about doing anything , they would actually have to attend/facilitate coundil meetings. The Independent reports that at least 30 council meetings have been cancelled or postponed so far.

I think that bit of 'news' comes from GB News/X.

This makes interesting reading theconversation.com/reform-leads-in-voting-intentions-but-where-does-their-vote-come-from-257754?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20June%205%202025%20-%203402434688&utm_content=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20June%205%202025%20-%203402434688+CID_b50febff14e1234213a8ce88c3b0e885&utm_source=campaign_monitor_uk&utm_term=Reform%20leads%20in%20voting%20intentions%20%20but%20where%20does%20their%20vote%20come%20from

So GN must be a hot bed of Reform UK voters. Are we headed for a Trump regime here? The thought is terrifying.

Chocolatelovinggran

The Reform Group at KCC have trumpeted that they have uncovered a piece of financial fraud running to hundreds of thousands of pounds.
In fact, this was discovered by the previous Conservative regime, was prosecuted and taken to court in 2022.
And, also, LA councillors have no influence over the NHS; that is a matter for central government, as is " keeping the boats out " which was mentioned locally as something the Reform team would tackle once they took over county hall.
But, hey, let's not let facts interfere with rhetoric...

Fraud is not “found” in a couple of weeks!! Who “found”it? Let’s see the evidence.

It takes months (sometimes years) to follow the money, and prove.

That is absolute nonsense.

Mr Yusif was the chap put in charge of finding the " fraud and waste" in KCC...so maybe the new Reform will have to do something else - like hold meetings, perhaps?

I went over other thread, but my the DOGE initiative was but a week old, what a shower.

Ooooops! That's another one gone. This time it's Zia Yusef. What has happened?

Maremia

Dickens, are you following the events in the USA? How much of medicare/medicaid will survive Trump's big bill?

According to Forbes...

“There will be NO CUTS to Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid,” Trump wrote Monday on Truth Social, claiming ^“the only ‘cutting’ we will do is for Waste, Fraud, and Abuse,” repeating the GOP’s narrative that the “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” won’t directly reduce Medicaid spending—despite an estimate from the Congressional Budget Office that changes to the Medicaid program will ultimately leave more than 7.6 million people without benefits over the next 10 years.

Obviously the GOP and the Congressional BO disagree. Fraud is one thing - who decides tho' what is 'waste' or 'abuse'?

And, surely, there are in-built checks to counter fraud and abuse already?

67% of people in the States who file for bancruptcy say medical bills are the reason.

The American friend I mentioned above originally had a thriving business and a family home. And a comprehensive healthcare plan for the whole family.
Unfortunately, his son carried the bowel cancer gene, and his wife (my friend's wife) was later diagnosed with breast cancer.

I got to know my friend's wife (online) after he died from bowel cancer. The son (late teens) also died. The family were bankrupted, the business lost, and their home, too. The wife and remainder of the family ended up living in a small rented property paid for by local charity. And they were still lumbered with some medical bills.

If Farage is envisioning the American model of healthcare - is his antipathy to the EU so intense that he wouldn't consider the European model (?) - then I hope he gets hoist by his own petard eventually.

Private healthcare is fine if you have, for example, a simple sports injury, or similar, that requires a short-term / simple procedure or op, but for complex medical cases, it really isn't.

.. and, I've mentioned this before when the forum has discussed this issue - a friend of mine underwent a complicated and somewhat risky bowel surgery under the knife of an NHS surgeon, successfully. When she mused with the surgeon how this operation would've panned out under private healthcare, he told her that she probably would not have been offered it - apparently American surgeons often protect their reputation by refusing to do such risky surgery.

Food for thought, eh?

67% of people in the States who file for bancruptcy say medical bills are the reason.

Dickens, are you following the events in the USA? How much of medicare/medicaid will survive Trump's big bill?

Chocolatelovinggran

The Reform Group at KCC have trumpeted that they have uncovered a piece of financial fraud running to hundreds of thousands of pounds.
In fact, this was discovered by the previous Conservative regime, was prosecuted and taken to court in 2022.
And, also, LA councillors have no influence over the NHS; that is a matter for central government, as is " keeping the boats out " which was mentioned locally as something the Reform team would tackle once they took over county hall.
But, hey, let's not let facts interfere with rhetoric...

Lies/misrepresentations that people them believe. .oh, 😡😡

It's the Trump play book Chocolatelovinggran and sadly, we all know what comes next.

The Reform Group at KCC have trumpeted that they have uncovered a piece of financial fraud running to hundreds of thousands of pounds.
In fact, this was discovered by the previous Conservative regime, was prosecuted and taken to court in 2022.
And, also, LA councillors have no influence over the NHS; that is a matter for central government, as is " keeping the boats out " which was mentioned locally as something the Reform team would tackle once they took over county hall.
But, hey, let's not let facts interfere with rhetoric...

M0nica

Sarnia

When he's finished with councils he needs to have a go at the NHS. If ever there's an organisation that is crying out for a financial restructure that is the one.

It needs managerial rstructuring, not finaancial.

But what does managerial restructuring entail? Most businesses loose their drive forward when they become oversized. Why attack the managers when it seems patently obvious it's the structure that is at fault - and it is beginning to be changed - and it is not in the purview of the vast majority of managers to change it?

This habit of scapegoating groups who cannot defend themselves must be happening for a reason - possibly because it's too much effort to actually address the difficulties. Alternatively, it could be that it avoids uncomfortable truths or it's just down to bias and prejudice.

It just all very sad and unlikely to change things for the better.