Local Elections | Thu 7 May 26

[hilts]

I agree I’m my experience I would say a good 30% are racist but that’s enough to put Reform in government which is frightening

Only with fptp can a majority govt happen even a large one which labour members were happy to change but Starmer, Keir Starmer, Sir Keir Starmer wasnt so keen for some reason.

Working class bloke and friend of the poor that he is :-)

No lessons have been learnt since 2016, carry on the smug centrist dad's calling people thick, racist or pathetic names like Darren or Wayne. Walk us right into a reform govt.

And they call others thick. Do the same expect a difference, genius.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

I can’t see any evidence for this? Well of course council tax went up but then it just does, you saying it went up more on average in reform areas? Based on what? I can at best find equivalence or below an I missing something?

Although we couldn’t find any evidence of Mr Farage himself specifically pledging to cut council tax, we’ve found several examples of local candidates promising to “cut” or “freeze” council tax during last year’s local elections.

In North Northamptonshire, which Reform UK won control of in 2025, a letter signed by three local candidates, all of whom are now councillors (although one currently sits as an independent) explicitly pledged to “freeze council tax”.

In Leicestershire, shortly after being confirmed as council leader, Reform’s Dan Harrison said: “We're now looking at the cost, the efficiency, we'll then have money for front line [services] but we'll also be able to cut council tax.”

After we first published this fact check, Full Fact reader Stephen got in touch to alert us to an archived version of the Durham branch of Reform’s website from April 2025, which includes a clear commitment to “freeze council tax”.

Other leaflets promoting Reform candidates who ultimately weren’t elected pledged to “fight to reduce council tax” and to “freeze council tax & business rates”, while one local candidate said “Reform Councils will freeze, then cut your council tax bills.”

We’ve asked Reform UK whether these commitments were authorised by the party, but did not receive a response. We found at least one example of a local candidate committing to “lowering council tax” being shared by the party’s official X account.

In addition, a Reform leaflet featuring a picture of Nigel Farage alongside text which says “we fight for lower council tax” circulated in several different local areas.

So it seems their councillors have a strong track record of getting elected (or not) on a promise to cut or freeze council tax, and then raising it once elected. I don't know about you, but if I voted for someone because they promised to cut my council tax and then raised it, I'd be pretty pissed off about it.

Source

 

[Scottyboi]

Rather people get to see how reform perform through local councils than in a general election. Hopefully makes some people change their minds in a couple of years time.

 

[hilts]

Up here they have even cancelled monthly meetings because there is nothing to discuss.

Its all a bit of a huge mess mate.

 

[Norbert D]

Once again man of the people Farage has refused to answer questions on the £5,000,000 “donation” he received prior to the 2024 General Election and then “forgot” to declare.

Yep he’s the man we need. Honest Nige.

 

[hilts]

Rather people get to see how reform perform through local councils than in a general election. Hopefully makes some people change their minds in a couple of years time.

The only shining light at the moment.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

Has the council tax gone down elsewhere then?

No, but no-one else explicitly promised to reduce it. They did, and as usual, they lied, as is the standard playbook of the far right grifter. Just like the councillor in Kent who used her maiden speech to pledge to cut councillor allowances by 5% before voting to actually increase it by 3.8%.

 

[argyle]

I cannot believe the rest of the country haven't took note of what a pigs ear reform have made of running the council here in County Durham. Unbelievable

They don't know about it as their echo chamber on Facebook doesn't tell them about it.

 

[Peely01]

Opinions Opinions and Opinions, I for one don’t see an answer, the country has spiralled downwards and no one party has the answer.You my have hated Maggie or loved her it does not really matter but at least she grabbed things by the balls and delivered rightly or wrongly I don’t see any of that in our current leaders

 

[the_invisible_man]

Rather people get to see how reform perform through local councils than in a general election. Hopefully makes some people change their minds in a couple of years time.

Will people blame the reform council or the government though?

 

[Blackley_Blue]

The "tiktok generation" being blamed now, when the two largest age groups of users of the app (18-24 & 25-34) are more likely to vote for the greens...

 

[hilts]

No, but no-one else explicitly promised to reduce it. They did, and as usual, they lied, as is the standard playbook of the far right grifter. Just like the councillor in Kent who used her maiden speech to pledge to cut councillor allowances by 5% before voting to actually increase it by 3.8%.

Only far right grifter politicians lie? Where have you been all your life:-)

 

[Blue Hefner]

Rather people get to see how reform perform through local councils than in a general election. Hopefully makes some people change their minds in a couple of years time.

I think that is overly optimistic. You’re relying on 1) enough people paying attention and 2) it being reported fairly. The first might happen, the second definitely will not

 

[bert38]

Only with fptp can a majority govt happen even a large one which labour members were happy to change but Starmer, Keir Starmer, Sir Keir Starmer wasnt so keen for some reason.

Working class bloke and friend of the poor that he is :-)

No lessons have been learnt since 2016, carry on the smug centrist dad's calling people thick, racist or pathetic names like Darren or Wayne. Walk us right into a reform govt.

And they call others thick. Do the same expect a difference, genius.

Neighbour of mine joined a march of thick racists to the local police station (most knew the way..) screaming 'send em back' because a sex offender was described on line by the usual dipshits as dark skinned with a beard...he was a white nonce who lived nearby with a history of offences against children. Thick and racist. Its not smug or superior to call these people out.

Unless we have 'reform' of the MSM and no idea how we deal with social media, a far right govt is inevitable-but my tether has ended when it comes to those who would literally lick the boots of the charlatans who pretend to fight for them.

 

[ninjamonkey]

A worrying time. Didn't think there would be quite so many northern racists thick enough to be conned by tory rejects. Only bit of positivity is hopefully this wakes enough people up. Greens could well end up screwing the whole country by siphoning off enough labour votes to let reform in.

 

[hilts]

The "tiktok generation" being blamed now, when the two largest age groups of users of the app (18-24 & 25-34) are more likely to vote for the greens...

View attachment 191364

Pensioners next in line from the Wrath of William(name payback)

 

[feedmpenzaandhewillscore]

I agree with your sentiments but those 5 years that might make people realise could also tip the country to the point of no return too. Trump has set the US back for who knows how long, but the US economy is more resilient than ours. We could end up being the cautionary tale the historians look back on.

I suppose one way of looking at it the Tories and Johnson scored a huge election victory in 2019 off the get brexit done mandate. Three prime ministers, numerous parties during lockdown and Liz Truss bumping our mortgage payments up has led to the death of the most elected party in democracy on the scrap heap. Johnson’s MPs were talentless charlatans and I expect much of the same from Reform. The British public wised up to it, hopefully the wise up before the next general election.

 

[argyle]

The "tiktok generation" being blamed now, when the two largest age groups of users of the app (18-24 & 25-34) are more likely to vote for the greens...

View attachment 191364

Reform voters are most likely to get their news and be influenced by things they read on Facebook.

 

[Ban-jani]

I thought you were about 60 ! :)

I feel it

 

[Ban-jani]

Whether Labour manage to do it or not the use of hotels is dropping. Where and what they do with processing crossings after that in a cost effective manner will be fun and games.

I don’t see any focus though on the rising unemployment and lack of opportunity for kids leaving college and uni that will end up ballooning the welfare budget even more. Raising national insurance contributions for employers and raising the minimum wage has spooked a lot of organisations to go into survival mode. It’s pointless raising the minimum wage if there’s no jobs being created for people to go into. Unfortunately I don’t see it getting any better any time soon with Farage’s mate causing economic shocks with his war in Iran.

Spot on