Month: October 2025

Shadow chancellor Mel Stride sets out cost-cutting plans as Tory party conference continues in Manchester

Good morning. In May, when Reform UK took control of 10 councils in England after successful election results, Nigel Farage, the party leader, promised that the new Reform councillors would slash wasteful spending, not least by purging funding for anything “woke”. Those with more experience of local government finances were sceptical, and today the Financial Times has a good story that shows why they were right not to take the Reform claims at face value. In her story, Anna Gross says:

Kent’s local authority is likely to raise council tax rates next year as Reform UK has struggled to find big savings under an Elon Musk-inspired cost-cutting drive.

Kent was one of 10 English councils that Nigel Farage’s rightwing populist party seized in a swath of victories at local elections in May this year. He vowed to save “a lot of money” by abolishing “wasteful” spending.

On welfare we will replace the broken system of sickness benefits with one that properly targets help to those who need it most.

That will include stopping claims for people with low level mental health problems because what is really needed is treatment and support, not cash.

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