Worcestershire set for largest council tax hike in England as Reform UK's finances come under scrutiny. The county council, a key affiliate of the Reform UK party, has been granted permission by the government to increase its local rate by up to 9% this April, making it the largest council tax rise in England.
The move comes after Worcestershire's own leadership admitted that their finances were "in a mess," with large debts and a reliance on borrowing to avoid bankruptcy. The county council has been struggling to balance its books, citing previous Tory mismanagement for the crisis.
Reform UK's stance on low council tax rates is being put to the test, as the party's local leadership faces criticism from within its own ranks over the proposed increase. One councillor quit the party in protest, highlighting the growing divide within Reform UK over its fiscal policies.
The government has also announced a significant payout to councils struggling with historical debts related to special educational needs and disability (Send) services. The move aims to prevent 90% of councils from going bankrupt by 2028, although some authorities will still be left with substantial debt.
Despite the welcome news for many local leaders, concerns remain about how billions of pounds of expected Send overspends between April 2026 and April 2028 will be handled. The government has vowed to take an "appropriate and proportionate approach," but it is unclear what this will entail.
Reform UK's leadership appears to have a long way to go in repairing its relationship with local councils, particularly given the party's commitment to low council tax rates. As one analyst noted, the move may be seen as a tacit admission that the party's fiscal policies are no longer tenable at the local level.
The move comes after Worcestershire's own leadership admitted that their finances were "in a mess," with large debts and a reliance on borrowing to avoid bankruptcy. The county council has been struggling to balance its books, citing previous Tory mismanagement for the crisis.
Reform UK's stance on low council tax rates is being put to the test, as the party's local leadership faces criticism from within its own ranks over the proposed increase. One councillor quit the party in protest, highlighting the growing divide within Reform UK over its fiscal policies.
The government has also announced a significant payout to councils struggling with historical debts related to special educational needs and disability (Send) services. The move aims to prevent 90% of councils from going bankrupt by 2028, although some authorities will still be left with substantial debt.
Despite the welcome news for many local leaders, concerns remain about how billions of pounds of expected Send overspends between April 2026 and April 2028 will be handled. The government has vowed to take an "appropriate and proportionate approach," but it is unclear what this will entail.
Reform UK's leadership appears to have a long way to go in repairing its relationship with local councils, particularly given the party's commitment to low council tax rates. As one analyst noted, the move may be seen as a tacit admission that the party's fiscal policies are no longer tenable at the local level.
First, they're struggling to balance their books, then Reform UK jumps in and is all like "low council tax rates"... now we're seeing the largest council tax rise in England? It just doesn't add up. And can we talk about how the government's just handing out a bunch of cash to councils that need it, but still leaving some with substantial debt? 
Reform UK's got a major credibility crisis brewing... their own members are quitting over council tax increases 
Guess you can't cut costs forever without anyone noticing 
Councils have been buggling for ages, and now Worcestershire is in this mess too 
That councillor who quit Reform UK? 
Total boss for calling out their party's flaws.
And don't even get me started on Reform UK's commitment to low rates... did they not think this would happen? 
It's like they're trying to rewrite history or something 
. Anyway, at least we've got a bit of a safety net with the Send overspends 
they're goin thru a tough time financially 
it's like, i get that reform uk wants low council tax rates and all, but come on, can't they just be more realistic about how much they need to make? 
it's not like they're askin for a handout or anythin' 
anyway, i hope that gov payout helps all the other councils out 
and maybe reform uk can figure out some way to balance their books too 
think it's time for them to get real about the numbers. it's not just about saving money, it's about being responsible with other people's cash 
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it's like can't they see this is all gonna come crashing down? 
doesn't seem like a sustainable solution to me...
Worcestershire is about to take a huge hit from council tax, with a 9% increase being a nightmare for many ppl... like how r u supposed to make ends meet when ur bills go up even more? 
. Reform UK needs to get its act together ASAP or ppl will be even more turned off 
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! I mean, who doesn't love more money for their local council, right? 
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, but it better be good because we're gonna need some serious financial wizardry to sort this out 
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. I mean, isn't that just going to push more people over the edge and make them really struggle? Like, what's the point of having low council tax rates if you're just gonna go back to breaking the bank next year? 
, and it's not just about their council tax policies. This massive hike in Worcestershire is just the tip of the iceberg - the party needs to get its house in order if they want to win over voters in the next election. And let's be real, this payout to councils struggling with Send services is just a band-aid solution. It's a temporary fix for a long-term problem. Reform UK needs to take a hard look at their finances and decide what kind of party they really are: one that prioritizes low council tax rates or one that puts the needs of its constituents first? The answer might not be as clear-cut as they thought 
and it looks like Reform UK is finally having to put its money where its mouth is! The fact that they're now pushing for a large council tax hike in Worcestershire isn't exactly what you'd call a vote of confidence in their party's financial policies. It's like, if you can't get the numbers right locally, how are you going to fix it at the national level? This whole situation is just another example of how hard it is to balance books and make ends meet in local government.