The far-right party Reform UK (formerly the Brexit Party), took control of ten local councils in last year\u2019s local elections. In the upcoming elections this May, they could take the reins of even more.<\/p>\n
In less than a year, Reform-led councils have already ditched their promises to working people. In Derbyshire, Reform are hiking council tax by 5% and in Kent, it\u2019s going up by 4%. In Nottinghamshire, Reform UK has already splashed \u00a375,000 of taxpayer money on putting up 164 Union Jack flags.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re worried about Reform taking over your local council, UNISON has produced a guide for activists looking to fight back.<\/p>\n
Read the guide<\/a><\/p>\n In response to last year\u2019s local election results, UNISON has seen a surge in new union joiners who are worried about the impact that a Reform-run council might have on their community. In the areas where Reform performed strongly in local elections, the number of new union joiners has shot up by 272%.<\/p>\n In response to UNISON members\u2019 concerns, the union has produced a guide on how to counter Reform in May\u2019s elections. These include England\u2019s local elections, Scottish Parliament elections, and Senedd elections in Cymru\/Wales.\u00a0The UNISON Cymru guide will be published next week.<\/p>\n \u2018Political chancers\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n Chris Birks, who works on UNISON\u2019s Responding to Reform elections campaign says: \u201cReform UK\u2019s agenda is a direct threat to our family and friends. Working-class communities are being sold a con by political chancers with no real plan to run vital services, who fall back on stunts, culture-war distractions and taxpayer-funded union flags when they\u2019ve got nothing to deliver.\u201d<\/p>\n Recognising the sense of exhaustion and defeat that many people are feeling right now, Chris added: \u201cIf good people do nothing, our neighbourhoods will become poorer and weaker. UNISON activists must stand up and be counted \u2013 especially in local government, where these cuts will hit hardest.\u201d<\/p>\n In Derbyshire, Reform UK have declared they plan to cut 2,000 local council jobs and will give a private company \u00a35 million to \u2018investigate\u2019 where they can cut more<\/a>.<\/p>\n Chris continued, \u201cThis guide is an important first step in taking on Reform UK, giving activists the tools to cut through the slogans and tell the truth. But a guide alone won\u2019t win this fight. Trade union power lives in our branches and workplaces \u2013 where trusted colleagues inform, educate and organise. \u201d<\/p>\n Beyond their broken promises to local communities, Reform UK has been in the headlines for its members using racist slurs and inciting violence against migrants. One Putin-supporting candidate called Hitler \u2018brilliant\u2019.<\/p>\n The far-right party have also repeatedly voted against the Employment Rights Bill and have declared a plan to replace the NHS with an American-style private health system run on insurance. The party have not clarified what would happen to health workers\u2019 jobs, and workers\u2019 rights.<\/p>\n