Alex Farrell

🚨 If Reform can’t run Worcestershire… how can they run Britain? Nigel Farage now says Reform “regret” taking control of Worcestershire County Council. No one forced them to stand. They campaigned on cutting waste and reducing taxes. Instead residents got one of the biggest council tax rises in the country – nearly 9%. So what happened? ⸻ Let’s remember the facts. Under the previous Conservative administration Worcestershire delivered around £60m of savings in two years while continuing to invest in services. Reform promised they could do better. Instead we’ve seen: • Internal division • Rushed decision making • A Deputy Leader resigning publicly citing lack of action • And now Nigel Farage saying they wish they hadn’t taken control ⸻ Farage has even described Worcestershire as a “basket case”. Let’s be clear. Worcestershire is not a basket case. It’s a county of hardworking residents, businesses and communities who deserve serious leadership — not excuses from politicians who suddenly realise governing is harder than shouting slogans. ⸻ Here’s another inconvenient truth. The current leader of the council was a Conservative councillor until March 2025 before switching parties shortly before the election. So when Reform claim they inherited a mess… they are effectively blaming themselves. ⸻ Running a council is not the same as running a protest movement. It involves difficult decisions about: • social care • children’s services • infrastructure • long-term finances Serious politicians deal with those challenges. Populists complain when reality arrives. ⸻ Nigel Farage has spent years criticising governments from the sidelines. But the moment Reform has to actually run something — even one county council — the story changes from: “We’ll fix it.” to “We wish we hadn’t bothered.” ⸻ So here’s the question voters should ask. If Reform cannot run one county council without breaking their promises… why should anyone trust them to run the country? ⸻ Cllr Adam Kent Leader of the Conservative Opposition Worcestershire County Council