Today in Focus What happened when Reform took power
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Dec 16, 2025 The podcast dives into Reform UK's recent takeover of local councils in England, highlighting their first council meeting and the new cabinet's composition. It explores their controversial cost-cutting strategies, including a unique DOGE-inspired financial approach. The discussion touches on challenges in special educational needs, backlash over care home closures, and internal tensions regarding diversity policies. Allegations and complaints arise as they grapple with budget cuts, setting the stage for a tumultuous governing experience.
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Local Win As A National Stress Test
- Reform's control of Lancashire offered an early test of how the party might govern nationally.
- Helen Pidd frames the council takeover as a measure of Reform's practical competence versus rhetoric.
A Motley Cabinet Of Newcomers
- Many new Reform councillors were political novices who rushed to appear professional at their first meeting.
- The cabinet included a mix of backgrounds, from a milkman to a neuroscientist and a renewable consultant.
Huge Fiscal Gap Meets Grand Promises
- Lancashire faces over £1bn debt and needs massive savings, forcing real austerity choices.
- Reform promised to cut 'waste' and pledged a DOGE unit to drive savings but delivery remained unclear.