Reform tells councillors to do as little as possible in first 100 days – as Farage pledges the opposite

Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today. Join today Already a member? Log in Reform UK is advising its councillors to do as little as possible in their first 100 days in office – a direct contradiction of Nigel Farage’s national campaign to outline what the party would do if it won an election. Leaked guidance for Reform UK local government cabinet members says they should “resist making major changes” in their first 100 days and instead their first priorities “should be to listen, learn and understand.” They are being specifically warned: “Don’t rush into big changes.” The leaked guide – Leading Adult Social Care: A Practical Guide for Reform UK Cabinet Members – was written by Cllr Diane Morton, chair of the Reform adult social care network and former cabinet member for adult social care and public health at Kent County Council. It is in stark contrast to the message at this year’s Reform’s Birmingham conference in September, branded ‘The First 100 Days’, where Mr Farage set out a sharply different approach for national government. Farage held a rally in Plymouth earlier this month outlining Reform's pledges for their first 100 days, should they win an election ( Getty ) He promised that if Reform won a general election he would call a national emergency, cancel parliamentary recesses and, if necessary, parliament would be required “24 hours a day, six days a week” to force through Reform’s programme at pace. The contrast raises questions about why Reform’s elected representatives are being advised to take time to understand the services they run, while the party’s leader promises voters that a national Reform government would make sweeping changes at breakneck speed. Under the heading “Don’t Rush Into Big Changes”, the advice to councillors says: “Resist making major changes before you fully understand the service. Spend your first 100 days asking good questions rather than trying to provide all the answers.” Elsewhere, it tells new cabinet members: “Don’t feel under pressure to change everything immediately. Your first priority should be to listen, learn and understand.” The first 100 days, the guide says, are about “building the knowledge, relationships and confidence that will allow you to lead well for the years ahead”. The advice also urges Reform councillors to “get to know officers” and build trust from the beginning. It tells them to “listen more than you speak.” It appears to contradict Mr Farage’s approach to Whitehall. In his conference speech, he said civil servants who disagreed with a Reform government would be removed and replaced by people from outside government. The Reform UK leader also said senior ministers would be set a specific 100-day pledge, with those who failed to deliver facing dismissal. Reform describes these as “jeopardy pledges”. Among the pledges for the first 100 days was a promise by Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick to cut £100bn in spending with an offer to resign if he failed to cut people’s tax bills. Mr Farage told the conference in Birmingham: “These aren’t vague, empty promises. These are pledges that we must deliver in the first 100 days of government, or those individual ministers will have failed. Indeed, we, as a government, will have failed. We believe in jeopardy. We believe in accountability. And we will do everything — everything within our power — to make this happen. “We will declare a national emergency. All parliamentary recesses will be cancelled. Parliament will sit, if necessary, for 24 hours a day, six days a week, until we pass the necessary legislation.” “But if civil servants try to obstruct us, they will be removed from their posts and replaced by people from outside — from the world of business.” The guide is dated August 2026 and was produced just weeks before Mr Farage’s speech on 4 September. The advice appears to fit with comments made by Reform councillors during a recent ITV investigation, which uncovered the racist views of some in the party. Hounslow councillor Adam Parkins said: ““We just need to get f****** elected, that’s all that really matters. We won't necessarily say what we are doing, part of the point is to not [say]”. Gorton and Denton councillor Alan Feeney said: “You've just got to be a bit savvy to get the broad appeal, then once you're in you can do what you want.” A Reform UK spokesman said: "Reform UK has specifically pledged to make fundamental changes to the way this country works in our first 100 days in government. We fully intend on delivering on our promises. "Where councillors have made similar pledges to their electorate, we would always expect them to make good on those assurances. Reform offers comprehensive support and guidance to help new councillors do exactly that."