The president of the UK’s largest union has encouraged employees to register with the UK Control Council following Nigel Farage’s advice for workers to look for “alternative carriers.”
In a speech on Friday, Farage suggested that council staff involved in diversity or climate change projects should seek out “alternative carriers” “very quickly” after Reform UK gained control of Durham County Council.
During local elections on Thursday, the Clacton MP’s party made significant gains, winning 10 councils and over 600 seats, along with two mayoral positions, including Sarah Pochin in Runcorn and Hellsby.
In response to Farage’s statement, Christina McAnea, Executive Director General of Unison, remarked:
“Staff currently working on councils under reform should ensure they sign up as members for their own protection.”
Farage has expressed a desire for a British equivalent of Elon Musk’s approach to “government efficiency,” aiming to lower public spending across councils.
“We want to maximize the value of taxpayer money for councils and reduce excessive expenditures,” he mentioned.
The newly elected Reform UK Councillor announced that Durham County Council would be reducing funding in areas like Net Zero and Green initiatives to “bring in auditors” shortly.
“We’re going to act like auditors… what are these jobs actually worth? If they lack value, then the answer is ‘Yes, goodbye,'” remarked Darren Grimes, a councillor in Durham and former presenter on GB News, during a program today.
McAnea advised that the new Reform UK councillor might “learn a thing or two about local governance” and soon realize there’s little left to cut, as many authorities are hovering near financial instability.
She added, “This isn’t the US. Thankfully, UK workers have protections in place against poor employers. Soon, new government employment rights will offer even more safeguards against unscrupulous bosses.”
“Most local governments aim to perform their essential duties, as Farage describes, but they simply lack the personnel and resources to do so.”
Newly elected Mayor of Lincolnshire, Andrea Jenkins, indicated plans to reduce executive roles within the agency after defeating conservative candidate Rob Waltham.
A source from Staffordshire County Council, which transitioned to reform after the party secured 49 seats in the recent elections, noted that the authority doesn’t currently employ staff aimed at diversity initiatives.
In response to McAnea’s comments, a spokesperson for UK Reform stated:
“Instead of criticizing us, they should recognize why many of their members support our approach and engage with us as members.”
