The dust has settled after the elections last week. A lot has changed.
4 years ago, my party – the Conservatives – had a terrific result, despite having been in government for the previous 11 years. Across the country, county councils returned Conservative majorities in huge numbers. Here in Worcestershire, Conservatives took overwhelming control of Worcestershire County Council and in Wyre Forest, all ten of our local county councillors were Conservative.
No more. Out of 57 council seats, 27 are now held by Reform, a party that barely existed 4 years ago. Conservatives are on 12, with just two of those being here in Wyre Forest. All 8 of the remaining councillors are from Nigel Farage’s Reform.
Politics is brutal – last year’s general election showed that. But every one of those people who stood for election, and in many cases lost seats they had held for many years, do it to stand up for their communities. I disagree with many politicians, but I have very rarely come across anyone who’s reason for being involved in politics isn’t sincere. So, I would start by saying a huge thank you to all those councillors who have fought and lost their seats.
And in the same spirit, I congratulate those who have been elected for the first time, as well as re-elected. They represent us all now on Worcestershire County Council, and they must get it right.
Reform, as the largest party, have first shot at leading the council. With two councillors short of a majority, it may be tough. They have pledged to tackle council waste – a noble cause. But with £4 out of every £5 spent by the council being on adult social care and special needs children, this will be tricky. And as the biggest party, they must take the lead on positioning Worcestershire for the new unitary authority that will come in a couple of years. Get this wrong and we may be lumped in with Herefordshire, losing the financial efficiency taxpayers here would otherwise have seen.
Unison, the union, has already got in touch with employees at councils taken over by Reform, urging them to join and take industrial action if Reform change employment conditions. A visit to Birmingham shows exactly what happens when vital council workers go on strike, with over 20,000 tonnes of rubbish left on the streets.
Reform’s work starts right now. We shall have a chance to judge them soon.