Nigel Farage launched Reform UK’s Cambridgeshire County Council election campaign on Monday (1 April), vowing to tackle what he called “extraordinary levels of waste and mismanagement” at the local authority.
Touring businesses in St Neots alongside mayoral candidate Ryan Coogan, Farage pointed to the council’s £779 million debt, claiming residents have been “squeezed” with a 25% rise in council tax over the past five years.
“This council needs an equivalent of DOGE,” said Farage, referencing Elon Musk’s US Department of Government Efficiency. “We need to cut the waste, and fast.”
Among the spending decisions he criticised were:
- £18 million on a new council HQ which stayed empty for months, while the council still pays £100,000 annually to maintain the old one.
- A council CEO salary of more than £190,000 per year – around £23,000 more than the Prime Minister.
- Interest payments on the council’s debt are costing over £89,000 every single day
Farage also highlighted the county’s crumbling infrastructure, noting that nearly 65,000 potholes were logged in 2023/24, equating to over 22 per mile – one of the worst records in the UK. He claimed residents were footing the bill for “bloated bureaucracy and failing services”.
Reform UK Promises ‘Tougher’ Council if Elected
Mayoral candidate Ryan Coogan said he would use his powers to audit local authority spending and pressure underperforming councils to improve. “So much money is going out the door with very little to show for it,” Coogan said. “If elected, I will demand a line-by-line review.”
Both Farage and Coogan targeted what they described as unnecessary spending on net zero projects. “We’re not against the environment,” said Coogan, “but not at the expense of essential services and economic return.”
Though Reform UK currently has no elected representatives in Cambridgeshire, Farage said he believes the party can “win a significant number of seats” on 1 May.
During the visit, Farage drew attention from locals while receiving a novelty bulldog tattoo at a St Neots parlour. “We’re not your typical politicians,” he joked.
Reform UK will be challenging the current Liberal Democrat-led council, which holds 23 seats, with the Conservatives on 21, Labour on 10, and the remainder split among independents.
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