Reform-Led Councils Deliver Significant Savings Whilst Managing Rising Costs

Reform-led local authorities across England, including Lincolnshire, Lancashire and Kent, have announced what they describe as substantial financial savings as part of their 2026/27 budget settlements. Reform UK centrally claimed its councils had saved over £100m in its first 100 days in office, though critics have challenged how these figures are calculated, arguing they include cancelled future spending plans and notional savings rather than realised cuts.

Lincolnshire County Council has identified £35.5m of known savings for the financial year 2026/27, which are expected to rise to £62.6m over the coming years. The council approved a 2.9 per cent increase in council tax on 20 February 2026, equivalent to 90p per week on an average band D property, which the authority states is expected to be one of the lowest increases among county councils nationally. The savings include £15m in efficiency savings, £1m from senior management restructuring, and reduced employer pension contributions of £9m. The council will also use some of its reserves to balance the budget, without drawing from general reserves or financial volatility reserves.

Lancashire County Council has outlined savings of over £60m for 2026/27 as part of its first budget under Reform control. The authority is proposing a 3.8 per cent increase in its share of council tax for the coming year — comprising 1.8 per cent general rise plus 2 per cent Adult Social Care Precept — which it describes as the lowest rise in 12 years, below the government’s 4.99 per cent referendum threshold. Of the savings identified, approximately £43m had already been planned by the previous Conservative administration, with a further £22m added by Reform. Lancashire will benefit from an extra £24m in government funding following the Fair Funding Review. The council has already made progress on deficit reduction, bringing a projected £28m overspend in September 2025 down to £6.2m by December 2025.

Both authorities acknowledge significant financial challenges ahead. Lincolnshire faces over £80m in cost pressures for 2026/27, whilst Lancashire is managing £99m of cost pressures, driven largely by increased demand for social care services and inflationary pressures. The authorities have committed to continuing efficiency programmes and service reviews to identify further savings without compromising front-line service delivery.

However, the savings claims have faced scrutiny. Kent County Council, also under Reform control since May 2025, was accused of “fantasy economics” over its claimed budget savings, with reports suggesting some figures related to unfunded or unapproved projects that were simply removed from future plans rather than representing actual spending reductions. Reform now controls ten councils across England following the May 2025 elections, having won majorities in Kent, Durham, Lancashire, Doncaster, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, North Northamptonshire, and West Northamptonshire.

Officials have emphasised the importance of achieving value for money for residents whilst maintaining essential services including social care, schools, highways and transport. The budgets reflect efforts to balance financial sustainability with meeting growing demand from ageing populations and other demographic pressures across the local government sector.

Key Takeaways

• Reform UK claims its ten controlled councils have delivered significant cumulative savings since taking control in May 2025, though the aggregate figures have not been independently verified
• Lincolnshire approved a 2.9 per cent council tax increase with £35.5m in identified savings — figures confirmed by the council’s own published budget
• Lancashire outlines a 3.8 per cent council tax rise, described as the lowest in 12 years, with £60m+ in savings identified — though £43m of these were planned by the previous administration
• Critics argue some claimed savings relate to cancelled future plans rather than actual spending reductions

What This Means for Kent Residents

For Kent residents under Reform-led KCC, these budgets from other Reform councils provide context for what to expect locally: modest council tax increases alongside ongoing efficiency drives. However, it is worth noting that claimed savings figures should be viewed critically, as independent scrutiny has questioned how some are calculated. Residents should expect council tax increases aligned with inflation and cost pressures in social care, whilst front-line services in education, adult care, highways and transport remain under significant financial pressure.