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LANCASHIRE LEADERS
FARAGE IN THE CHAIR
A political revolution has hit Lancashire. Here Ged Henderson talks to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and the party’s new county council leader Stephen Atkinson to determine what that means for businesses
It’s a story Nigel Farage repeated often on the campaign trail – how Lancashire had spent £500,000 on ergonomic chairs for council staff, many of whom work from home.
He uses it again on his triumphant post-election victory visit to County Hall in Preston, describing it as “the famous ergonomic chair contract” as he declares: “Things like that we are going to chuck in the bin.”
In an interview with Lancashire Business View, conducted before the arrival of Reform’s ‘DOGE’ unit, set up to examine all council spending in areas they control, the Reform UK leader says: “We’re bringing in experts to have a look.
“They are techies and through the use of AI tools can go through a lot of data very quickly. We’re looking at expenditures. We are looking at priorities. We are looking at where money is being spent.
“How big can these savings be? Can they make a material difference? The answer is I don’t know any more than you or anyone.
“I’m certain of this, there has been almost zero scrutiny of local government in England. Occasionally one goes bankrupt and when they go bust it’s in the news but there’s never any regular scrutiny.”
He adds: “Let’s find out. We are going to give it a real good go and you know what, we will get some wins on this, I hope substantial. I think council tax payers in this county will thank us for it.”
The Reform leader, who doesn’t believe in ‘work from home’, also talks of plunging productivity in local government, and says it has fallen 20 per cent since the first Covid lockdown.
He adds: “That is not fair on taxpayers on any level. You can call me old fashioned if you want to, I actually think groups of people together work better, are happier, are psychologically better adjusted, I think young people learn through being with older people.
living in Lancashire, maybe they’ll have a bit more pride in the work they do themselves and a sense that, ‘you know what, this is really important, we can do good things’.”
Farage also talks about rural communities, pointing to Reform’s success in every rural district of the county.
He says: “Rural communities have been left behind, really feeling under pressure. There is a lack of understanding of rural poverty.
“It’s tough enough being poor living in a town or a city, if you’re poor and living in the country with no car or public transport, life is very tough indeed.
It’s tough enough being poor living in a town or
a city, if you’re poor living in the country with no car or public transport life is very tough indeed
“I get maybe the mum with three kids and care and needs a bit of flexibility, but you can do all that.
“So, I think a change of culture. If people can see that we are genuinely committed to improving the lives of people and families
“Rural crime is absolutely out of control. Theft in particular, is a very real problem.
“There is an increasingly urban sense of national government. Rural communities feel there is no one to speak for them. They are looking for someone to champion their causes.”
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