Union chief urges staff at Reform UK-controlled councils to sign up
The head of the UK’s biggest union urged staff at Reform UK-controlled councils to sign up after Nigel Farage warned workers to seek “alternative careers”.
Mr Farage has warned council staff working on diversity or climate change initiatives to seek “alternative careers” after Reform UK took control of Durham council.
The Clacton MP’s party made major gains in the local elections in England, picking up 10 councils and more than 600 seats in Thursday’s poll.
Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said: “Unions are there to ensure no one can play fast and loose with the law.
“Any staff working for councils now controlled by Reform, and who aren’t yet members, should sign up so they can be protected too.”
Doge
Mr Farage has said he wants a British equivalent of Doge – referring to the Elon Musk-run Department of Government Efficiency, which is slashing government spending in the US, in every council.
He said he would advise anyone working on climate change or diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives to be “seeking alternative careers very, very quickly”, in a speech in Durham on Friday.
“We want to give council taxpayers better value for money. We want to reduce excessive expenditure,” he said.
On Saturday, a newly elected Reform UK councillor said Durham County Council would be “getting the auditors in” right away to slash spending in areas like net zero and green initiatives.
‘Bad employers’
“We’re getting the auditors in to see … actually what those jobs are, and if they’re good value for money, and if they’re not, well, the answer is, ‘Yeah, goodbye’,” Darren Grimes, a Durham councillor and former GB News presenter told the Today programme.
Ms McAnea said: “This is not the US. Thankfully, workers in the UK have laws to protect them from bad employers.
“And soon employees will get even more protection from unscrupulous bosses when the government’s new employment rights come in.”
She said the new Reform UK councillors have “much to learn about local government” and will “quickly discover there’s nothing left to cut and many authorities are balancing on the edge of the financial precipice.”
“Most local authorities would love to be doing their core work, as Mr Farage says. But they simply don’t have the staff nor the resources to do even that.”
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Sound advice. That speech ably reminds us that Farage isn’t the sharpest knife in the draw, because it amounts to constructive dismissal.
Were I unfortunate enough to work for a Reform council I’d be ringing my Unison rep first thing Tuesday morning.
Yes indeed. Unions? This is your time. The arch aggressor is here. You must rise to the challenge. Resist or die, possibly literally but please don’t. However, it must be said that, in so many ways, there is a threat to mortality coming and it must be stopped.
I wish the press would report the damage musks outfit are doing in the US. It is not working there and will never work here.
I look forward to seeing how well Reform’s vetting process has worked. Once the racists, conspiracy theorists, christian nationalists and other assorted fruitcakes rise to the surface and are kicked out by Farage (fat chance), just how many councillors will Reform have left?
Oh they are spilling out, KKK fanciers, Britain First fanciers, Chem trail believers, muslim haters (racists basically). Farage don’t half attract them. Darren Grimes is in there as well.
But will the press look at that or try to blow smoke up farage again? He is in this because the people at the likes of the BBC othered him and don’t hold him to account over brexit. Lot of money behind Nige from big oil, they know how to play the press.
Oh, Darren ‘save the UK’ Mr Trump Grimes? I can’t think of why I would stand trial for treason but if I was there and was asked ‘what do you have to say for yourself’?, I would ask ‘where’s Darren Grimes’?. I’m not taking the rap for him’.
Yeah, “crafty” grimes.
It’s more crucial than ever before for Wales to move away from English rule. Our neighbors are going as mad as the Americans, which is their right to choose, but Wales shouldn’t have to be part of the fallout that they create.
Correct. Wales and Scotland cannot live together with England POLITICALLY any longer. Always available for friendship and guidance though.