No 'free tickets' on council tax under Reform

Nigel Farage gave a property league connected Tuesday, highlighting £25bn of savings helium claims Rachel Reeves tin marque successful her fund - including slashing overseas assistance and payment for overseas citizens.

But helium said the areas wherever the section councils are present tally by Reform are experiencing "massive problems" with their finances and whitethorn person to rise assembly tax.

The Reform person claimed that erstwhile campaigning successful the section elections successful May, helium "did not marque a azygous committedness - not a azygous committedness successful that predetermination run that we'd beryllium capable to frost oregon chopped assembly tax".

"I ne'er said it once. And you cognize why? Because I realised the monolithic debts that we were inheriting from those region councils."

A turquoise tide saw Reform summation power of 10 councils and triumph immoderate 600 section councillors.

Farage promised a "DOGE" unit, inspired by Elon Musk's inaugural successful the US, to slash waste.

But astir councils person indicated they volition person to rise assembly tax, arsenic they grapple with fund shortfalls and the pressures of big societal care.

I asked him wherefore voters should judge helium could easy find spending to slash successful nationalist government, if the grounds successful section councils was thing to spell by.

Read more: What taxes could spell up now?

Mr Farage said: "There is simply a monolithic occupation and this is going to request the nationalist authorities to enactment with the section authorities to trim those burdens.

"Are we determined to marque changes? Yes. Will we chopped debt? Yes. But tin we springiness radical a escaped summons astatine this infinitesimal successful clip connected assembly tax? No."

Kent County Council - wherever a leaked telephone telephone exposing tensions astir budgets led to councillors being suspended - is expected to rise assembly taxation by the maximum of 4.99% adjacent year.

Durham County Council is reported to beryllium looking astatine raising parking charges.

Farage added aboriginal successful the property league that helium hoped councils would support their rises to the level of inflation, 3.8% successful September.