Hi there, my name is May and I’m a 17-year-old from East Devon who’s passionate about finding solutions to the climate crisis. Although local elections can seem less important than general elections, in reality they have a significant effect on setting the agenda for local policy, including on issues surrounding the environment and climate change. In the local elections on 1 May, Reform UK (led by Nigel Farage) won control of a number of local councils for the first time. They are now in charge of ten areas, and there are a further four where they are the largest party. With a grand total of 677 councillors [out of an England-wide total of 17,000. Ed], how will the new kid on the block affect local environmental policy?
Let’s start by hearing what Farage had to say himself. Following Reform’s victory in Durham, he expressed a desire to establish “a Department of Government Efficiency” in every county, inspired by the department US President Donald Trump and his sidekick Elon Musk set up with the intention of making mass cuts to government spending on things such as net zero projects. This is ludicrous because, after 15 years of cuts to council budgets, Reform UK will lack the scope to reduce spending further, let alone establish whole new departments.
On X (formerly Twitter), the Department of Government Efficiency in America claimed to have recently saved US$145,000 by terminating a contract for climate change management in Peru. However, fact checkers such as BBC Verify have discredited many of the department’s claims due to faulty accounting. [In fact, after Musk’s dramatic election pledges to cut US$ 3tn, it looks as if even the most favourable analysis throws up a meagre US140bn of ‘savings’ and in the last few days it has been confirmed that US government spending is actually UP 9 per cent! Ed] Maybe it would be more fitting for Elon Musk to rename his outfit ‘The Department of Government Inefficiency’ and for Reform UK to set up replicas of this, given many of their councillors have no previous experience – an attribute which their deputy leader, Richard Tice, describes as “an advantage”.
Farage also addressed council workers who work on climate change initiatives saying, “I think you all better really be seeking alternative careers”. The newly-elected Durham councillor, former GB News reporter Darren Grimes, reinforced Farage’s message, claiming “fortunes are being spent on net-zero pet projects” . He also said that sackings would be dependent on if staff “are a good value for money”.
During the local elections, Reform UK won control of Staffordshire County Council. Speaking after the results came in at the county showground, Farage said that Reform UK would reject proposals for two new solar farms, one in the Staffordshire moorlands and one in Cheadle, whilst warning that the days were numbered for those with a ‘woke’ agenda and that the previous Conservative-run council was “very woke” (in marked similarity to Trump, he clearly has a favourite word). The Reform UK MP, Richard Tice, also posted on his social media,
“If you are thinking of investing in solar farms, battery storage systems, or trying to build pylons, think again. We will fight you every step of the way. We will win”.
However, Tice may need to think again about Reform’s plans for slashing environmental legislation as although the newly-elected councillors wield some power over local environmental policies, they have little ability to do more than influence rather than enforce policy.
Meanwhile, in Lincolnshire, the new mayor, Andrea Jenkyns, has announced plans to form a business agreement with a local fracking company, saying it would “really save money for Lincolnshire and the taxpayers”. The government has ruled out Jenkyn’s plans, emphasising that fracking will be banned nationally due to the environmental devastation it causes and that the biggest threat to UK energy security is reliance on fossil fuels. Fracking is dangerous as it is associated with methane leaks and a higher chance of health problems amongst local people such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, asthma and birth defects.
According to Manchester University, the limited fracking activity near Blackpool has produced methane emissions equivalent to 142 transatlantic flights. The Federation of Small Businesses in Lincolnshire also said that net zero targets offer an enormous economic opportunity in the area while over-reliance on fossil fuel projects does not stimulate economic growth. The Conservative councillor, Keane Duncan, and Labour MP, Rachel Maskell, who appeared on the BBC Politics North show alongside Jenkyns , condemned her schemes, stating that we need to “wake up to the climate challenges”.
Although Reform will have some power to push forward policies opposing environmental targets, their main form of influence will be the noise and pressure they are now able to create around the issue. It is undoubtedly concerning that their victory will increase animosity amongst a minority of the public to net zero and, potentially, make the government more reluctant to take a strong stance on the climate crisis. However, despite Reform’s gains, I take hope from The Green Party, who have also made significant gains in these local elections, increasing their number of elected Greens for the eighth consecutive year ,with 79 councillors being elected, taking their total to 859 seats on 181 councils. In Devon, the number of Green Party councillors on the County Council has tripled from two to six, including the Green Party candidate Henry Gent, for whom I’d been leafleting, who was elected to the Broadclyst division.
While the growing profile of Reform poses challenges for local climate policy, the growing support for the Green Party proves that there is still widespread public backing for environmental action, making local engagement – from voting to grassroots campaigning – more crucial than ever.
I hope you found this an interesting and informative read, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the issue! Feel free to send me an email (my address is mayrosepuckey@gmail.com) or contact me on Instagram or Substack (@maypuckey).
