We reconvened for the first session of 2026 with Malcolm Gardner in the chair, supported by Nicki Duckworth, and a familiar cast of local government finance, revenues and welfare experts, including Naomi Armstrong, Paul Howarth, Gareth Morgan, Laura Bessell, Kirsty Brooksmith, Michael Fisher, Bob Wagstaff, Robert Fox, Richard Hanby, Peter Haywood and others. The meeting…
Category: DOGE
Why We Should Not Be Surprised That Reform UK’s Councils Are Struggling
When Reform UK swept to power in several county councils earlier this year, Nigel Farage hailed their victories as a “tectonic shift in British politics.” Kent, in particular, became the test bed for what Reform called a new era of efficiency — modelled on the “chainsaw” approach of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)….
Revenues and Benefits Discussion Group – August 2025 Highlights
There is no session this week as the summer break continues on the meantime here is a summary of what has been happening over the last two weeks. The group will return on Monday 8 September. Welfare and Sickness Trends Nearly 2.8 million people are now out of work due to long-term sickness, pushing the…
Terminal Illness Exemption and Innovation Squads Under Scrutiny in R&B Discussion Group
The Independent Revenues & Benefits Discussion Group met on 21 July 2025 to reflect on two significant developments: the proposed council tax exemption for terminally ill residents and the government’s investment in local service “innovation squads.” Exempting the Terminally Ill: Well-Meaning but Misplaced? Malcolm Gardner opened the meeting by highlighting a campaign led by Marie…
Independent Revenues & Benefits Discussion Group: Council Tax Reduction Review Highlights
The latest session of the Independent Revenues & Benefits Discussion Group, held on 9 June 2025, offered an invaluable insight into the current state of Council Tax Reduction (CTR) schemes across the country. This week, we were fortunate to be joined by Karen Holmes from entitledto, who delivered an excellent and highly informative presentation on…
Reform UK’s “Department of National Efficiency”: A High-Stakes Gamble in Local Government Reform
Malcolm Gardner June 2025 Reform UK’s newly launched “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) is pitched as a radical instrument to root out waste, overhaul council finances, and deploy tech-led solutions to chronic inefficiencies. Inspired by the controversial U.S. DOGE initiative under Elon Musk, the UK version aims to deliver rapid savings through forensic audits, AI…