Richard Tice has 15-year record of supporting ‘net stupid zero’ initiatives

Firms led by deputy Reform UK leader since 2011 have shown commitment to saving energy and cutting CO2 emissions

He never seems to tire of deriding “net stupid zero”, but Reform UK’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, has a 15-year business record of support for sustainability and green energy initiatives.

The Reform party has made opposition to green energy and net zero part of its policy platform. Its founder, Nigel Farage, has called net zero policies a “lunacy”; the party has called to lift the ban on fracking for fossil gas; and one of the first Reform-led councils, Kent, rescinded last month its declaration of a climate emergency.

Richard Tice has 15-year record of supporting ‘net stupid zero’ initiatives, Damien Gayle Environment correspondent, The Guardian, Fri 10 Oct 2025

Doncaster Council: Reform UK secures unplanned full council meeting to re-appoint committee chairs

Reform UK have secured an extraordinary meeting of the City of Doncaster Council in attempts to regain control of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee (OSMC).

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands the meeting, scheduled for October 23, 2025, will see the party nominate new chairs and vice-chairs of various council committees.

A group spokesperson declined to comment on their exact plans for the meeting, including on who they would be nominating to chair key committees.

Doncaster Council: Reform UK secures unplanned full council meeting to re-appoint committee chairs, Doncaster Free Press

Do Britons think Reform UK are racist? (mostly, yes)

Labour are attempting to take the fight to Reform UK, with Keir Starmer describing the rival party’s proposal to scrap indefinite leave to remain as “racist”, while home secretary Shabana Mahmood has branded Nigel Farage of “worse than racist” dog-whistle politics.

A new YouGov survey conducted for ITV Peston finds that more than four in ten Britons consider the Reform UK party (47%), policies (46%) and voters (43%) to be “generally racist”. This compares to 35-36% in each case who disagree, believing them to generally not be racist.

Do Britons think Reform UK are racist?, YouGov

Reform councillor and Tommy Robinson allies back ‘completely untrue’ RE claims

A Reform UK councillor chaired a meeting at which a Welsh far-right hate group spread ‘untrue’ claims about religious education, a Swansea primary school has claimed.

Reform councillor Francesca O’Brien chaired the meeting alongside members of Voice of Wales – a group designated as a hate organisation by Hope Not Hate, with links to the former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson. The meeting centred on entirely unsubstantiated allegations that pupils at Sea View Community Primary School had been forced to pray on Muslim mats and recite Islamic prayers. The school has said the accusations are ‘untrue’.

Reform councillor and Tommy Robinson allies back ‘completely untrue’ RE claims, humanists.uk

Reform UK likely to raise council tax in Kent despite promise to cut costs

Kent becomes latest local authority controlled by Nigel Farage’s party to signal intention to raise council tax

A Reform UK-run council where the party sought to pilot drastic cost-cutting plans is going to have to raise council tax, a cabinet member has admitted.

Services at Kent county council were already “down to the bare bones”, said Reform’s cabinet member for adult social care, Diane Morton. It makes Kent the latest local authority controlled by Nigel Farage’s party to signal its intention to raise council tax.

Reform UK likely to raise council tax in Kent despite promise to cut costs, The Guardian

Reform UK councillor denies election crime

Andy Osborn, 74, who is a member of Cambridgeshire County Council, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday charged with making or publishing a false statement before or during an election in relation to the candidate’s personal character or conduct, under the Representation of the People Act 1983.

Reform UK councillor denies election crime, BBC

Councillor to be investigated over ‘evil’ remark

A councillor who was heard to describe some children in care as “downright evil” is being investigated for an alleged breach of the members’ code of conduct.

Cambridgeshire County Council has confirmed an investigation into the allegation against Reform UK member Andy Osborn is taking place after a complaint was lodged.

Councillor to be investigated over ‘evil’ remark, BBC

Countdown: The steady shedding of Reform councillors and officials continues…

Drunken displays, racist rants and dodgy deals are just some of the reasons that Reform councillors and officials are dropping like flies…

While Reform UK can celebrate a steady drumbeat of defections and by-elections boosting their number of councillors, they’re finding it somewhat hard to keep hold of the ones they’ve already got. The party managed to shed a remarkable eight councillors in September alone, and have lost 24 since May, for a variety of embarrassing reasons.

To make matters worse, even Reform HQ staff are not safe from the perpetual churn. Read on for a breakdown of those suspended, expelled and otherwise exiled from the Reform Party movement over the past few months…

Countdown: The steady shedding of Reform councillors and officials continues…, Hope not Hate

Reform-run Kent council plans £2m school budget raid

Leaders say proposals fly in face of pre-election pledges to identify efficiencies and savings from Musk-style DOGE unit

Reform UK-run Kent council plans to raid £2 million from schools’ already-squeezed budgets to pay for vital services it can no longer afford, sparking fears of more classroom cuts.

Leaders say the proposals fly in the face of Reform’s pre-election pledges to identify efficiencies and savings through a pilot of its own Elon Musk-style DOGE unit.

The party also admitted this week it’s likely to hike council tax charges for its residents.

Reform-run Kent council plans £2m school budget raid, Schools Week