Reform UK to send first ‘Doge' team to look at council spending
A team of software engineers, data analysts and forensic auditors will 'visit and analyse' local authorities, starting with Kent County Council on Monday, the party said.
It follows the US Doge, which was launched during Donald Trump's presidency to cut federal spending. Billionaire Musk was involved but has since left his position spearheading the unit.
Reform says its UK version will be led by a yet-unnamed man described as one of the country's 'leading tech entrepreneurs with a specialism in data analytics who has also been a turnaround CEO'.
The party said that the unit will use artificial intelligence, advanced data analysis tools and forensic auditing techniques to 'identify wasteful spending and recommend actionable solutions'.
A letter sent to Kent County Council, which Reform now controls after the May local elections, read: 'The scope of the review includes but is not limited to: Contractual arrangements with suppliers and consultants, all capital expenditure, use of framework agreements and direct awards, any off-book or contingent liabilities, use of reserves and financial resilience, any audit flags raised by internal or external auditors in the last three years.
'We request that all relevant council officers provide the Doge team with full and prompt access to: Council-held documents, reports and records (electronic and paper), relevant finance, procurement, audit and contract data, meeting minutes and correspondence concerning major procurements, any internal investigations or whistleblowing reports relevant to financial matters, any additional documents that might be of assistance.'
It added: 'Should you resist this request, we are ready to pass a council motion to compel the same and will consider any obstruction of our councillors' duties to be gross misconduct. We trust this will not be required.'
It is signed by council leader Linden Kemkaran, party chairman Zia Yusuf and party leader Nigel Farage.
Mr Yusuf said: 'For too long British people have been British taxpayers have watched their money vanish into a black hole.
'Their taxes keep going up, their bin collections keep getting less frequent, potholes remain unfixed, their local services keep getting cut. Reform won a historic victory on a mandate to change this.
'As promised, we have created a UK Doge to identify and cut wasteful spending of taxpayer money. Our team will use cutting-edge technology and deliver real value for voters.'
During a local election campaign launch in March, Mr Farage told supporters: 'Frankly folks, what we need in this country to pay for the cuts that people deserve and need, we need a British form of Doge, as Elon Musk has got in America. Let's have a British Doge.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
33 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
RAF chief set to be new head of armed forces
The head of the RAF is set to be appointed as the new chief of the British armed forces, according to reports. Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton is thought to be in line to be the next Chief of Defence Staff. The position is currently held by Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, who has been in the role since 2021. According to his biography on the Government website, Sir Richard joined the RAF in 1989 as a university cadet, and served as deputy chief of the defence staff from 2019 to 2022. The appointment comes as the Government has pledged to increase defence spending in the UK to 2.5% of gross domestic product on defence from April 2027, with a goal of increasing that to 3% over the next parliament, a timetable which could stretch to 2034. The Ministry of Defence said: 'This is speculation. The appointment process is ongoing and any announcement will be made in the usual way.'
South Wales Guardian
33 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Madeleine McCann: Latest search sees teams drain well and clear dense vegetation
German investigators along with Portuguese police officers and firefighters are working in a little-developed area of countryside a few miles from Praia da Luz where Madeleine was last seen in 2007. Then aged three, she vanished while on holiday with her family in the Algarve resort after her parents went out to dinner and left her sleeping in a room with her toddler twin siblings. Journalists were being kept a distance away from the search sites on Tuesday and a no-fly zone was imposed that stopped the used of drones, although some activity could be seen as teams used strimmers, pick-axes, shovels and chainsaws to clear the undergrowth and debris surrounding an abandoned building. Personnel wore safety gear such as gloves and hard hats as they worked in the dense vegetation, and firefighters and police were seen using a yellow hose to drain a well. Around a dozen officers focused on one abandoned building where digging was taking place, while another member of the search team cleared large rocks. The Sun reported that investigators are also planning to use radar equipment that can scan beneath the ground. TV footage showed two Portuguese police officers guarding the end to a narrow lane that leads through an area of fields and scrubland with a few houses and a vineyard. It has been variously reported that investigators will look where trenches were dug near the resort at the time of Madeleine's disappearance, at wells, ruins and water tanks, and that there are plans to examine 21 pieces of land. The search is being carried out at the request of the German federal police as they look for evidence that could implicate prime suspect Christian Brueckner, who is in prison for raping a 72-year-old woman in Praia da Luz in 2005. He is due to be released from jail in September if no further charges are brought. Ulrich Oppold, a journalist from German broadcaster RTL, visited Brueckner in prison in Germany, who said if he gets out of jail the thing he is most looking forward to is a steak with a beer. Brueckner refused to answer any questions relating to Madeleine after discussions with his lawyers. He told the journalist that if he does get out of jail he will have to lie low as he is so well known. Brueckner described himself as 'bekannt wie ein bunter Hund' – which literally translated is 'as well-known as a colourful dog'. In October last year, Brueckner was cleared by a German court of unrelated sexual offences alleged to have taken place in Portugal between 2000 and 2017. Around 30 German police officers, including forensic experts, are expected to take part in the search along with Portuguese officers, with the activity due to last until Friday. The Metropolitan Police said it is aware of the operation but that British officers will not be present. German investigators and Portuguese officers last carried out searches in the country in 2023 near the Barragem do Arade reservoir, about 30 miles from Praia da Luz. Brueckner, who spent time in the area between 2000 and 2017, had photographs and videos of himself near the reservoir. It was previously searched in 2008, when Portuguese lawyer Marcos Aragao Correia paid for specialist divers to search it after he claimed to have been tipped off by criminal contacts that Madeleine's body was there. British police were later given permission to examine scrubland near where she vanished in 2014. Last month, Madeleine's family, who are from Rothley in Leicestershire, marked the 18th anniversary of her disappearance, describing her as 'beautiful and unique' before her 22nd birthday, and expressing their determination to keep searching. A statement from her parents Kate and Gerry McCann and the family said: 'The years appear to be passing even more quickly and whilst we have no significant news to share, our determination to 'leave no stone unturned' is unwavering. We will do our utmost to achieve this.' In April, ministers approved more than £100,000 in additional funding for Scotland Yard detectives investigating Madeleine's disappearance.
The Independent
42 minutes ago
- The Independent
Steel industry braced for 50% Trump tariff despite UK-US deal
The steel industry is braced to be impacted by Donald Trump's implementation of a 50% tariff, despite Sir Keir Starmer's landmark deal with the White House. Downing Street would not say on Tuesday whether British steel exporters would be hit with 50% tariffs from the US from Wednesday, despite an agreement to eliminate the charges. Last week US President Mr Trump announced he was doubling tariffs on the imports of steel from 25% to 50%. The UK struck a deal with Washington for import taxes on its steel to be removed weeks ago, but its implementation has not been finalised. The steel industry is working on the understanding that the sector will be impacted by the new rules and the 50% levy will likely affect UK steelmakersfrom Wednesday. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds was due to meet US trade representative Jamieson Greer in Paris on Tuesday. Asked whether it was 'embarrassing' that steelmakers could face a worse situation despite the announcement of the deal last month, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'I'm not going to get ahead of announcements for the United States. 'But what you've seen so far is the US and the UK agree a landmark deal across sectors to protect British industries – cars, steel, aluminium – and you've seen the welcoming statements the industries have made in support of the agreement. 'When it comes to implementation of the agreement, that work is ongoing.' Number 10 later insisted that Mr Trump would keep his word on the UK-US deal. Asked if Mr Trump could be trusted, a No 10 spokesman said: 'Yes, absolutely. We have a very close relationship with the US. I think that's reflected in the fact that this deal has been signed, and that it is, as we've said before, the first of its kind.' UK Steel has previously said the tariff announcement is a 'body blow' for the industry. Director general Gareth Stace said: 'The deal that the Prime Minister and President Trump struck just a few short weeks ago is yet to be finalised, so this doubling of tariffs plunges the UK steel industry further into confusion. 'Uncertainty remains as to whether and when our second biggest export market will be open for business or is being firmly shut in our faces.' Meanwhile, a Tata Steel director told the Business and Trade Committee on Tuesday that the UK 'absolutely' needs to go faster in supporting the steel industry in response to US tariffs. Russell Codling, director of markets, business development and commercial services at Tata said: 'It is not just for us making sure that this deal (with the US) is the right deal, it is also about making sure that the trade protection measures are the appropriate ones in the UK, and they are at least as good as other trading partners around the world.' When asked if the UK needs to go faster on the issue, Mr Codling said: 'Absolutely.' The same committee also heard from leaders in other sectors that have been affected by the tariff arrangements, including car manufacturing. An industry figure told the MPs that motoring firms would 'of course' like the 100,000 quota for a 10% tariff on car imports into the US to be higher. Murray Paul, public affairs director at Jaguar Land Rover said: 'Of course we'd prefer for it to be higher. 'But I think if we're honest it's there or thereabouts what the current market volume is of producing from the UK into the US. 'We are expectant that it's administered fairly, that if there's a small amount of pain that that is distributed equally amongst British manufacturers of goods. 'Obviously, we would like it to grow in the future because we think there's a growth opportunity in the US market as the incredible cars that we produce in this country are admired around the world.' A Government spokesperson said: 'Ministers and officials have worked tirelessly to ensure that the UK was the first country to secure a trade deal with the US, helping us deliver on the Plan for Change. 'The Government is engaging intensively with the US to implement the Economic Prosperity Deal that we agreed on May 8 at pace, including on steel and aluminium, and will update on progress in due course.'
