Reform UK to send first ‘Doge' team to look at council spending in Kent
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."
A Kent County Council spokesman declined to comment.
The Liberal Democrats, who are the second-biggest party in Kent, say that when so much of the budget is mandatory, Reform have very little room to make savings.
Liberal Democrat Cllr Richard Streatfield, Kent County Council, said: "Cuts are not part of the equation.
"We have a growing population of over 65s who are using demand-led services and only 0.6% of our budget is on discretionary services.
"We are using 99.4% of the county council's taxpayer's money for services that we are legally obliged to provide."
Sarah Barwick, Branch Secretary of Unison said: "There's fears of job cuts. KCC's really reduced its number of staff in the number of years I've been employed.
"We're right at almost the lowest point of staff that you can get without serious problems that could compromise the services."
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
Sky News
39 minutes ago
- Sky News
Jimmy Lai's son says his father will 'most likely die in jail' unless UK govt intervenes
The bustle still exists in Hong Kong, but its tone is not the same. A city once famous for its protest, now simply doesn't dare. Just a few years ago it would have been hard to imagine a court case as high-profile as that of Jimmy Lai without at least a handful of supporters and placards. But as closing arguments began in the trial of one of the city's most well-known pro-democracy figures, there was not a hint of dissent in sight. Now Lai's son, Sebastian, who advocates on his behalf, has said that the treatment of his father will have dire implications for Hong Kong"as a a financial centre", and has warned the British government (of which Lai is a citizen), that if it fails to act "my father is most likely going to die in jail". Jimmy Lai has been described as the most famous prisoner of conscience anywhere in the world. He is an iconic figure within Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement and is one of the most high-profile people to be charged under Hong Kong's controversial national security law. The self-made millionaire, lifelong critic of Beijing, and the owner of pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily is accused of colluding with foreign forces and publishing seditious material. After a five-month adjournment, closing arguments in his trial will get under way in earnest this week. There is a sense here that authorities have found this trial a little tricky to resolve. How to handle an elderly man who some believe has become emblematic of a cause? How to balance significant international criticism with the city's desire to assure the world it is just, fair and back open for business? His family and lawyers believe this partly explains the multiple, lengthy adjournments. Lai's son, Sebastian, has spent years advocating for his father from London. He has not seen him in nearly five years. "The worst-case scenario is that he dies in prison," he says. It is a legitimate concern. Lai has spent over 1,600 days in solitary confinement. He is 77 years old and diabetic. Indeed, on Friday, the first day of the resumed court activity was taken up by discussions about his health and the court was then adjourned so he could be fitted with a heart rate monitor. "In Hong Kong, it's a concrete cell which gets up to 30, 40C and he bakes in there essentially," says Sebastian. "So we're incredibly worried about him, and all of this in the last four years was aimed to break him, to break his spirit." 'If he dies, that's a comma on Hong Kong' Sebastian insists his father's death would not just be a personal tragedy, but a huge problem for both the Hong Kong authorities and Beijing's government. "You can't tell the world you have the rule of law, the free press and all these values that are instrumental to a financial centre and still have my father in jail," he says. "And if he dies, that's it, that's a comma on Hong Kong as a financial centre." It's criticism that the authorities in Hong Kong are acutely aware of. Indeed, the government there has insisted in a statement that the city's "correctional facilities are humane and safe" and said that claims to the contrary are merely "external forces and anti-China media" working to "glorify criminal behaviour and exert pressure on the courts". But Lai is also a British citizen and there is a sense his family believes successive UK governments have failed in their duty to support him. Petitioning is a journey Sebastain describes as "heartbreaking". "It's time to put actions behind words," he says. "Without that, my father is most likely going to die in jail." It's criticism that the authorities in Hong Kong are acutely aware of, the regional government claimed in a statement that "external forces and anti-China media" are actively working to "distort the truth, blatantly discredit the judicial system, in an attempt to glorify criminal behaviour". Some believe the Lai trial is one of the final outstanding affairs in the wake of the crackdown on Hong Kong's huge 2019 pro-democracy protests, actions the Beijing-backed authorities say were necessary to restore order and stability. When you spend time in this city, it's hard not to conclude those efforts have been remarkably successful. Any signs of dissent are now extremely hard to track down. Tiny slogans graffitied in hidden places, a few independent bookstores still stocking political titles or young people choosing to not spend money in Hong Kong where possible is about as much as exists. Meanwhile, the mainland Mandarin language is more commonly heard in the streets and slogans and banners extolling causes favoured by Beijing are not hard to find. In today's Hong Kong, stances are staked in quiet acts of compassion, such as committed visits to friends behind bars. 'Don't ever second-guess Beijing' It's on one of these trips we accompany Emily Lau, a former Hong Kong lawmaker and pro-democracy supporter. "It's very important to show the people inside that they have not been forgotten," she explains, as she climbs into one of Hong Kong's iconic red taxis. "It's my way of showing my support." She is visiting Dr Helena Wong, a fellow member of the Democratic Party, and one of the so-called '47' - 47 activists tried together for conspiracy to commit subversion. Her key offence was standing in an unofficial primary election. Lau is upbeat as we chat, but also frank about the state of democracy in her city. "It's very difficult. Now it seems you cannot demonstrate, you cannot march, you cannot petition," she says. "And if you do post something online or some posts, you have to be very careful about what you say. "I will never say we are finished, no, but right now, of course, it's very difficult." We wait outside for her as she visits Dr Wong. She reports back that she's in good spirits and was happy to see her friend. Their political party is in the process of disbanding, like every other pro-democracy group. The pressure has simply become too much, and she fears this isn't the end. "Don't ever second-guess Beijing," she says. "Don't try." Indeed, the only political groups able to continue are those who at least tacitly support Beijing and its laws. 'Not as bad as people think' Ronnie Tong runs a think tank called Path of Democracy, which also sponsors people to run for office. He bills it as a moderate force, but in reality, it has supported the National Security Law and all measures used to crack down on protesters. "I don't think it is as bad as people think," he says. "The only thing they cannot say is to advocate succession or separatism." I ask if using the word 'democracy' in the group's title feels a little ironic, given his voice is likely only permitted insofar as it does not criticise Beijing. "No, I don't think so," he replies. "People have to understand that politics is also about personal relationships." That will likely not wash with many people here, but right now most feel they have no choice but to keep a low profile or move on. The Lai trial is only one small part of Hong Kong's story, but it's a reflection of the rapid change here and a snapshot of a city adjusting.
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Shares scale fresh tops in Asia, oil slips on truce talks
SYDNEY, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Share markets edged higher in Asia on Monday ahead of what is likely to be an eventful week for U.S. interest rate policy, while oil prices slipped as risks to Russian supplies seemed to fade a little. A general risk-on mood saw indices in Japan and Taiwan make record peaks, while Chinese blue chips reached their highest in 10 months. U.S. President Donald Trump now seemed more aligned with Moscow on seeking a peace deal with Ukraine instead of a ceasefire first, after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. Trump will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders later on Monday to discuss the next steps, though actual proposals are vague as yet. The major economic event of the week will be the Kansas City Federal Reserve's August 21-23 Jackson Hole symposium, where Chair Jerome Powell is due to speak on the economic outlook and the central bank's policy framework. "Chair Powell will likely signal that risks to the employment and inflation mandates are coming into balance, setting up the Fed to resume returning policy rate to neutral," said Andrew Hollenhorst, chief economist at Citi Research. "But Powell will stop short of explicitly signalling a September rate cut, awaiting the August jobs and inflation reports," he added. "This would be fairly neutral for markets already fully pricing a September cut." Markets imply around an 85% chance of a quarter-point rate cut at the Fed's meeting on September 17, and are priced for a further easing by December. The prospect of lower borrowing costs globally has underpinned stock markets and Japan's Nikkei (.N225), opens new tab firmed 0.9% to a fresh record high. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS), opens new tab was a fraction lower, having hit a four-year top last week. Chinese blue chips (.CSI300), opens new tab added 1.0%, bringing gains so far this quarter to almost 8%. EUROSTOXX 50 futures and FTSE futures rose 0.2%, while DAX futures firmed 0.1%. S&P 500 futures nudged up 0.2%, while Nasdaq futures added 0.3% with both near all-time highs. Valuations have been underpinned by a solid earnings season as S&P 500 EPS grew 11% on the year and 58% of companies raised their full-year guidance. "Earnings results have continued to be exceptional for the mega-cap tech companies," noted analysts at Goldman Sachs. "While Nvidia has yet to report, the Magnificent 7 apparently grew EPS by 26% year/year in 2Q, a 12% beat relative to consensus expectation coming into earnings season." This week's results will provide some colour on the health of consumer spending with Home Depot, Target, Lowe's and Walmart all reporting. In bond markets, the chance of Fed easing is keeping down short-term Treasury yields while the longer end is pressured by the risk of stagflation and giant budget deficits, leading to the steepest yield curve since 2021. European bonds also have been pressured by the prospect of increased borrowing to fund defence spending, pushing German long-term yields to 14-year highs. Wagers on more Fed easing have weighed on the dollar, which dropped 0.4% against a basket of currencies last week to last stand at 97.851 . The dollar was a fraction firmer on the yen at 147.46 , while the euro held at $1.1701 after adding 0.5% last week. The dollar has fared better against its New Zealand counterpart as the country's central bank is widely expected to cut rates to 3.0% on Wednesday. In commodity markets, gold was stuck at $3,343 an ounce after losing 1.9% last week. Oil prices struggled as Trump backed away from threats to place more restrictions on Russian oil exports. Brent dropped 0.2% to $65.74 a barrel, while U.S. crude eased 0.1% to $62.76 per barrel.
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Trump news at a glance: DC crackdown expands with national guard to be deployed by three more states
After deploying the national guard to the streets of Washington DC, Donald Trump's federal crackdown is moving into a new phase. Three more states – West Virginia, South Carolina and Ohio – have said they will deploy hundreds of national guard troops to DC in the coming days. But crime prevention workers say the move will do little to prevent crime, and address systemic cycles of violence and property crime. Anticipating a further rollout of the controversial policy, Democratic cities are preparing for the worst with mayors from Seattle to Baltimore vowing to protect their cities legally and otherwise. Here are the key stories at a glance. Three states have moved to send hundreds of members of their national guard to the nation's capital as part of the Trump administration's effort to overhaul policing in Washington DC through a federal crackdown. West Virginia said it was deploying 300 to 400 guard troops while South Carolina pledged 200 and Ohio said it would send 150 in the coming days. Read the full story In a combative series of interviews on Sunday, the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said that 'both sides are going to have to make concessions' for there to be a peaceful resolution to the war that erupted when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. 'You can't have a peace agreement unless both sides make concessions – that's a fact,' the Trump administration's top diplomat told ABC on Sunday. 'That's true in virtually any negotiation. If not, it's just called surrender. And neither side is going to surrender. So both sides are going to have to make concessions.' Read the full story A Texas judge has expanded a restraining order against former congressman Beto O'Rourke and his political organization over its fundraising for Democratic state lawmakers who left Texas to prevent a legislative session on congressional redistricting. Read the full story When Donald Trump's Department of Justice requested the release of grand jury transcripts in criminal proceedings against sex-traffickers Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, the move did little to quiet an ever-growing chorus of critics frustrated by the US president's backtracking over disclosing investigative files. Read the full story Trump hiked tariffs on US imports. Now he's looking at exports – sparking fears of a 'dangerous precedent', writes Lauren Arantani in this analysis. US state department stops issuing visas for Gaza's children to get medical care after far-right campaign. Catching up? Here's what happened Saturday 16 August.
