Latest news with #AlanGraves
BBC News
24-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
What are Reform UK's priorities in Derbyshire?
"Never before has Derbyshire seen such wholesale changes to the political landscape."That is what Alan Graves told the county council's first full meeting in Matlock this week since the local elections saw them sweep to the Conservatives now in opposition and the Labour Party on a historic low of just three seats, local residents are being told to expect a very different kind of leadership than what has come has said that 12 months is a fair measurement local residents should judge the party by on whether they have seen visible improvements. It is early days, but the new leadership have spoken so far about a number of key areas they want to tackle "quickly". 'DOGE' The new leaders say that this is their "number one priority". DOGE is a reference to the newly-created Department of Government Efficiency in Donald Trump's US administration, with a pledge to cut waste forming a central part of Reform's election signify their focus on this area, a new leadership role has been created for "Council Efficiency (DOGE)".It will be a wide-ranging role across all the cabinet portfolios assessing where waste can be leaders in Derbyshire have spoken about the need to do a "full audit" of the council's books to see where money can be saved."The first port of call is to go to [executive directors], find out what the issues are, look at those finances and see where we can make efficiencies," says also says the group already have "several ideas" for quick job cuts forming part of this drive have not been ruled out."If [council staff] are efficient then they've got nothing to be scared about", he told the BBC. Bubbling under the surface of the DOGE policy is the very real need to keep the authority's finances on track. One of Reform's newly elected councillors in Derbyshire claimed in a social media post that the authority was "six months from bankruptcy".While the leadership have played this down, the council's books remain riddled with heavy overspends and debt."We won't become bankrupt," Graves told the BBC, while acknowledging "how bad the finances are"."We'll turn that around," he said. "In a year's time, you'll see that we're still operating as a local authority, and we'll balance the budget, and we'll be making savings."He added that Reform would be working to "keep council tax low" - something the previous Conservative leaders also sought to do, but eventually failed amid the scale of the challenges they faced. The state of Derbyshire's roads has bought the county some unwelcome attention in recent years, with the RAC singling Derbyshire out for the poor conditions motorists Graves told the BBC this week that that local residents would see an improvement in the roads within a to the new DOGE role, as a signal of intent, the new cabinet member in charge of Derbyshire's roads had a specific reference to potholes in her Charlotte Hill said at the inaugural meeting in Matlock this week that Reform would be setting out "detailed plans" on fixing potholes once they had assessed the overall picture and available who also works at National Highways, said the new administration would seek to immediately "accelerate the quantity and improve the quality of the works they are currently doing". Asylum accommodation Reform's new cabinet member for Business Services Stephen Reed has said previously the group would "fight" the Home Office if asked to house more asylum seekers in local national party is said to be consulting lawyers on how exactly this can be done in counties under its control where this policy continues, although the government has said it wants to bring hotel accommodation to an Home Office is responsible for housing adult asylum seekers and while councils can object, they have little power to stop Derbyshire, excluding the city of Derby, the number of asylum seekers in hotels is relatively figure currently stands at around 170 as of March this year, a reduction from roughly 240 in December it is an issue that sparks fierce debate locally that Reform hope to make clear they are trying to address in some way. SEND Special educational needs services in Derbyshire was put under the spotlight following a damning Ofsted report last year that said families were being left in "crisis" by the local authority's "widespread and systemic failings".Derbyshire received close to 2,000 applications for needs assessments in 2024 from local parents, most of which were approved.A special post has been created for SEND and Education and Graves has acknowledged the difficulty of the has pledged that families who have faced lengthy and costly delays from the council in the process of seeking help with their children's needs will "absolutely" see that the process is sped up. But there is also uncertainty around how the service might be impacted by Reform's anti-waste agenda.
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Derbyshire Reform leaders scrap climate change committee
Opposition councillors have criticised a decision by Derbyshire County Council's new Reform UK leaders to scrap the authority's climate change committee as "short-sighted" and "threatening". The committee, formally named the Climate Change, Biodiversity and Carbon Reduction committee, was made up of councillors from different political parties and monitored the council's ambitions on reducing Derbyshire's carbon UK's new leader of the council Alan Graves told the BBC that net zero "is not a priority". It is understood the committee was decommissioned a week after Reform won control of the council from the Conservatives in the local elections. Scrutinising the authority's climate targets, some of which it is legally obliged to meet, will instead be absorbed into the work of other authority's latest annual report on delivery of its Climate Change Strategy said while there had been "significant reductions" in emissions from the council estate, the county's emissions were reducing at a slower rate than the national average. The council indicated at the beginning of the year there would be difficulties in meeting its net zero targets going forward without securing external funding, because of "technical and economic challenges".It has a target to become carbon neutral by 2032, with the county as a whole doing the same by council also noted that emissions for industry in the county remain "stubbornly high". The county council's Reform UK leader Alan Graves said "We don't believe it [the committee] is of any value."We're about saving the council money where we don't need to spend it."Graves could not give a figure for how much the move had saved but acknowledged it would be small."[Net zero] is not a priority for net zero agenda is costing every single person in this country a lot of money," he said. "Why do we need to burden the people?" Alex Dale, leader of Derbyshire Conservatives, said the decision was "short-sighted"."I understand Reform's concerns around net zero and as a party the Conservative Party have similar concerns."But climate change is still happening and there are still challenges that we face as a county so I do think it's important we show leadership." The leader of Derbyshire Greens Giz Kinsella said he had "major concerns" about the decision and that it put the council's legal duties on biodiversity at said it could mean "no delivery on providing cheaper cleaner energy [and] no delivery on green homes for the poorest in our communities."All of these benefits will be threatened or undermined with the change of the committee structure," he said."In terms of outcomes [of the committee] there probably wasn't a lot achieved, but at least the intent was there. Now it's not there."Derbyshire County Council has been contacted for comment.
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Reform UK formally takes control in Derbyshire
The new Reform UK leader of Derbyshire County Council has been formally approved at a meeting at the council's Graves was voted in by councillors as leader with a term of four years, having been elected by Reform's new cluster of Derbyshire councillors to lead the authority at a party meeting last councillor Robert Reaney will serve as cabinet positions were also announced, the same figure as the previous Conservative cabinet. Several cabinet roles have also been renamed and a new leadership role has been created for "Council Efficiency (DOGE)"."DOGE" is a reference to the newly-created "Department of Government Efficiency" in Donald Trump's US administration, with a pledge to cut waste forming a central part of Reform's election campaign.A role overseeing the council's net zero agenda has also been maintained, despite the decision to scrap the authority's climate change committee. The new chairman of the council will be Reform councillor Nick said he was "deeply humbled" and "astonished" to be in the will also take up the role of civic chairman, though Adams said he did not intend to take allowances for both roles. Speaking after the formal vote approving his leadership, Alan Graves encouraged "those to the left" to "join in and help us run this council"."Never before has Derbyshire seen such wholesale changes to the political landscape," he said."As the first Reform leader of the council I'm rightly proud to hold that title."We will be focusing on the overall efficiency of the council, something I believe the previous administration took their eye off."He said Reform councillors would not be "bogged down by the old political dogma"."Not one of our councillors are career politicians and every single one has real life experience," he also said the union flag, the St George's flag and the county flag would be the only flags flown outside County Hall going forward, when asked whether the Ukrainian flag would be permitted. The leader of the Derbyshire Conservatives Alex Dale, who are now the opposition group on the council having lost control at the local elections, congratulated Graves on his Conservatives "absolutely respect the outcome of the election", he said, adding: "Whatever party we're in it's in all our interests that we deliver for Derbyshire."Our group will offer very constructive may be small but we are perfectly formed."Also speaking on the new leader's elections, the leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Fordham said the past four years under the previous Conservative administration had been "disappointing", "hopeless" and "arrogant", accusing them of "dragging this authority into the realms of bankruptcy". The leader of the Greens Giz Kensella also criticised the previous administration for "overseeing deep cuts" in areas like social care and special educational also said he had "major" concerns about Reform's decision to scrap Derbyshire's climate change committee. The new Reform leadership will also be appointed to a handful of leadership positions on the East Midlands County Combined UK won 42 seats at the local elections. 33 were needed for majority control of the council.
BBC News
17-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Who is Derbyshire's new leader Alan Graves?
"I know I have been around the block a long time but the majority of my members have not."Alan Graves is about to take the reins as the new Reform UK leader of Derbyshire County Council with 41 party colleagues who are almost entirely brand new to their same cannot be said for the 62-year-old, a councillor and parliamentary candidate going back his election as county leader, a Reform colleague of his on Derby City Council, where he also leads the party, described him to me as "the obvious choice". Praise was not just limited to his local amongst their new cluster of council leaders, Reform UK's senior leadership team have known Graves for a long time as the man who spearheaded their first group of elected councillors in the country."Alan is a seasoned local government veteran," one Reform figure glowed, describing him as a "champion" who will "lead with distinction".It was his cluster of Reform UK councillors on the city council, a rare slither of turquoise in English local government, that prompted the then-leader Richard Tice to describe Derby as the party's "spiritual heartland" to me during their spring conference there in now deputy leader of the party told me this week he was "delighted" to see Graves installed as leader."His hard work and commitment is second to none," Tice said. His opponents, of course, have their reservations."Alan is an experienced councillor who I am sure has the capability to lead", said Derby City Council's Labour leader Nadine Peatfield."But I believe he will find the experience of leading a multimillion-pound organisation extremely different to heckling from the sidelines." Alan Graves is a retired software sales director who was first elected to Derby City Council as a Labour councillor in 1995 but left the party in 2008. He has since been in UKIP, the Brexit Party and finally Reform UK since stood for Parliament as the Brexit Party's candidate in Derby North in 2019 and for Reform UK in Derby South in last summer's general election, finishing second behind was also the party's first mayor, when he was elected to the position in May 2023, beating his Labour opponent by one the time, Labour councillors including the now MP for Derby South Baggy Shanker, walked out in this is the reason why there were some raised eyebrows when he told me this week that he was not a "career politician"."I'm a person in politics not a politician...I don't try and go up the greasy pole," he told BBC Radio Derby in 2024 when he was running for mayor of the East went on to lose the race to Labour's Claire Ward. Graves told me he intends to stay on as a city councillor for Reform UK representing Alvaston, something his opponents will likely criticise. This is especially the case given he has been critical of other councillors for seeking two roles in the past, including those who are both councillors and MPs."There's lots of councillors that have two council roles and I'm no different to that," he told me. As part of his 2024 East Midlands mayoral campaign, he vowed to seek legal advice on scrapping the position within his first 100 part of his platform was to ensure the new combined authority "does not waste money" - so he has been talking about what has now been coined Reform's "DOGE" message since well before this recent local election another reflection of this, he has also said previously he would cut cabinet positions on the city council down to just three roles - though he later apologised when in the same breath, he appeared to use a cabinet member's maternity leave as an example of councillors not pulling their weight. All this is indicative of the fact that Derbyshire's new leader is not someone who is afraid to wade into controversy. In fact, the very next day after his election this week, we met again at a hearing he faced at the city council.A committee found he had broken council rules by reading out extracts of a confidential report in a social media had been unhappy about how a dispute between himself and another councillor was handled by told me he had no regrets."It's exposed the council for the fact that there's lots of injustices going on," he said.I asked if it showed he has a cavalier attitude towards the rules."Absolutely not. I've been doing this for 30 years and this is the first time it's happened," he responded."I didn't get the justice I deserved." What can we expect? Graves was reluctant to go into too much policy detail when he emerged from Reform's AGM at Matlock County Hall this week."Give us a chance to sit in the chair", he we can likely expect net zero initiatives and spending to be curbed, a leadership prepared to "fight" the Home Office on any further moves to house asylum seekers in Derbyshire hotels, and some symbolic dictats on diversity training and what flags should be flown outside the as a colleague of his in the party put it to me recently when their commitment to community funding was questioned, "everything is under review". "It's about getting the brush out and making sure we do a proper sweep...I think people will see changes quite quickly", Graves said."We are normal people and we're going to try and change the way the council does things."
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
New Reform leader breached Derby City Council code
A Reform UK councillor in Derbyshire breached a council's code of conduct after reading out extracts from a confidential report on social media, a hearing has Graves, the incoming leader of Derbyshire County Council, was found to have breached the code in his role at Derby City Council, where he represents said he had been dissatisfied with the outcome of the report, which originated from a dispute between him and another 62-year-old will face no sanctions for the breach. Graves was elected this week to lead Derbyshire County Council's new Reform UK administration following the party's victory in the local told the BBC after the meeting of Derby City Council's hearings panel sub-committee on Thursday evening, which found he had breached the code, that he had no regrets about his "deliberate" actions and the outcome had been "better than he was expecting". "It's exposed the council for the fact that there's lots of injustices going on," he said. Though the subject of the hearing itself was Graves' behaviour, the root of the issue related to the handling of a previous complaint about a Labour councillor following Graves's election as mayor of the city in May Chambers, a Sinfin Labour councillor, said in a now-deleted social media post that Graves was a "racist, xenophobic, misogynistic mayor". Graves claimed he had sought a direct apology from the councillor via council officers, but that it was not Chambers apologised to the council more generally through the authority's monitoring officer, Emily Feenan. The matter had been referred to the authority's standards committee after a complaint about Chambers' post by a member of the committee closed the matter after the apology to the council. Graves, who was a member of the committee at the time and dissatisfied with the outcome, read out confidential extracts from the committee's report on a video he posted on social media. In the video, posted in November 2023, Graves blasted the "injustice" and the lack of transparency surrounding how the matter was treated. He acknowledged in the video the information he was sharing was "supposed to be hush hush", but said "instructing a councillor to apologise shouldn't be a difficult thing to achieve". Emily Feenan said Graves had ignored her requests to take down the video, in which he also criticised her judgement. He removed the video about three months later, by which time Feenan had already reported Graves for a potential breach of the council's code on disclosing confidential the hearing she accused Graves of "disrespect". "The disclosure of confidential information is in my view a potentially very serious breach of the code," she said."This was deliberate and planned... a unique and serious breach that goes to the very nature of how as officers we share confidential information." Simon Goacher, an independent lawyer tasked by the authority with investigating whether Graves had broken the rules, told the hearing it was "clear that he knew that the information he disclosed was confidential". Conservative councillor Steve Hassall, who chaired the hearing, said Graves would not be sanctioned because "he was entitled to feel aggrieved by the original social media comments." He did, however, recommend new procedures for handling future complaints. Graves told the hearing that he had been "slandered"."I have not been protected by this council," he will be formally signed off as Reform UK's leader of Derbyshire County Council at a meeting next week.
