Latest news with #Doge-style
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Reform UK to pilot Doge-style scheme to examine council spending
Reform UK has told council officers they will face 'gross misconduct' if they obstruct an Elon Musk-style department of government efficiency unit to examine all council spending in areas they control. The party will pilot the Doge-style scheme in Kent county council, led by a team including the Brexit donor Arron Banks as well as cybersecurity entrepreneur Nathaniel Fried. The move has been criticised as 'political theatre' by senior local authority figures and opposition politicians. Robert Hayward, the Conservative peer and pollster, told Politico he had written to the Electoral Commission arguing that the Reform volunteers should be scrutinised under political donation rules as a donation in kind. Lord Hayward said: 'Without full disclosure, the risk is that any donation could be buying access or influence election results.' Announcing the new initiative, Reform said the team would start to go through all council expenditure, beginning with Kent county council, to identify wasteful spending in the manner of the unit set up by Musk under Donald Trump with the aim of cutting wasteful spending. It said it would use artificial intelligence, advanced data analysis tools and forensic auditing techniques to 'identify wasteful spending and recommend actionable solutions'. It said all council officers should hand over all documents requested, including internal investigations or whistleblowing reports relevant to financial matters. 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.' The instruction was signed by the council leader, Linden Kemkaran; the party chair, Zia Yusuf; and the Reform leader, Nigel Farage. Announcing the scheme, Yusuf said: 'For too long 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.' Farage told GB News that all of those involved were doing it on a voluntary basis. He said: 'This is day one of Doge. The Doge team has gone into County Hall in Maidstone in Kent this very morning, a team of young tech entrepreneurs who are not being paid. They're doing it of their own free will, and we're going in to have a look at Kent, have a look at the contracts, to have a look at the expenditure. 'We hope that the Kent chief executive and the council will work with us because, of course, many of the decisions – decisions on spending – would have been political decisions. No, Doge is active, up and running as we speak.' John Merry, the deputy mayor of Salford who chairs the Key Cities group of 24 councils across the UK, said Doge was 'absolutely the last thing local authorities need right now'. He said: 'I hear daily from members facing mounting pressures across vital services like Send [special educational needs and disabilities], social care and homelessness. In this context, it is difficult to see how Reform's Doge initiative offers any meaningful solution. What councils need now is not inefficient cost-cutting at the margins, but a serious commitment to long-term funding reform – one that aligns grant allocation with local needs and supports a resilient foundation for economic growth.' Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, said: 'If you're looking at Elon Musk's Doge and thinking that is how we want to have our bins collected and potholes filled, you might be learning the wrong lesson.'
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Farage is a snake-oil salesman': The unions left reeling by Reform's working-class surge
When Unite, Labour's biggest union backer, ran a private poll of its members before last year's general election, the results were eye-opening. Although Labour led, union chiefs were alarmed to discover growing support for Nigel Farage's Reform. 'People vote against things that are in their own interest – it's a trick, and it's a clever trick, of the populist Right,' argues a senior Unite insider, describing it as an example of 'very wealthy people plugging into the zeitgeist of workers'. They add: 'Is Reform a friend to workers? No.' While Unite sought to keep the poll results private, it was an early sign that something was shifting among its membership. Reform's popularity was crystallised last week when it gained more than 600 local council seats, handing power to a party that rejects workers' rights reforms and is pushing for a Doge-style crackdown on waste. Given the party's bold ambitions, union bosses are unsurprisingly rattled. 'We have anecdotal evidence of people leaving unions and joining Reform instead,' claims one party insider. Farage, a former City trader, has spent months courting voters who were traditionally on the Left, notably using Reform's local election launch rally at JCB earlier this year to declare that he was 'on the side of working people'. He reiterated that message in a working men's club in Durham a month later. Reform, he said, was now 'the party of working people' and was parking its 'tanks' on Labour's lawn in Red Wall areas. However, union bosses believe it is a message that masks his true anti-worker sentiment. Christina McAnea, Unison's chief, last week urged staff at Reform-controlled councils to join the UK's biggest union in order to protect themselves from Farage's planned war on waste. Specifically, this was in response to the Reform's leader's plan to replicate Elon Musk's controversial cost-cutting department in the US. In a sign of what's to come, Farage has argued that some council workers should seek 'alternative careers very, very quickly'. Since Reform's triumph in the local elections, the party has submitted 3,000 Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to root out examples of waste in councils, specifically targeting diversity, climate change and 'nanny-state' initiatives. However, as well as vowing to slash jobs in these areas, Farage has also opposed the incoming Employment Rights Bill, which is set to hand unions greater powers, and pledged to crack down on home working. All of which has put Reform on a collision course with union activists on the Left. Yet even this has not dampened Reform's popularity among workers, many of whom have been won over after losing faith in mainstream politics. Farage's appearance at British Steel's Scunthorpe steelworks last month only strengthened this support, as he threw his weight behind attempts to save the plant. Despite capturing the headlines and drawing local attention, one leading union figure said Farage's appearance left most members 'horrified'. Even so, there's a growing concern in senior union circles that the workers whom they believe are under threat from Reform's politics are also being lured away. As a result, union chiefs are creating a game plan to tackle both Farage and their own members. 'Farage is the ultimate snake-oil salesman,' Ms McAnea argued last week, days after she urged council workers to sign up to protect themselves from planned cuts. Tackling Reform's rise was a major focus at a recent lunch hosted by the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, which represents almost 200,000 civil servants. The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has also been holding political strategy meetings and promoting clips on social media of workers asking why Farage wants them to lose their jobs. Paul Nowak, the head of the TUC, is one of many leading the fight against Farage. 'Farage is a political fraud – he cosplays as a working-class champion but he's on the side of billionaires and bad bosses,' he says. 'Let's be clear. Farage doesn't give a damn about British industry or British workers. If he did, he wouldn't have hit the campaign trail for Donald Trump. 'And he wouldn't have voted against the Employment Rights Bill, which will ban exploitative zero-hours contracts and end 'fire and rehire' [practices], at every stage in Parliament. 'Farage and Reform aren't on the side of working people – they'll jump on any bandwagon they can to exploit division.' His concerns echo the views of those across the union movement, where bosses fear that Reform's threats to workers' rights are being overlooked by disillusioned employees desperate for change. Gawain Little, the general secretary of the General Federation of Trade Unions, is another union chief who believes the party merely claims 'to be the friend of workers to get votes', reiterating how Farage has opposed the Government's flagship workers' rights reforms. 'I would expect nothing else from a privately educated millionaire,' he adds. In response, a Reform UK spokesman said that 'instead of attacking us with smears', unions should 'try and understand why so many of their members are supporting us'. Indeed, even highly critical union leaders can't deny that Reform is gaining ground, with many saying it should serve as a much-needed wake-up call for Labour. 'The anger that has driven many working people to vote Reform is real and we have every right to be angry,' says Little. 'For decades, we have seen falling living standards, cuts to public services and the break-up of our communities. 'It is up to this Labour Government to offer an alternative that puts money in the pockets of working people. 'If Labour fail to deliver for working people, [Reform] will reap the rewards at the ballot box, and fakers like Farage will be the beneficiaries.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Times
02-05-2025
- Business
- Times
Nigel Farage promises Musk-style cuts and an end to working from home
Nobody working for a council under Reform's control will be allowed to work from home, Nigel Farage has said, as he vowed to set up a Doge-style unit in each authority. The Reform UK leader promised to emulate across local government in England Elon Musk's drive to cut federal spending in the United States through the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (Doge). Farage, whose party has control of ten councils after picking up hundreds of local seats, told workers in Durham, where Labour was previously the biggest party, that those with jobs relating to climate change or diversity or who work from home 'all better really be seeking alternative careers very, very quickly'. Experts have suggested there is next to no fat left to cut
The Guardian
01-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
The Trump effect has left Dutton exposed and Albanese in poll position in this atypical election race
With the 2025 election campaign in its final days, Barrie Cassidy and Tony Barry share their observations on a campaign marked by Trump, global upheaval and a cost of living crisis. The Trump effect has cruelled Peter Dutton's campaign. Nothing else – no other single factor – can explain such a dramatic collapse in support in just a few short weeks. And having run so many red lights on the journey to election day, he has only himself to blame. You can go all the way back to the voice debate when, in August 2023, Dutton went on 2GB and attacked the Australian Electoral Commission over the ticks and crosses issue. The AEC is one of Australia's finest pillars and provides us with a democratic system demonstrably superior to that of the United States. Sign up for the Afternoon Update: Election 2025 email newsletter He said of the AEC's voting method (which had been in place for 35 years without any serious objections) that 'you can't have a situation where they provide favour to one side in a democratic election'. 'It's completely outrageous … it just stinks to be honest.' The tactic – casting doubt on the legitimacy of an election ahead of time – so unfairly, and in retrospect, so unnecessary both tactically and politically, had a sniff of Trump's 'stolen election' claims about it. Had more in the media pulled him over and given him the ticket he deserved at the time, then maybe some of the future red lights would have been avoided. But much closer to the election, he was still driving recklessly. When Trump came up with an appalling displacement policy for the Palestinians on the Gaza Strip, Dutton described the United States president as 'a big thinker … shrewd … a deal maker.' 'The art of the deal,' he said, 'was incredibly important to him.' Then as the election drew closer, Dutton set up policies and rhetoric around indoctrination in schools, cuts to the public service, attacks on diversity and a Doge-style government efficiency unit. Even after Trump shocked the world with his brutal take down of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in late February, there were no adjustments. Trump seemingly siding with Russia and blaming Ukraine for the war did nothing to slow down Dutton's self-inspired momentum. It took the American president's outrageous tariffs in early April, setting off a trade war and threatening a global recession, to finally – four days later – cause the campaign to abandon some policies and try to build distance from Trump. And yet when the lessons seemed to be learned, still this week Dutton labelled Guardian Australia and the ABC part of the 'hate' media, another reflection of Trump and his dangerous attacks on a free press. Dutton has failed in this campaign on so many fronts; first and foremost, on cost of living. The Albanese government ended up embracing the issue, putting its record up against the opposition. The final humiliation was in Sunday's debate when the audience gave Dutton just 16% support on the central battle of the campaign. You can't win an election by banging on about the problems and not providing the solutions. And thankfully you don't get rewarded for simply drawing on prejudices against 'back room' public servants as if they are serving no worthwhile role. Yes they are 'invisible' and voiceless by obligation, but almost all of them indispensable in reality. And the campaign needed to get the sums right. Cutting 41,000 odd jobs from a Canberra-based public service of just 70,000 is ridiculous. Too many red lights. And in the end when Trump went ballistic on so many fronts – well, more ballistic than usual – Dutton was left badly exposed. And under the constant glare of an election campaign the public was on to it. - Barrie Cassidy Earlier in the campaign the critically important 'soft voter' segment – voters who self report as likely or somewhat likely to change their mind before they vote – was nearly 50%, which is an atypically high number and reflected the major parties failure to energise and mobilise voters. Our qualitative research shows that the mood among these voters is pessimistic, and that they view the campaign as only offering them 'Band-Aid' solutions to their concerns around things such as the cost of living. In 2024 the Coalition were able to leverage this grievance in the electorate and help create a mood for change. Albanese was seen by many soft voters to have the wrong focus and priorities and inflation remained political kryptonite to most incumbent governments. However, at the beginning of 2025, Labor's campaign started sharpening its messages while the Coalition started to drift in terms of being in the conversation around the economy. The federal budget in March also allowed Jim Chalmers to shape an economic narrative. However, despite Labor's improved political performance, the real turning point in this campaign was President Trump's announcement around tariffs and specifically the share market's response to his position. In recent years globally and domestically, incumbency was a political liability. But with Donald Trump now creating absolute uncertainty, the stability and certainty that comes with political incumbency is once again an advantage. Labor's central campaign has cleverly capitalised on this changing sentiment that has underpinned voter considerations and defined the risk of change in these uncertain times. The perceived risk that Labor has most effectively defined is its messaging around claims that the Coalition's $600bn nuclear plan will mean cuts to Medicare. Unlike most sequels, Mediscare 2.0 is possibly better than the original and it has underpinned a measurable collapse in Peter Dutton's personal numbers as well as the Coalition's primary vote which is mostly going to minor rightwing parties but then failing to all flow back to the Coalition on preferences. In the final week of the campaign, the soft vote cohort has now fallen to about 20% which is still unusually high at this point of the campaign but it's also further proof that voters are now landing on a vote intention. The Coalition will need these remaining soft voters who haven't yet pre-polled to break their way in an extraordinary flow of preferences. At this point it is very difficult to see Labor not forming government, with a majority still a live option. But to paraphrase Warren Buffett, in political campaigns you never know who's swimming nude until the tide goes out. - Tony Barry Barrie Cassidy has covered 14 federal elections as a political journalist, and two from the inside as a senior press secretary to then prime minister Bob Hawke. He is also the former host of ABC TV's political discussion program Insiders. Tony Barry is a former Liberal party strategist who has worked for Christopher Pyne and Malcolm Turnbull. He now runs political research company RedBridge Group and is a regular media commentator.
The Guardian
14-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Morning Mail: Cracks in Liberals' nuclear story, Trump doubles down on deportation, Katy Perry in space
Morning everyone. Our exclusive top story this morning is the Victorian Liberals' new leader distancing himself from Peter Dutton's nuclear plans, while our latest Essential poll shows the Coalition losing more ground on Labor. We have another exclusive interview with the finance minister, Katy Gallagher, as she vows to slash the number of consultants employed in Canberra. Plus, Katy Perry has flown into space, Donald Trump has doubled down on deportation threats and why an art exhibition in Melbourne has become an unlikely blockbuster. Wrong track | Anthony Albanese says Liberal campaign tactics such as releasing a hip-hop diss track against Labor are 'beyond my comprehension', accusing his opponents of 'borrowing ideas' in their election pitch. Exclusive | The finance minister, Katy Gallagher, has vowed to continue slashing the number of consultants employed by the federal government and to begin rebuilding departments within the public service if re-elected, while accusing the Coalition of importing a Doge-style agenda from the US. Essential poll | Labor has pulled further ahead of the Coalition as the election campaign continues, opening up a larger lead in the latest Essential poll after two weeks of policy confusion and backdowns from Peter Dutton's Liberals. Supply snag | Australia does not have enough construction workers and other trades to meet election pitches to boost housing supply, experts say, casting doubt over the major parties' pledges to address housing affordability. 'Swept under the rug' | A Melbourne grandmother is among hundreds of people who are losing support for complex mental health issues due to the closure of the Care Finder program. Hungary ban | Amid street protests (pictured), Hungarian lawmakers have voted through a controversial constitutional amendment that campaigners described as a 'significant escalation' in the government's efforts to crack down on dissent, including a ban on LGBTQ+ gatherings. US deportations | Maryland father Kilmar Abrego García is in a situation that can only be described as abusrdly Kafkaesque, writes our correspondent Andrew Roth, after García was sent to El Salvador by mistake and is now trapped there – despite a US supreme court order. Donald Trump was unapologetic and has escalated his rhetoric on deportations. Meanwhile the chief executive of Goldman Sachs says Trump's tariffs have 'increased' the chances of a US recession. Gaza doubt | Hundreds of former operatives from Israel's intelligence agency have criticised the return to war in Gaza amid growing frustration over the failure to bring home the remaining hostages held by Hamas. Ukraine invitation | Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged Donald Trump to visit Ukraine to see the devastation caused by Russia's invasion, while the US president appeared to play down Moscow's deadly attack on Sumy, the worst on civilians this year, calling it 'a mistake'. Blue yonder | Six women – including the pop star Katy Perry and US morning TV host Gayle King – have completed a trip to the edge of outer space and back from a private Texas ranch on Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin rocket. Is the US descending into authoritarianism? Australians are increasingly avoiding travel to the United States under Donald Trump's second presidency, fresh data shows, with forecasters expecting tourist numbers to plummet further throughout the year. Our Washington bureau chief, David Smith, tells Reged Ahmad why experts fear the US is nearing 'Defcon 1 for our democracy'. Sorry your browser does not support audio - but you can download here and listen $ Peter Dutton's poll woes today comes as Victoria's opposition leader, Brad Battin (pictured), distanced the state party from the opposition's controversial nuclear policy, saying he will concentrate on gas and that the federal leader has his 'own campaign'. In a wide-ranging interview with our state correspondent Benita Kolovos, Battin explains how he would fix the justice system, why he 'grew up differently' to fellow former cop Dutton and that he's counting the days to the state's next election (599 to go). It seems unlikely that the work of a 96-year-old Japanese artist could be the most popular exhibition in Australian history, topping even Van Gogh for visitor numbers. But Yayoi Kusama's show at the NGV, with its bright colours, polka dots and flowers, has done just that – prompting our own Sian Cain to find out why. Sign up to Morning Mail Our Australian morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Formula One | Senior figures at Red Bull held crisis talks after the Bahrain Grand Prix finished with a deeply dissatisfied Max Verstappen beaten into sixth place by Oscar Piastri's brilliant drive. Golf | Rory McIlroy has warned the members of Augusta National they will have to 'wheel me out of here when I am 90 years old' after finally ending his wait to win the Masters. Football | Bournemouth entertain Fulham in the Premier League this morning. Follow the action live. As well as our own poll showing Labor improving its lead over the Coalition, the Age and Sydney Morning Herald have their survey indicating a stronger lead for Anthony Albanese thanks to a Trump backlash. Liberal party members in Victoria are plotting to oust MP Moira Deeming in an operation that could reignite the party's factional war, the Herald Sun claims. There's good news for Sydney commuters, the Telegraph says, as bendy buses are back to ease transport woes. Port Adelaide star Willie Rioli has posted on social media about how he hates Hawthorn for causing his family 'deep-seated pain', the Advertiser reports. Economy | The RBA's latest monetary policy meeting minutes will be released at 11.30am. Leaders | Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese continue their election campaign. If you would like to receive this Morning Mail update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here, or finish your day with our Afternoon Update newsletter. You can follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland. And finally, here are the Guardian's crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. Quick crossword Cryptic crossword
