The disappointing performance by the Reform party in the Makerfield By-Election last week isn’t their biggest problem. In the local elections, letters sent out courtesy of the billionaire crypto currency dealers, featured Nigel Farage but nothing about the local candidates or local issues except an assurance that the party represented change and a new way of running the Council.

In Hampshire, the soon to be abolished County Council saw the Conservative lose about half their seats, replaced largely by new Reform Councillors. The Liberal Democrats doubled their numbers and so it was a case of wait and see what would happen following the Tory Leader’s assurances that he “would not work with Reform”.

In the event, the Reform Councillors decided it was better to form an alliance with the Conservatives in which they got a share of Chairmanships and Vice Chairs of Committees (for which they receive a special allowance). The price they pay was giving enough votes to the Tories so that they stay in power.

Perhaps somebody can explain how it is that Reform can stand for election, posturing as the party that will change things, but once elected, simply vote to keep the Conservatives running the show ?

With less than two years before abolition it does feel a bit like scuttling around more concerned with short term “holding onto power” considerations, rather than changing anything for the benefit of the communities we serve.

My party has had to consider what we can reasonably do, in opposition, for the remainder of the life of the County Council. There is probably little we can do to much influence the dire financial position, entirely due to Government’s failure to address the fact that Adult Social Care and SEND provision has eaten up almost all of the budget.

Of course, the extreme financial problem isn’t helped that the Conservatives have decided to allocate £500,000 to a Judicial Review challenge of the Local Government Reorganisation. I guess it makes even more unlikely that the Labour government will bale them out before all the money runs out.

I have no clue yet what Reform are doing or planning to do on Hampshire County Council, other than propping up the Tories. I suppose because so many of them are ex-Tories, it was inevitable they would. Looks a lot like it was simply all a re-branding exercise designed to fool the voters.

I participated in a great meeting with fellow Lib Dem Councillors this weekend where we decided three main things that we think we can achieve, in opposition, along with the freedom to scrutinise the Conservative / Reform Alliance. I am not giving the secrets away as all will become clear in time…. let’s just say they are things the community we serve want to see happen !