Reform UK’s crusade against “woke” local government spending has hit an awkward snag — their flagship cost-cutting target doesn’t exist.
At a rally in Kent, newly elected Reform mayor for Lincolnshire, Andrea Jenkyns, vowed to axe diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) officers from Lincolnshire County Council, calling it a “historic moment” and promising to rid the authority of what she painted as ideological excess.
The only problem? Lincolnshire County Council doesn’t employ a single DEI officer.
A Freedom of Information request seen by The Independent confirmed that the council have no staff in such roles. The request was answered in March, weeks before the local elections that gave Reform control of the council. Yet Jenkyns and party figurehead Nigel Farage made the issue central to their campaign and continue to speak as if these positions are widespread.
Jenkyns later attempted to clarify, claiming her comments referred to other councils within the broader Lincolnshire combined authority, such as North Lincolnshire Council. She alleged that DEI staff are operating under different job titles, such as “outreach officers”, and said staff had been pressured to wear rainbow lanyards. No specific evidence was provided to support these claims.
Critics say the episode underscores just how disconnected Reform’s leadership is from the basic realities of local government.
“They’re making grand promises to scrap roles that don’t even exist,” said a senior Conservative source. “It shows how little they understand about how councils actually operate. Someone who lives in Lincolnshire would already know this.”
While Reform continues to attack DEI initiatives, financial records show that Lincolnshire County Council has spent just over £15,000 on diversity training in the past two years; hardly the kind of bloated spending the party claims it’s tackling. Jenkyns admitted the amount was “not a lot” but insisted it still counted as a saving.
Trade unions say the rhetoric is not only ill-informed but dangerous. Christina McAnea, general secretary of Unison, warned that Reform’s agenda is targeting hard-working public servants and misrepresenting their roles.
“This isn’t the US, and we don’t govern by culture war,” McAnea said. “Reform’s new councillors are about to find out that there’s very little left to cut and that local government is already on a financial knife-edge.”
She noted that DEI officers do exist in some councils where Reform made gains — including Kent, Durham and Derbyshire, but said any attempts to sack staff without cause would face legal challenges. “Unions are here to ensure employment rights are respected,” she said. “If Reform councillors think they can come in and start firing people to make a political point, they’re in for a rude awakening.”
Meanwhile, Nigel Farage doubled down on the rhetoric, telling DEI and climate change officers on Sky News, “I think you all better really be seeking alternative careers, very, very quickly.”
But as the dust settles on local elections, Reform UK is finding that running a campaign based on soundbites is a far cry from running a council. And while slogans may win headlines, they don’t pay for social care, maintain roads, or balance overstretched budgets.
With zero DEI officers to sack in Lincolnshire County Council, Reform’s war on “woke” may have fired its first shot and missed completely.
