Cumbria Chronic on what awaits the new Reform Councillors

Well, Reform UK is now running ten councils.

This is where we find out whether they have what it takes to actually run public services.

Those who think Reform are different will be provided right or wrong - in a good way or a bad way.

But whether they are better or worse than other parties, they will not be able to abolish the laws of political gravity. There are no magic wands to instantly remove the need for painfully difficult choices.

Some people do a good job of being an MP or councillor, others do a bad job. But I can tell you categorically that nobody can do either without upsetting and disappointing at least some people.

The very good councillors and MPs are the ones who usually manage to help and please more people than they upset. The good ones are the ones who often manage to please more people than they upset. Even these two categories will disappoint some people, probably quite a lot of people.

Cumbria Chronic has a piece by their correspondent "Councillor Neville Waffle" on what awaits the new Reform UK councillors.

It's not a hatchet job on Reform, in fact it says almost nothing about Reform UK themselves, it is almost entirely about the challenges they will face transitioning from a protest movement to a party of power in the councils they now run. However some people, particularly council officers, will see this Cumbria Chronic article - not entirely fairly, but not completely without reason either - as as hatchet job on council officers.

In fairness, it is my humble opinion that practically everything I wrote above about about councillors and MPs applies to senior council officers and civil servants too. But I recognise the picture "Neville Waffle" is painting, and so will most councillors, if they are honest enough to admit it.

You can read the full article by clicking on the title link at

 CLLR NEVILLE WAFFLE ON REFORM – The Cumbria Chronic

Here are some extracts, beginning with the author's recollections of what he quicklylearend the hard way when first elected.

"I had been swept into the town hall with a strong mandate from the good people of my Cumbrian village. Let’s call my member ward Thankless Without.

Like this week’s Reform candidates, I was brimming with over confidence and idealism. Fixing the potholes on a cratered road in Thankless and sorting out the bad parking on Thankless Lonnin. I would do it all!

It took 19 months for the Council to install a “No Parking” sign on the Lonnin and still the parkers parked.

Then a reversing Council gritter lorry knocked the sign down six weeks later on black ice, or so the village gossip goes. Despite my discussions and meetings, it’s still there on its side covered in moss and dandelions.

I quickly discovered that changing a council is like trying to turn around a cruise liner with a toothpick. That’s assuming you’re not obstructed by the Captain (chief executive) or keelhauled by the Unions for daring to try.

The fiercest resistance to change comes not from your political opponents but from Council lifers, the lanyarders, and the keepers of the “way it’s always been done”.

The most immovable object in politics isn’t the opposition—it’s Glenda in HR who works flexi-time for 11.75 hours a week and spends her lunchtime with Unison members."

"The new Reform councillors are about to face a wake-up call from council staff."

"You can’t just breeze in on Day One and click your fingers. Even if you want to hold an urgent committee meeting in a different meeting room, you’ll need at least three emails and two meetings to justify why it’s necessary.

Once you get your meeting in the empty Clock Gallery Meeting Room you’ll find that the wifi password doesn’t work there and the door won’t open without an ancient passkey that only Simon in Records knows the location of.

Simon will want to know why you need the passkey, which has now been changed to a door code, and have you filled out the request form for the door code number, and who has counter-signed it or second-lined your use of this room?

"As hundreds of new Reform councillors are about to painfully learn, winning the vote was the easy bit."