Nigel Farage pledges cuts to “unnecessary spending” if Reform take control of Northumberland County Council

The Clacton MP visited Morpeth on Tuesday, with Reform standing a candidate in all 69 wards ahead of polling day on May 1.

The outspoken figure spoke to candidates at the Waterford Lodge before heading out onto the streets to speak to residents and local business owners, accompanied by a large entourage and a significant security presence.

Mr Farage told candidates and activists that the county council needed a “Doge” – the department run by Elon Musk under US president Donald Trump to cut Government waste.

He added: “The other parties can’t actually believe what is coming at them. Here in Northumberland, this should be easy – because the Conservatives have made such a dog’s dinner of it, it’s unbelievable.

“£18million in a small county like this spent on agency staff since 2021. Potholes are a big subject here in Northumberland – there are 14 per mile, which is exactly double the national average.

“I believe we could win many, many seats on this council on May 1. I really truly do.”

Mr Farage also attacked the Labour Government for their record on the NHS. He said: “It seems to me that most people understand they pay for the NHS through their taxes.

“All they really care about is can I see a GP and is the NHS providing free care. How we get there, I don’t think people actually care.

“What they do know is it’s not working as they have known it. Labour have said that if I become Prime Minister, it will cost you £15,000 to get your hip replaced – it’s complete cobblers, we have never said anything of the kind.

“All we have said is we think the way our pool of taxes is spent isn’t working. We want to tell the truth which they want to hide, which is 7.2million people have got on GP registers in the last 10 years – and you wonder why you can’t get a GP appointment.”

Asked by the Local Democracy Reporting Service what the money saved by the council under Reform would be spent on, Mr Farage said it would be used to cut the council’s debt – after freedom of information figures showed the council was paying thousands every day to service its debt.

He said: “The daily interest payment on debt is £85,000 a day. We have to reduce the size of local Government.

“The one here in this county that really hits me between the eyes and I struggle with is the £18million spent since 2021 on agency staff. That is not the way to use public money.

“If you use agency staff, you pay 25-30% more. Get permanent staff.”

Mr Farage added that he would cut spending on the council’s “climate change stuff”, adding: “It is not for them to do.”

Despite telling supporters he felt his party would find taking the council “easy”, he admitted he had “no idea” how the result would pan out on May 1. Mr Farage also committed to working with other parties – providing they agreed to cut unnecessary spending.

Just one party has been able to secure a majority in Northumberland since local government reorganisation in 2009. That was the Tories in 2021, who secured a majority of one after the final seat was decided by drawing straws.

Mr Farage continued: “We would of course work with other parties in the interests of local people. We will work with anybody, providing they share our agenda to cut unnecessary spending.”

On whether the party would win, he said: “I have absolutely no idea. If the response I got on the high street is anything to go by, we’re going to do very well.

“I think we will do hugely well in Blyth and Ashington. The west of the county and Berwick won’t be easy, but there is clearly bits of the county where we will do very well. We’re gong to win a lot of seats.”

Labour and the Conservatives have attacked the Reform leader after his visit.

A Labour spokesman said: “Nigel Farage talks like he has a solution to everything, but he has absolutely no plan to change Britain. His snake oil salesman tactic of denying things he’s said in the past will fool nobody.

“Voters have heard his fawning comments over Putin and they’ve heard him repeatedly talk up a system that will see patients pay thousands for routine NHS treatment.

“Working people simply cannot risk the chaos Reform would unleash on communities. It’s only this Labour Government that is delivering through our Plan for Change – cutting NHS waiting lists, securing our borders, and putting more money in the pockets of working people.”

Deputy leader of Northumberland County Council Richard Wearmouth said, “Mr Farage regenerates himself more frequently than Dr Who. He constantly runs away from the same dodgy characters that he lets get close him before he pops back up with his latest rebrand.

“His various political parties have only ever run one council and bankrupted it in the space of seven months – that would be some going even for a Labour council! His party has no plan for Northumberland, instead trying to use national issues to con people out of their vote.

“Our Conservative run council has secured over £10billion of inward investment; reopened the Northumberland Line; lead our schools from failure to being amongst the best in the country and all the while delivered quality council front line services – a feat neither Reform or Labour could have matched.”