Reform UK insists it can lower taxes without cutting services in Leicestershire despite a growing budget gap. Leader of Leicestershire County Council Dan Harrison "categorically" told fellow councillors his intention was to "reduce council tax" and "protect frontline services through efficiencies". 

However, he refused to be drawn on how required savings would be made in light of increasing financial pressure at the local authority when questioned at a scrutiny commission meeting on Monday 8 September.  

He said he would not be commenting on that "at this stage" as there is an external audit of the council's finances planned and he is "not prepared to prejudice" that. 

Opposition councillors have accused Reform UK of not having a "credible" financial plan, however, with one elected member slamming Coun Harrison's approach as "bonkers economics".  

A report published ahead of the meeting revealed that the authority is expecting to "face significant additional costs" for the current 2025/26 financial year and in future years too. 

An additional £8.12 million already needs to be found for this year compared to when the budget was agreed in February.  

February's budget identified a £91 million gap by the end of 2027/28 despite around £290 million having already been saved since 2010.  

Finance officers at the authority have now warned that savings options will "inevitably" need to include "stopping or reducing" services if Leicestershire County Council is to balance its books – something it is legally bound to do. 

Coun Harrison told members: "Our (Reform UK's) policy has always been low council tax and that's what we'll adhere to. Our policy is service to the people, so that will be maintained and the efficiency [savings] going forward will drive us into that position where we will be able to do those things." 

He added: "We will protect services."  

When pressed, he confirmed these tax cuts are aimed at the coming year's (2026/27) budget which is already facing an almost £40 million budget gap. 

Each one per cent rise in the tax generates around £4 million for the local authority. Conservative leader of the opposition Deborah Taylor asked officers present whether they believed it would be possible to balance the budget with council tax cuts. 

Declan Keegan, the authority's director of corporate resources, said the council was "still at the start of the process" and there was an "awful lot of information" still to come, including Government funding settlements and any changes to minimum wage levels. He added: "It's just too early in the process at the moment [to say]." 

Concerns were also raised by opposition councillors over the planned external review of the county's books. Procurement is already underway on this and is expected to be completed by the end of October. 

However, opposition members said they were worried this would not leave auditors long enough to identify sufficient savings ahead of the draft budget being published in December and agreed in February. 

Conservative councillor for Gartree Phil King said: "That's incredibly late in the budget making process of this authority given that we have to find potential savings […] to bring forward for our budget approval meeting in February. That doesn't leave very long at all to bring forward anything substantive." 

Cllr King asked Coun Harrison if the consultants would have "enough time" to deliver any "meaningful" savings programme. The leader said he could not "go into great detail" about the review at the tender stage but added he was "confident it can have an impact enough for [Reform] to make decisions of importance". 

When pressed by Cllr King on whether he thought there was enough time to put together a savings programme between November and February, Coun Harrison said he believed there was. 

However, Cllr King said he was "really concerned" by the Reform Group's financial plans, adding he did not think it was "credible" that efficiencies could be identified in that time to allow tax cuts to take place. 

He said: "It all comes back to financial leadership and confidence in the leadership of this authority and, at the moment, I don't think I've got any, quite frankly, after what I've heard today. And I'm not sure any of our residents will have much either, unfortunately […] 

"You and your party are adamant that you can save a substantial amount of money on top of £290 million in efficiencies [saved over since 2010], on a yet uncosted, unworkable programme, in three months time and, at the same time, deliver tax cuts." 

He added: "What you're talking about doesn't add up at all. It's unfunded tax cuts. It's bonkers economics." 

Cllr Harrison insisted he and his administration "know what to do" and are "getting on with the job", saying "dramatic and important" early savings have already been suggested. Again, he would not share what those savings might be until it was "appropriate". He added opposition groups needed to give him "a few more months" to pull a plan together. 

Cllr Harrison said: "Just a few more months and then, hopefully, God willing, we'll come forward with a plan that is appropriate and works."

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