Reform‑Led Councils Face Backlash Over Tax Hikes and Care Home Closures

Context More than 5,000 seats across 136 English councils are up for election, the largest local test for Reform UK since its breakthrough in 2025. The party entered local government with a pro‑workers message, yet its first year in office reveals a different operational pattern.

Key Facts Nine Reform‑led councils set Band D council tax – the middle band used for residential properties – higher for the 2026‑27 fiscal year, averaging a 3.94% increase. The rise sits below the national average of 4.86% but still adds to a regressive levy that hits lower‑income households hardest. In Derbyshire, the Reform council announced plans to shut eight care homes, a move described by local residents as a “betrayal.” Similar proposals in Lancashire to close five public care homes and five day centres were withdrawn after strong opposition from both rival parties and Reform grassroots members.

What It Means The tax hikes contradict Reform’s pre‑election promises to freeze or cut council tax, suggesting fiscal pressure forces the party to follow mainstream fiscal practices. The care home closures expose a tension between the party’s neoliberal agenda – favouring privatisation and deregulation – and the expectations of the communities it claims to represent. Opposition to these policies may shape voter sentiment in the upcoming elections, testing whether Reform can translate its populist rhetoric into sustainable local governance.

Watch for how the election results influence Reform’s policy direction and whether the party adjusts its approach to taxation and social care in response to public backlash.