- Conference
- 2025 Local Government Service Group Conference
- Date
- 1 January 2025
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes the results of the local elections in England on 1 May 2025. Conference notes with concern Reform UK’s recent electoral gains, which signal a significant political shift with serious implications for local government. Conference expresses its concern and dismay that Reform UK now control 10 English local authorities, spanning six UNISON regions. Reform also won one regional mayoralty and increased its vote in many areas. The party now has more than 800 councillors across England, Cymru/Wales and Scotland.
In the Northern Region, Reform UK made substantial advances – gaining support in the Northumberland Council and the North Tyneside mayoral elections, and notably took control of Durham County Council, securing 65 seats.
Conference is clear that Reform UK is a right-wing, populist political party. Its anti-migrant rhetoric and positions are contributing to an atmosphere of increasing hatred and division in the country. There should be no place for their dog-whistle style of politics in our democracy.
Conference notes with grave concern the comments made by Reform leader Nigel Farage following the local elections about diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI), stating that staff working on DEI initiatives should be “seeking alternative careers very, very quickly”. This represents an unacceptable threat to members’ jobs with no regard to employment processes, and a commitment from Reform to make local government a less equal place.
Conference further notes Reform’s position on local government finance, claiming that hundreds of millions of pounds is being wasted. This represents a complete lack of understanding of the realities of local government: as UNISON’s own research has shown, each year the sector faces a multi-billion-pound funding gap, with councils struggling to keep essential services going while seeking to avoid effective bankruptcy. Reform’s position on local government finance is a transparent attack on our members and the vital work that they do.
Conference is also extremely concerned by comments made by Richard Tice, the deputy leader of Reform UK, about the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), in which he described the LGPS as “unaffordable” and said “we should not be employing people on defined benefit contribution schemes” and “we’re going to have to go to war with these people”. Conference is clear that the LGPS is affordable and represents vital deferred pay for local government workers. Conference also condemns the inflammatory language used.
Conference is also concerned by proposals in the Government’s Immigration White Paper which could pose a very specific threat to local government workers, including changes to social care visa applications, graduate visas, visas for those without degree qualifications, and indefinite leave to remain.
Reform UK’s open hostility toward trade unions and public services poses a growing threat to workers’ rights, collective bargaining, branch organisation, and employment standards within councils.
In his first televised speech in Durham, Nigel Farage chillingly urged council staff involved in diversity, climate initiatives, or remote working to “find alternative careers, very quickly.” Conference strongly condemns these remarks. Such threats dismiss the professionalism, expertise, and commitment of local government workers who deliver vital public services. Councils such as Durham are already under immense strain, and it is only through the dedication of staff that they continue to function at all.
Despite these challenges, Conference recognises the practical reality that UNISON branches and council staff will need to engage with newly elected Reform UK administrations. This must be done in a way that upholds UNISON’s values and advances our agenda in the best interests of local communities.
Considering this situation, Conference affirms the need for a coordinated and strategic response, aligned with UNISON’s Organising to Win strategy, to support branches in the following areas:
1) Base Organising. Strengthen branch structures and staff resources to increase union density, improve member-to-steward ratios, and support the development of effective local stewards capable of engaging members.
2) Industrial Bargaining. Establish professional, constructive relationships with newly elected Reform UK councillors to identify areas of common ground and influence decision-making, while robustly defending members’ terms and conditions.
3) Strategic Campaigning and Escalation. Where necessary, launch targeted, winnable, issue-based campaigns with activity including potential industrial action if required.
To support branches in areas where Reform UK holds power, and to establish best-practice approaches for future campaigns, Conference calls upon the Service Group Executive to:
a) Provide support and guidance to UNISON branches and regions as they deal with ruling Reform UK groups in councils (or any increase in Reform councillors), ensuring they are fully equipped to robustly defend members’ jobs, terms, conditions, pensions, trade union organisation and collective bargaining machinery;
b) Ensure branches are fully briefed on relevant employment law, including the Employment Rights Bill, consultation requirements, and equalities legislation.
c) Support branches that are considering balloting members for potential industrial action, within the UNISON rules and all relevant legislation, in response to proposals to cut members’ jobs, terms or conditions, liaising with the NEC’s Industrial Action Committee as appropriate.
d) Assist branches in monitoring council agendas and other documentation to identify early signs of hostile or regressive proposals. Collating these across all Reform UK councils to identify trends and coordinate responses. Gather and collate evidence of hostile or regressive proposals from Reform-led councils, so as to identify trends and coordinate responses where appropriate, and share relevant information with appropriate partner campaigning organisations;
e) Work with migrant workers networks to collate evidence specific to the rights of migrants working in services covered by local government branches, for example regarding changes to applications for skilled worker, graduate and care worker visas, and councils offering them;
f) Develop communications and campaign materials that can be used in branches where Reform control the council or have a presence on them; Develop adaptable communication materials, including leaflets and social media content, that can be tailored to local contexts.
g) Support branches in building alliances with MPs, mayors, Police and Crime Commissioners, councillors, community groups, and other unions to mount collective opposition to any threats to services or workers’ conditions.
h) Facilitate opportunities for branches affected by Reform UK leadership to share experiences, successes, and challenges, fostering mutual learning and collective resilience. Provide mechanisms to bring together affected branches and regions to share experiences and good practice in relation to organising and campaigning in authorities controlled by Reform UK;
i) Work with the NEC and regions to produce an organising response to Reform, including applications to use the Branch Support and Organising Fund, engagement with members, active participation in the union and political education;
j) Encourage relevant branches to make applications to BSOF to enhance organising capacity, particularly through the recruitment and development of new workplace leaders.
k) Provide guidance on increasing density and engagement among chief officer posts, recognising their key role in supporting bargaining outcomes.
l) Continue to work with the NEC to maintain a strong political response nationally to Reform’s policies and rhetoric regarding equalities and local government finance;
m) Raise the profile within local government of UNISON’s campaign highlighting the vital contributions made by migrant workers to local government services, and work with the NEC on physical and digital materials aimed at our local government workplaces and communities to challenge anti-migrant narratives and myths and build workers’ solidarity;
n) Continue to robustly defend and promote the LGPS as a core and indispensable part of local government terms and conditions, and support branches and regions in resisting any attacks on the LGPS.
