Reform UK's cost-cutting programme is 'dead', opposition says

A county council's cost-cutting initiative has been labelled "dead" by an opposition leader amid plans to overhaul it.

The Department for Local Government Efficiency (Dolge), set up by Kent County Council's (KCC) Reform UK leader Linden Kemkaran, aimed to assess "wasteful spending". The new plan is to focus on saving money across the council instead of being a seperate team.

Leader of the Conservative opposition group Harry Rayner said: "Dolge is dead, or it certainly sounds like the death knell for this unit."

Reform councillor Chris Hespe said Dolge's first year delivered £100m in savings, cut future spending by £39.5m and reduced the authority's debt.

The opposition criticism follows the resignation of former cabinet member Matthew Fraser Moat earlier this year after comments about a lack of cuts.

The new draft strategy plans to keep the Dolge acronym, but it will now stand for "Delivery of Local Government Efficiency".

Other opposition councillors, including Restore Britain's Maxine Fothergill and local Green Party leader Mark Hood, also criticised the initiative.

Hood argued Dolge had not made any savings.

"Changing the name of the project from 'department" to 'delivery' when it has failed to deliver any savings over the past 14 months should signal that it is time to end this farce," he said.

KCC said the second phase aimed to promote collaboration across the council to drive efficiency and value for money.

This included setting up a "star chamber" with senior members and adult social care staff to establish an "account management process for major suppliers and contracts".

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