Cllr Antonia Cox represents Alton Rural on Hampshire County Council and is the Deputy Chairman Political of East Hampshire Conservatives.
Collars and ties – that’s what we new Hampshire Conservative county councillors found our Reform counterparts wearing at the first council meeting after the May elections. It looked as though there had been a very strict dress code memo from Farage Towers to project traditional respectability and professionalism.
But what’s the point when your supporters want DOGE-style chainsaws and “Stop the Boats”?
Background; at May’s elections, Conservatives lost seats to Reform (and the Lib Dems) on Hampshire County Council but remained largest party. After the Lib Dems refused any suggestion of working together, Conservative leader Nick Adams-King put together an administration with the help of independents. Reflecting Hampshire’s right-tilted majority, Reform took over scrutiny committee chairmanships.
That means Reform has to play nicely in the democratic playground, following the rules of local government scrutiny proceedings. Their councillors look smart and behave suitably. After all, several of them are highly competent and experienced former Conservatives.
So perhaps this is the shape of things to come – Reform propping up the established way of doing things, doing as they are told by officers whom they attacked on the campaign as overpaid and overmighty Sir Humphreys.
In which case, Reform is playing a part in shouldering responsibility for the hard stuff in local government, the obligations laid down in statute to deliver care for older people and looked-after children, and then balance the budget. These are demanding duties where things can go horribly wrong, and councillors and officers can end up in the headlines or in court.
That is, of course, what councillors sign up for when they stand. But what do Reform voters think of the sight of their councillors getting on with the job of ensuring these and other important public functions are carried out – instead of slashing costs and ejecting bureaucrats?
Since Reform took control of many councils across England in May 2025, Reform has, of course, had to admit that there was no scope to slash and burn. Some even admitted that Kent, for example, had been run well under the Conservatives.
The inescapable reality is, as everyone knows, that population ageing and general inflation is driving up local government’s costs everywhere, while raising council tax, paid out of our already taxed income, is a hard ask.
Plainly, this is now the story of government at every level. Taxes are at post-WW2 highs, demand for public spending is rising, thanks to demographics and inflation, while the growth that could boost state revenues isn’t happening, partly because taxes are already so high.
But what is Reform going to achieve by having its elected representatives play a part – even if only through scrutiny committees – in the hard choices that have to be made?
Reform wins votes by fanning frustration with how things are, claiming that everything’s broken, blaming elites and immigration.
The Conservative Party, as I don’t need to remind ConHome readers, exists to govern our country well for the sake of future generations, has a plan to fix the present growth problem through the right tax cuts, welfare and civil service cuts, and has always got involved at every level of local government.
But why are Reform doing this when their supporters don’t care about the tough and painful responsibilities involved, where there are no quick wins, and stopping the boats is completely irrelevant? My doorstep conversations with Reform voters revealed absolutely no interest in what Reform was offering on adult social care or balancing the council budget.
I believe Reform voters will not thank Reform councillors for what they are doing when it comes to unitary elections next year. Those voters will look at the messy, necessary compromises that happen in order to balance a budget and keep delivering vital services. They will turn away in frustration again.
Reform may spin their contributions attractively online, but I don’t think this will shift many votes. Maybe some will turn to Restore. Some will go back to not voting at all. What we have to do is make sure that at least some come back to voting Conservative.
Reform councillors are taking part in democratic “Business As Usual”, not tearing the house down. Good for them. But their supporters will not be grateful. What Conservatives now have to show is that voting for us, a party which actually has a plan for tackling the overarching national problems that in turn shape the challenges in local government, is the only option.