Reform and Green councillors navigate local government after English local elections
Two months after the English local elections, newly elected councillors from the Reform and Green parties are adjusting to their roles in local government.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Two and a half months after the English local elections, newly elected councillors from Reform UK and the Green Party are finding their feet in local government. The elections in May produced a dramatic shift in the political landscape, with Reform UK gaining more than a thousand new councillors and the Greens making historic gains in traditional Labour strongholds. Labour suffered heavy defeats, a factor that contributed to the downfall of Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the rise of Andy Burnham.
Many of the new councillors are political novices. The leader of Reform UK on Kirklees Council in Yorkshire admitted she was still struggling with basic procedures: "I don't understand the constitution. I have not had sufficient time to read that as yet. I don't understand what standing orders are, what they're made up of, nor do I understand what an amendment is." Despite the steep learning curve, some Reform councillors say they bring business and life experience, and they are learning from more seasoned colleagues.
In Manchester, the Green Party now forms the official opposition after winning 17 seats, breaking a 50-year Labour hold on the city council. Romina Asanga-Raye, one of the new Green councillors, said: "Even the fact that we've made history in what we've done, it's been a 50-year stronghold of Labour in Manchester. And now that we've broken that and chipped in that, there's real hope that we can not only run the council in the future, but currently hold them to account." She described the work as a "slog" and warned that career politicians who expect an easy ride often leave quickly.
Indeed, several newly elected councillors across England have already resigned, been suspended, or defected. The fragmentation of local politics is also reflected in the number of councils under no overall control. Burnley is a prime example: Reform UK is the largest party but is not part of the power-sharing coalition, which is run by the Liberal Democrats and a local independent group. Zulcanen Hyatt, a newly elected independent councillor in Burnley, said working alongside Reform councillors has been fine: "We're all humans at the end of the day, you know. We might have a difference of opinion politically, but I think the other kind of councillors, the reform councillors, we have conversation and, you know, we get on and it's fine." He argued that independent councillors can respond directly to local issues without needing approval from a party head office.
For many new councillors, navigating the bureaucracy of local government is confusing and frustrating. Voters want quick results, but the reality is that decisions on housing, planning, and other services take time. The changing faces of local politics mean more parties have a say than ever before, but also more potential for gridlock and turnover.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 4 |
|---|---|
| Labour's heavy defeats in the May local elections were a key factor in Keir Starmer's downfall and Andy Burnham's rise. | |
| Reform UK gained over 1,000 new councillors in the English local elections. | |
| Several newly elected councillors across England have left their seats through resignations, suspensions, or defections. | |
| The Green party became the official opposition in Manchester, breaking a 50-year Labour stronghold. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Channel 4 focused on the human experience of new councillors, highlighting the challenges of learning the ropes and the fragmentation of local government. The report gave voice to Reform, Green, and independent councillors, and emphasised the steep learning curve, the slog of the job, and the increased number of councils under no overall control. The tone was neutral but sympathetic to the difficulties faced by first-time councillors.
- “I don't understand the constitution. I have not had sufficient time to read that as yet. I don't understand what standing orders are, what they're made up of, nor do I understand what an amendment is.”
- “It's a job. It's a slog. Obviously, we're going through hard times. Austerity is real. We're talking about food, child poverty. Furniture poverty. The list is endless.”
- “We're all humans at the end of the day, you know. We might have a difference of opinion politically, but I think the other kind of councillors, the reform councillors, we have conversation and, you know, we get on and it's fine.”
Broadcast Timeline
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