What have Reform achieved in Wakefield in their first three months?

Reform UK seized control of Wakefield Council in the May 2024 local elections, winning 58 of the 63 seats and ending decades of Labour dominance. The party’s leader, former rock singer and businessman Craig Johnson, was elected group leader within days of the count and became council leader ten days later. In his first 100 days he has already repainted road markings, doubled the road‑marking budget from £41,000 to £82,000 by reallocating Net Zero funds, and moved to “undeclare” the city’s climate‑emergency status, arguing that the saved money can be redirected to services residents need. Johnson, who previously served as a Conservative councillor, is a visible figure in the city centre, fielding questions from locals and touting the new pavement work, graffiti removal and cleaning of public spaces as evidence of Reform’s promised change.

The most contentious decision under Johnson’s leadership has been the reversal of Wakefield’s climate‑emergency declaration, a policy adopted seven years ago with a target of carbon‑neutrality by 2030. Johnson’s motion to axe the declaration in June sparked opposition from Green Party councillor Kate Dodd, who called the move “irresponsible” and warned it undermined urgent climate action. At the same time, the council has reopened the debate over the future of the Ridings Shopping Centre, a redevelopment project that Labour had agreed to purchase and demolish before the election, backed by a £17.9 million government grant. Reform has not taken a definitive stance, instead committing to further resident consultations before any decision, emphasizing financial prudence and long‑term viability for the city centre.

Internal party cohesion has already shown strain: two Reform councillors, Steve Lewis and Rhys Carr, have left the group to sit as independents, and a third, Nick Farmer, has been suspended. While Johnson has pledged not to promise a council‑tax cut until a budget is set, he maintains that any reduction must not come at the expense of services. The council’s first budget remains unpublished, and the outcome of the Ridings consultation is expected in the autumn, leaving Wakefield residents awaiting concrete evidence of Reform’s ability to deliver on its low‑tax, high‑service platform while navigating internal dissent and environmental criticism.

⚡ Effects Interpreter