George Finch, the 19-year-old leader of Warwickshire County Council, has publicly defended proposals for a 3.89% council tax increase, despite senior financial officers warning that anything less than a 5% rise would jeopardise the local authority's medium-term sustainability. The Reform UK councillor, who leads a minority administration, faces scrutiny over his party's election promise to reduce taxes while grappling with a dire budgetary situation.
Financial Warnings and Political Pressure
In December, financial executives at Warwickshire County Council explicitly stated that the proposed 3.89% increase represented a "riskier financial strategy" that could undermine the council's ability to balance its books. Officers informed the administration that for every 1% reduction from the maximum permitted council tax rise, an additional £4.2 million in cuts would be required, necessitating "material levels of additional budget reductions."
This development places Reform UK's position on taxation under intense examination, particularly as at least four of the ten councils the party controls had initially proposed implementing the full 5% council tax rise at the beginning of this year. The party had campaigned on a platform of lowering taxes, making these increases a potential breach of electoral commitments.
Defending the Decision
Councillor Finch, appointed leader in July, acknowledged the challenging circumstances, stating: "It's not an ideal situation. We want low tax, low spend and we were always committed to that. It's just that national pressures that the government is not solving [such as] Send home-school transport." He expressed a belief that the public understands taxes must rise currently, while maintaining his personal opposition to increases and pledging to minimise the financial burden on residents.
Finch characterised the officers' recommendation for a 5% rise as the "easier" option, suggesting that implementing a lower increase requires more rigorous examination of council operations. "It's easier to go for 4.99% ... we wouldn't have to change the whole environment of the council. We wouldn't have to look underneath the backs of the sofas," he remarked, indicating a commitment to deeper efficiency reviews rather than straightforward tax maximisation.
Operational Challenges and Reform Initiatives
The young council leader revealed he had not anticipated the level of bureaucratic resistance he would encounter following the 2025 local elections. "I had to learn very quickly ... the elected members are not fully in control straight away," Finch admitted, suggesting council workers had caused "a lot of blockage" before eventually accepting the new political reality. "The shutters were coming down," he described. "They realised straight away that George isn't going anywhere, Reform ain't going anywhere so they had to start working with us."
To address financial pressures, Finch pointed to potential savings through artificial intelligence implementation and "transformation savings," though specific details remain undeveloped. Warwickshire has launched its own "value for money" programme, which the leader hopes will generate £70-£100 million in savings over four to five years, particularly as Reform UK's national Department of Local Government Efficiency (Dolge) has yet to visit the council.
Specific Measures and Wider Context
When questioned about concrete savings achieved through Doge-style efficiency drives, Finch highlighted a £1 million investment fund for local road improvements, the acquisition of a "fleet of buses and taxis" for special educational needs transport, and procurement contract savings. However, these examples contrast with experiences elsewhere in the Reform UK network.
At Kent County Council, Paul Chamberlain, a Reform cabinet member overseeing Dolge cuts, admitted councillors had discovered minimal waste to eliminate. "We made some assumptions that we would come in here and find some of the craziness that [Musk's] Doge found in America ... and that was wrong, we didn't find any of that," Chamberlain told the Financial Times, casting doubt on national claims about extensive local government waste and fraud.
Broader Local Government Crisis
This situation unfolds against a backdrop of severe financial strain across English local authorities, with most councils expected to implement maximum council tax increases in April to meet legal requirements to balance budgets amid rising costs and service demands. Reform UK's significant gains in last year's local elections, where they secured over 600 seats, were accompanied by pledges to scale back diversity and climate policies while tackling waste through efficiency initiatives modelled on Elon Musk's approach.
Warwickshire councillors are scheduled to vote on the new budget proposal on Thursday, determining whether Finch's 3.89% increase will be implemented despite the stark warnings from financial professionals about its potential consequences for the council's future stability and service delivery capabilities.
