Claims that Reform UK broke promises to cut council tax in local elections have been disputed by both Labour and the Conservatives, but a fact check by Full Fact finds no direct evidence that party leader Nigel Farage explicitly pledged to reduce the tax. However, some local candidates did make such promises, which have not been fulfilled.
Labour and the Conservatives have pointed to a Reform UK leaflet from the 2025 local elections that said “reduce waste and cut your taxes” alongside an image of Mr Farage, as well as a speech in which he said “we will cut taxes”. But neither source specifically mentions council tax, and Mr Farage has since stated these referred to national policies, such as increasing income tax thresholds.
Full Fact found examples of local Reform candidates pledging to cut or freeze council tax. In North Northamptonshire, a letter signed by three candidates (now councillors) explicitly promised to “freeze council tax”. In Leicestershire, council leader Dan Harrison said after his election: “We’ll be able to cut council tax.” Durham council leader Andrew Husband also expressed an ambition not to increase council tax, though he described it as “something to strive for”.
Reform UK has defended its record, arguing that it has implemented lower council tax increases than other parties and that some councils have delivered a “real terms tax cut” by raising tax below inflation. In Leicestershire, the 2026/27 increase was the first in a decade not to take the maximum allowed.
Full Fact concludes that while Mr Farage did not personally promise to cut council tax, some local candidates did, and those pledges have not been met. The party’s broader claims about tax cuts remain ambiguous, with national and local commitments often conflated.
