Claims Reform HQ is running Lincolnshire dismissed as ‘desperate smears’
The leader of Lincolnshire County Council has hit back against Conservative claims that the national Reform party is controlling the authority.
Reform UK swept to power in May’s elections, promising to “fix Lincolnshire”, and Conservatives have become the opposition for the first time in nearly 30 years.
However Tory leader Councillor Richard Davies has suggested that the new top team aren’t making their own decisions.
“It’s not clear who’s running the council – it’s not Sean Matthews,” Cllr Davies told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
“I ask questions and never hear back, or you have to wait while they ask party leadership.
“When we were in office, the Conservative party never told us what to do, but that doesn’t seem to be the case now.
“The portfolio holders seem to be proxies.
“Getting answers is proving very difficult. I’ve asked time and again topics like the Southern Grantham Relief Road and no one seems to know.”
Councillor Sean Matthews, who leads the authority, strongly refused the claim which he dismissed as “playing politics”.
“Last week, Cllr Davies said it was officers running the council – this week apparently it’s the national party.
“The reality is I haven’t spoken to anyone about a decision I’ve made other than my Executive,” he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
“I am a member of the Reform party so I go along with their policies but I haven’t spoken to anyone from HQ about any decision I’ve made.
“We are running this council. It isn’t the officers and it isn’t Reform HQ or anyone else he comes up with.”
A Reform UK Lincolnshire spokesman said: “These are desperate smears from a Conservative Party struggling to stay relevant.
“The people of Lincolnshire gave Reform a huge mandate on May 1 and we will carry on delivering for them.”