"Worcestershire, I have to say, we took minority control of a virtually bankrupt council, I wish we hadn't bothered. We didn't win the election, we formed a coalition and we were always [going to be] on a hiding to nothing. Take Worcestershire out, because of exceptional circumstances."
"It's bankrupt. We didn't make it bankrupt, we inherited it. Look at the ones that we're in control of... of course [the average tax rise would be lower if Worcestershire wasn't included]."
"The Reform-led authority recently approved a council tax rise of almost 9%, one of the largest in its history, in a bid to balance its books and avoid effective bankruptcy amid a budget shortfall. The tax rise set to add about £145 a year to Band D bills from April."
Reform UK took minority control of Worcestershire County Council following May elections but inherited a financially troubled authority facing near-bankruptcy. The council approved a council tax rise of almost 9%, one of the largest in its history, to balance its budget and avoid insolvency. This increase contradicts Reform UK's election pledge to cut taxes. Farage stated the party did not cause the financial problems but inherited them. The council has scrapped £30 million in capital spending and eliminated vacant positions in IT, finance, and HR. The government provided up to £59.9 million in emergency support to address the budget shortfall. Farage expressed regret about taking control, describing it as a "hiding to nothing" situation.
Read at www.bbc.com
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