What’s next for the new Reform-run Nottinghamshire County Council?

Reform’s triumph made waves nationally following the local votes on May 1.

By May 2, the party had gained control of ten councils and two regional mayoral posts.

In Nottinghamshire, the group swept up 40 of Nottinghamshire County Council’s 66 seats, surpassing even their own expectations and easily reaching the 34 needed to form a majority.

The win was a knockout for the Conservatives – previously holding the authority with 34 seats – who now sit as the main opposition with 17 councillors.

The outgoing Conservative County Council Leader, Sam Smith, held his seat in Newark East and will sit as the leader of the Conservatives at the council.

Following the defeat of many Conservative colleagues he said he was “unclear” of Reform’s local priorities and issues.

He said: “They [residents] received letters from Nigel Farage saying ‘vote reform and get the boats stopped’, and get your bins emptied, but the council can do neither of those. Reform won’t even be able to stop the boats coming down the Trent here in Nottinghamshire.”

In an statement, Coun Smith said Reform’s victory was the “result of national policies (immigration) playing a huge part in the outcome of a local election”.

He wrote of a “proud” Tory track record at the council, such as increased funding and improvements in key council pressure areas such as road repairs, bus routes and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services.

His statement continued: “It is now the role of the opposition group, that I now lead at County Hall, to showcase to the electorate that national issues, such as immigration, can not be addressed at the County Council.”

The new Reform authority has remained mostly quiet on its plan of action for the county, but the party’s national leader, Nigel Farage, has offered some initial changes Reform-run authorities could see.

He has spoken about cuts to council jobs focusing on diversity, equality and Inclusion (DEI) and seeing a version of the US ‘Department Of Government Efficiency’ (Doge) set up in Nottinghamshire to cut expenditure.

Doge is a new advisory body created by US President Donald Trump – and led by Elon Musk – tasked with cutting US government jobs and other spending.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) in April ahead of the election, Mr Farage also said: “Work from home – forget it, that’s gone.”

County Councillor John Doddy defected to Reform in January 2025, after sitting as an Independent, and was re-elected last week as a Reform councillor – he has sat on the authority since 2012, previously as a Conservative.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) at the Broxtowe count last Friday, he said the new authority will deal with existing issues “differently”.

He said: “The issues have always been clear. Clear to all of the people that were voting, clear to the existing party and any incoming party.

“[Issues with] SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) – people are unable to get the care that they need in schools for their children, having to take them out with home school.

“Adult social care challenges, people not being able to get home care.

“The difference will be how [Reform] deal with them. We’re in there to take a different approach to the existing problems.”

When asked by the LDRS about dealing with Nottinghamshire priorities, new Reform County Councillor, Mick Barton, said from his own personal view, via a statement: “We are going to put all our manifesto pledges together, then come up with a plan and policies to achieve all our objectives over the next four years.

“We got 40 members elected with a massive majority from the public and they have given us a mandate to carry out what we pledged.”