Reform's DOGE-style audit visit labelled 'gimmick' by opposition on West Northamptonshire Council

The party revealed on Monday (June 2), via its chairman Zia Yusuf’s X profile, that it would be sending a team of software engineers, data analysts and forensic auditors to visit and analyse the council’s spending. It came just days after Reform said they would be taking the same action and getting to work at Kent County Council (KCC).

In a letter sent to KCC the team requested “full and prompt access” to documents, finance reports, contract data and more from the council to review.

Groups on WNC have raised concerns over the newly formed DOGE team, which will be carrying out the audit free of charge, and how they can be trusted with confidential council data and documents.

Reform UK said it was elected with a “clear mandate” to review council accounts and that it will work with WNC to ensure robust data sharing and confidentiality agreements are in place.

A spokesperson confirmed that the new cost-saving crew would be led by 28-year-old tech entrepreneur Nathaniel Fried. It also revealed that the unit will use artificial intelligence and advanced data analysis tools to find waste.

‘Residents deserve better than a headline-chasing stunt’

New Conservative group leader Councillor Daniel Lister is in charge of the next largest party on the authority. He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that WNC made efficiency savings of £115 million under their last administration “without the gimmicks”.

He added: “This new so-called ‘efficiency unit’, parachuted in and styled on the Trump/Musk DOGE model in the United States, delivered only a fraction of the promised savings.

“Is that really what the reform people voted for? In the US, it led to a dangerous loss of institutional knowledge, and if the same happens here, it puts at risk the very foundations we have worked hard to build in West Northamptonshire. Residents deserve better than a headline-chasing stunt.

“We will be watching closely to ensure the key services our communities rely on are not sacrificed for short-term political theatre.”

Councillor Sally Keeble, leader of the Labour group, said the DOGE-inspired activities would be “vigorously opposed” by their group in West Northamptonshire.

“These antics, imported from the US and driven top down from Westminster, cut across the democratic functioning of local government and legal safeguards that protect the public who rely on council services,” she said.

“I hope the Reform administration on West Northants Council has the good sense to see this has nothing to do with the important job of improving services for the public here, and everything to do with Farage’s wrecking ball tendencies.”

‘Where is the local in Local Government?’

Liberal Democrat opposition leader Councillor Jonathan Harris said he was concerned for the safety of residents’ personal information and records in the hands of an “unverified crew”.

In a group letter addressed to WNC’s chief executive raising concerns about the visit, he wrote: “The letter to Kent County Council suggests that those proposing to carry out this act will do so entirely for free. It rather looks as though the council will be a “testbed” for some AI software that is in development.

“The suggestion being laid out is that a random group of self appointed unknown people are potentially going to be allowed access to information without any form of official procurement process.

“This initiative is being led by Nigel Farage and Zia Yusuf who are unelected in West Northamptonshire and have no accountability to the electorate.”

A further open letter to WNC leader Mark Arnull, published by Independent councillor Ian McCord, stated that he was “sympathetic to any initiative that will help save or improve the use of public money”, but had concerns about the legal standing and how the process would work.

He added: “Most of the free resources online use the data as the product or the customer as the product to sell other products to. Is that the intention here? How do we ensure that the data is safe?

“From the outside looking in, there appears to be a great deal of central control from the Reform Party HQ. Where is the local in Local Government?

“I don’t in any way doubt your mandate from the May elections, but Mr Farage and Mr Yusuf did not stand in the WNC area. If an impression is given that the administration is merely the play thing of Nigel and Zia this will seriously undermine the credibility of the administration.”

‘We are getting on with the job’

A Reform UK spokesman said: “Reform UK was elected with a clear mandate to undertake a thorough review of the council accounts and we are getting on with the job.

“The DOGE team will work collaboratively with West Northamptonshire Council to ensure checks, balances and robust data sharing and confidentiality agreements are in place to a level which is satisfactory to the council. This arrangement is no different from if the council employed any third-party contractor.

“This work will not cost local taxpayers a single penny and will ensure that public money is spent solely on activity that benefits local residents.”

The spokesperson added that data will be deleted once its purpose has been completed and, where possible, pseudonymisation is used. They also confirmed that every individual involved in the audit has signed a binding confidentiality agreement which explicitly prohibits any use of the data for personal or commercial gain.

The LDRS has contacted West Northamptonshire Council to ask if it will cooperate with the data sharing requests and for comment on the concerns posed by elected members.

Leader of WNC, Cllr Mark Arnull, previously said that his administration has been working closely with senior officers to shape future priorities for West Northants. He added that he is “regularly in contact with Reform HQ colleagues” and will continue to keep the council’s senior management updated on any plans.

No start date for the audit team in West Northants has been given at this point.