Reform faces questions over tech investor's role in cost-cutting drive
Summary
Reform UK is working to cut costs in councils they control and has enlisted a tech investor, Harriet Green, to help analyze spending at West Northamptonshire Council. Concerns have been raised about Green's access to council data, given her company's business interests. Reform UK's plan to identify savings has faced challenges due to legal limits on accessing council information.Key Facts
- Reform UK aims to reduce spending in councils they control and has set up a unit called the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) for this purpose.
- Tech investor Harriet Green is helping Reform UK find cost savings, specifically at West Northamptonshire Council.
- Green's company, Basis Capital, funds businesses that work with or against local governments, raising concerns about possible conflicts of interest.
- Local councillors question whether her access to council data might give her backed businesses an unfair advantage.
- Reform UK has not yet accessed any council data, and their efforts have been slowed by legal constraints.
- The plan includes using a team of software engineers, data analysts, and auditors to find inefficiencies.
- Reform UK's unit has visited only three councils and plans to visit another, Lancashire County Council, in October.
- The initiative took inspiration from efforts by Elon Musk to cut government costs in the US.
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