Council creates new role to cut spending

Reform UK-led Worcestershire County Council has created a new cabinet role aimed at cutting spending - saying the authority is facing "a financial emergency".

The job has been given to Bromsgrove councillor Nik Price, who was newly-elected at the local elections last May.

The cabinet member for DOGE (delivery, operations, governance and efficiency), will be tasked with hunting for savings.

Councillor Jo Monk, the council leader, said the role was aimed at "making sure money is spent as efficiently as possible".

The initials DOGE came into common usage in the US after the start of Donald Trump's second term, when he appointed Elon Musk to head a Department of Government Efficiency.

Worcestershire is battling a budget shortfall for 2026-27 of more than £70 million and is considering increasing council tax by up to 10 per cent from April, although the Reform leadership still hopes to bring in a lower rise.

It has also asked central government for Exceptional Financial Support - effectively an emergency loan - of £64m, on top of the £33m the council received for the current financial year.

Price said: "The council is facing a financial emergency, a situation we inherited and which we are dealing with.

"This role is about strengthening how the council delivers day-to-day, modernising operations and driving efficiency so services work better for residents."

Zia Yusuf, the former chairman of Reform UK, visited Worcestershire last June as part of a cost-cutting taskforce which was visiting Reform-led councils across the country.

At the time the party launched the DOGE slogan, with Mr Yusuf saying it was aimed at identifying "wasteful spending of taxpayers money".

The new cabinet appointment has been criticised by opposition councillors.

Liberal Democrat Dan Boatright-Greene said: "I would like to congratulate the leader of the council on swelling her leadership team further.

"They're clearly out of their depth and not in touch with how much pressure hard-working families are under."

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