Claim Reform UK 'changed the atmosphere' at Lancashire County Council as police give politicians social media lesson

The gathering was held at County Hall on Monday afternoon, in the wake of opposition claims that some members of the ruling Reform UK group had engaged in “personal” and intimidatory online attacks against their opponents.

Labour’s group leader told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that the previously cordial atmosphere between politicians from different parties had changed since Reform took control of the authority in May.

Reform UK dismissed the allegations as part of “a pattern” it claimed had been seen across the country of “vexatious” complaints against the party’s councillors from Labour.

The meeting with the police – first reported by the Financial Times – was arranged by county council chief executive Mark Wynn in relation to what a spokesperson for the authority said was “a number of social media posts recently placed by councillors from different political parties.”

It saw county council group leaders briefed by a Lancashire Constabulary officer on the government’s nationwide Operation Ford initiative, designed to protect elected representatives from harassment and intimidation “in connection with their official position”.

However, the LDRS understands that local Reform UK group leaders – including Lancashire County Council leader Stephen Atkinson – are unable to unilaterally discipline their own members, because of a requirement for the party’s head office to be involved in the process.

That stands in contrast to the arrangements in place at other parties whose local group leaders – whether in control of councils or in opposition – have the power to sanction their councillors, even up to the point of suspension.

Reform says that local disciplinary matters are handled in collaboration between the party’s central office and the local group leadership on the ground.

Lancashire County Council’s Labour group leader Mark Clifford – speaking to the LDRS shortly before Monday’s meeting – said that was a major flaw, because he believed there were members of the ruling Reform group at County Hall who were in need of more serious censure than County Cllr Atkinson simply “appealing to their better nature”.

He said that Labour county councillor Kim Snape, who represents the Chorley Rural East division, had been the subject of “awful comments” prompted by some “divisive” online posts.

That claim was echoed by the Progressive Lancashire main opposition group leader, Azhar Ali, at a council meeting last month when he called on Reform’s cabinet member for adult social care, Graham Dalton, to apologise for what he alleged was “the abuse he has inflicted” on County Cllr Snape, via social media, amidst the controversy over a review into the future of some county council-run care homes and day centres.

While not addressing that point, County Cllr Dalton said he himself had been “the victim of so much abuse, it’s been unbelievable”.

Meanwhile, County Cllr Clifford condemned what he said was the more hostile atmosphere between the ruling and opposition groups since Reform UK swept to power at the county council’s local elections seven months ago, replacing the previous Conservative administration.

“Full council meetings are always a bit of theatre - and we’re always going to politically fall out over policy. But you’d walk outside [the chamber] and everybody would pat each other on the back and [even say], ‘You spoke really well’ – there was no ill feeling.

“But you walk out of there now and you can just see the anger in – [admittedly] not all – of [the ruling group],” said County Cllr Clifford, adding that there needed to be a return to “healthy mutual respect” between local politicians.

When approached by the LDRS for comment on the issues raised, a national spokesperson for Reform UK said: “Across the country, we’ve seen a pattern of Labour councillors and supporters attempting to weaponise the complaints system against Reform.

“They submit an avalanche of vexatious complaints which do little more than waste the time and resources of council officers for reports which are rarely, if ever, upheld.

“This is an admission by a desperate Labour Party that they can’t beat us at the ballot box.”

Before Monday’s meeting, County Cllr Atkinson said he was “disappointed” that the “informal” event had been “politicised”.

Asked at full council meeting last month by Labour county councillor Samara Barnes whether he would sign up to the Local Government Association’s (LGA) ‘Debate not Hate’ campaign – and commit to “tackling abuse and promoting healthy, respectful debate in local politics” – County Cllr Atkinson, who is Reform’s national group leader on the LGA, described it as a “good” initiative.

He pledged to bring the matter to the county council’s political governance working group in the new year “where we can discuss it fully and align it with the other aims and ambitions of the council”.

A spokesperson for Lancashire County Council said of Monday’s police briefing: “There was a productive, informal meeting held with leaders from all political parties to encourage strong community leadership and high standards across the council.”