Will Job Cuts and Cost-Cutting Experts Save Leicestershire County Council?

Leicestershire County Council’s Reform UK leader, Dan Harrison, has initiated a bold ”deep dive” efficiency drive aimed at slashing the council’s substantial annual budget of £1.3 billion. Harrison’s strategy involves enlisting specialists from international firms who are expected to uncover avenues for further cost reduction. However, this approach has triggered concerns among opposition members about potential layoffs among the council’s vast workforce of 6,000 employees and the resultant impact on public services.

In a recent interview with BBC Radio Leicester, Harrison emphasized his commitment to thorough scrutiny of operations, stating, “Everything will be looked at.” When questioned about the financial implications of hiring these specialists, he remained vague, claiming the benefits would outweigh their costs. He described the initiative as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to achieve maximum efficiency and balance the budget, amid prior commitments to maintain or even lower council taxes.

As the council has already cut £290 million since 2010, opposition figures, including Deborah Taylor from the Conservative group and Michael Mullaney from the Liberal Democrats, expressed skepticism about the feasibility of further significant savings without impacting staff and essential services. They raised alarms that any job cuts could severely diminish vital services like social care and road maintenance. Harrison insisted that maintaining public services is paramount to his administration and that they would aim for only a 3% council tax increase by April 2026, diverging from the 5% cap set by the government.

As the review is set to commence in November, all eyes will be on how much deeper the council can cut, and at what cost to its employees and the communities they serve.