Reform UK Councils Are Facing Protests After Cancelling Climate Change Preparations

Support our mission to provide fearless stories about and outside the media system

Packed with exclusive investigations, analysis, and features

SUBSCRIBE TODAY

Reform UK’s influx of newly-elected councillors are facing rising local anger in parts of the country after scrapping local preparations to deal with catastrophic man-made climate change.

Meetings to discuss contingency planning for rising global temperatures have been cancelled at a series of local authorities now controlled by Nigel Farage’s party, with even committees scheduled to discuss the likelihood of increased flooding facing the axe.

At Derbyshire County Council on Monday June 16, local residents gathered outside to protest Reform UK’s immediate scrapping of the authority’s climate change committee and cancellation of all climate-related meetings.

Protesters claimed these actions leave communities across Derbyshire exposed to worsening climate threats. 

EXCLUSIVE

Resignations, Cancelled Meetings and Culture Wars: How Reform UK Councils Are Descending Into Chaos

Nigel Farage’s band of newly-elected councillors are already starting to struggle, reports Josiah Mortimer

Josiah Mortimer

Derbyshire campaigners stood and held placards and banners with images of flooding, wildfires and ruined crops outside County Hall, highlighting Reform UK’s fossil fuel funding. 

The protest was planned to coincide with the Regulatory Planning Committee meeting. However, the meeting was cancelled. Reform councils, most prominently Kent, are cancelling swathes of meetings as they try and get to grips with power.

Another Reform-controlled body, Lincolnshire County Council, has scrapped its flood management scrutiny committee, saying it would save money. The opposition Labour party there described it as a “reckless” which would put residents at risk.

Residents protesting this week say they will keep returning to highlight “Reform UK’s failures to protect people from climate change until they make climate action a top priority”.

The local climate campaigners argue that Reform UK’s “fossil fuel funding, denial of climate science, attacks on Net Zero and deliberate dismantling of climate governance” will make them culpable for climate-related hardships locals face. 

Derbyshire has already experienced widespread flooding in recent years. Storm Babet in October 2023 inundated around 1,600 homes and businesses, causing millions of pounds in damage across Chesterfield and nearby towns, and many residents remain in recovery over a year later. 

Derbyshire farmers have also struggled with excessively wet and warm winters leaving fields waterlogged, delaying spring sowing and damaging crops.

All over the UK, farmers have reported negative impacts from the record breaking dry spring of 2025. This year there were wildfires in the Peak District National Park due to unusually warm and dry conditions, the campaigners note. 

According to a New York Times analysis of Reform’s donation records, the party collected £4.75m in 2024, with 40% originating from donors who have “publicly challenged climate science or hold stakes in fossil fuel or other environmentally harmful sectors”. 

EXCLUSIVE

BBC Bosses Draw Up Plans to Win Over Reform Voters by Changing News and Drama Output

The Director General Tim Davie and other executives discussed altering BBC “story selection” in order to secure the “trust” of supporters of Nigel Farage’s party

Adam Bienkov

Climate investigation outlet DeSmog found that the party has historically been even more dependent on fossil fuel interests. They found that from December 2019 to June 2024, Reform received over £2.3m from oil and gas companies, polluting industries and climate sceptics – representing 92% of their total donations during that period.

Leader Nigel Farage recently backed reopening coal mines in South Wales, despite Britain moving almost completely away from coal in recent decades. The party says it opposes any spending on Net Zero policies, while wanting to slash the oil and gas levy which has brought in billions for public services since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

Another climate protest is planned for the Derbyshire full council meeting on 9th July and another similar one in late July.

Kerry O’Connor 37, a hotel housekeeper in Staveley, said: “It’s no secret that oil and gas interests are one of Reform UK’s biggest funders and their science denying attacks on Net Zero and other climate policy only serve the interests of their funders. Reform party leaders declared “war” on clean energy and have instructed new Reform councils to do the same.

“They said net zero is not a priority…that the net zero agenda is costing every single person in this country a lot of money. Well what about the costs of flooding, wildfires, heatwaves, mass climate migration and crop failure? What price are they putting on people’s lives? 

“Obviously their price is the millions Reform were paid by oil and gas interests.”

It is a campaign which may spread to the 12 Reform councils in England. The new Reform-run Northamptonshire council has also faced protests against their actions on the climate crisis and poor air quality.

Amy Trewick, 34, ecologist, Swanick  said: “Climate and ecological breakdown is the greatest threat humanity has ever faced. It threatens our economy, public health, food security and homes; and not just in the future, we are already seeing the impacts of it in recent years with flash flooding and droughts in Derbyshire, with strong evidence that this will only exacerbate in our lifetime.

“Resolving this crisis and addressing government targets should be at the top of any government’s agenda, at a global, national and local level.” 

Dr Sarah Holborn, 60, retired consultant paediatrician from Derbyshire, added: “The climate crisis is also a public health crisis and it’s often the most vulnerable who suffer the most. It is both deeply disappointing and profoundly dangerous that Reform UK’s first act in power was to abandon responsibility for climate action and even deny the crisis exists.

“They must stop listening to the oil and gas interests who fund them and start doing their duty to protect the communities they were elected to serve.” 

Derbyshire County Council was contacted for comment but said it was a “political matter” and a matter for the party. Reform in Derbyshire have also been contacted for comment. 

Byline Times is following Reform-controlled councils. Got a tip-off? Get in touch: josiah@bylinetimes.com

Subscribers Get More from JOSIAH

Josiah Mortimer also writes the On the Ground column, exclusive to the print edition of Byline Times.

So for more from him…

Subscribe to Byline Times