Reform’s Kruger vows to change Civil Service code to ban ‘woke agenda’

A Reform UK government would change the Civil Service code to ban non-party political activism that has led to a “woke agenda that has infected so much of Whitehall”, an MP of the party has said.

Danny Kruger, who defected to Nigel Farage’s outfit last month, set out plans to slash Civil Service headcount and shutter government buildings if it won the next general election.

The East Wiltshire MP promised to widen the definition of impartiality in the rules officials are required to follow.

He told a central London press conference: “It’s defined simply as being party political, which, of course, it shouldn’t be.

“But there’s a whole range of other political affiliations or commitments that civil servants can have and introduce through their work that might not have a party political label.”

He said the “whole DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) woke agenda that has infected so much of Whitehall” would be considered a contravention of the Civil Service code under Reform, and “socially controversial, political positions” would not be acceptable.

Reform would also amend the ministerial code to remove the requirement take into account international law when making decisions, Mr Kruger said.

The former Tory did not indicate how many Civil Service jobs would be cut under the plans, saying: “We want to design the function of Whitehall, and then its form, and then its size, so the size will be determined by the form that we arrive at.

“What I can confidently say, though, is that we are going to get this overall headcount of the centre of the Civil Service base in Whitehall back down below the levels it was at before Brexit.

“Ten years ago, it was 30% smaller than it is today, so we can at least get back to that size, and I’m confident we can go further.”

Mr Kruger claimed that by not renewing the leases of five government buildings, including the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) at 102 Petty France and the Department for Education’s premises on Great Smith Street, a Reform government would save £100 million a year.

He said that by cutting the number of officials, “we will be able to make do without those buildings”, as he vowed to “make Whitehall Whitehall again, to restore the Civil Service to the street called Whitehall”.

The Government has however already confirmed it plans to close the MoJ offices on Petty France, as well as 39 Victoria Street which is home to the Department of Health.

The drive to get rid of expensive London offices is part of an initiative to save £94 million each year and push Civil Service jobs into regions outside of London, Labour ministers have said.

Meanwhile, Zia Yusuf, the head of policy for Reform UK, complained about the “level of scrutiny” that Reform-led local authorities were under.

“It’s quite right for Reform councils to be scrutinised,” he said.

“What’s interesting is that there appears to be a level of scrutiny on local government all of a sudden that certainly I’ve never seen.”

Five members of Reform’s “flagship” council in Kent have been expelled for “dishonest and deceptive behaviour” following a leaked, expletive-laden, video meeting.

And while Reform promised to cut spending when it ousted the Conservatives at the council in May, reports have suggested it could be on course to raise council tax.

Mr Yusuf said: “Voters are smart enough to know that the statutory demands placed on local councils by central government, over which I’m afraid local councillors of any stripe have no ability to change the parameters of, these are all things that do need reform.

“We can’t do those things until we’re in Westminster.”

Addressing a racism row which has embroiled the party after its MP, Sarah Pochin, said the sight of black and brown people in adverts “drives me mad”, Mr Kruger said every party is “going to have its bad days in the media”.

But he insisted Reform was seeing a “continued rise in popular support” and was setting its plans out in public “so that nobody can claim they were blindsided when we get into power”.

Mr Kruger said he was “absolutely convinced I’ve done the right thing” by defecting from the Conservatives.

Labour Party chairwoman Anna Turley said: “It’s deeply embarrassing for Nigel Farage that his new policy chief’s first policy has already fallen apart.

“You can’t save money by closing government buildings that are already closing. Danny Kruger didn’t do the work and he’s been found out.

“It’s the same at local level. Reform made big claims about the money they could save in councils, found they were wrong, and are now proposing raising council tax and cutting services.

“Local government was supposed to be the blueprint for what Reform would do nationally, and it’s true: their savings plans collapse at the first contact with reality.”

And, referring to the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) which Elon Musk introduced for the US government, she added: It’s a serious case of Doge-ja vu.”

Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office spokeswoman Lisa Smart said: “Danny Kruger should ask the people of Kent how they feel about Reform’s approach to power.

“Their council group is disintegrating, they made big promises on council tax that they’ve already broken, and they have done nothing useful after six months in charge.

“We are still waiting for them to take action to balance the county’s budget.

“Reform are completely out of their depth and it’s residents and council taxpayers who are paying the price for their incompetence.”

Tory former prime minister Sir John Major has meanwhile accused Reform UK of “amateur populism”.

In a speech at a Conservative Party lunch, he said: “Reform is now embracing overspending, nationalisation, and promises that will never – can never – be met. If you doubt me ‒ look at their performance in the local authorities they now govern: they are completely out of their depth.

“Other policies are ill thought out. Reform wishes to nationalise half the water industry, yet does not seem to realise the reason for privatisation was because the state had no funds for investment. Nor do they now.

“This is amateur populism let loose. Such foolish promises illustrate their unsuitability for power.”