Since taking control of Durham County Council, Reform UK has swiftly rolled out a series of controversial changes: scrapping diversity training, reversing the climate emergency pledge, and pushing for stronger free speech protections, marking a clear shift in the authority’s priorities.
00:00Since winning the majority of seats in the May 2025 local elections, Reform UK has moved quickly to reshape Durham County Council in line with its manifesto promises.
00:11First, the council has cancelled all formal diversity, equality and climate training for councillors, a move endorsed by national leader Nigel Farage,
00:19who told existing staff in these roles to seek alternative careers very, very quickly.
00:24Locally, Deputy Leader Durham Grimes publicly refused to attend any such training, declaring that his focus is on residents, not racist or alarmist ideology.
00:33Council Leader Andrew Husband told a Durham County Council meeting,
00:36there is no requirements in law for councillors to complete equality, diversity and inclusion training,
00:42and that councillors have been informed of their responsibilities in relation to the public sector equality duty as part of their introduction sessions,
00:50the member's code of conduct and how the council works.
00:53Next, the council has rebranded its departments, removing references to climate and equality.
01:00Equality and inclusion is now called Stronger Communities and Belonging,
01:04and neighbourhood and climate change has become neighbourhood and environment.
01:11Council Leader Andrew Husband said staff may be redeployed, not laid off, as certain projects close.
01:17Reform UK is also pushing to strengthen free speech protections for councillors by amending the code of conduct.
01:24The proposal would ensure lawful but potentially controversial speech is protected under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
01:34Grimes argues this will encourage robust debate.
01:37Critics worry it could legitimise offensive remarks.
01:40But what do locals think of these changes?
01:44I've done some diversity training before.
01:46I think it takes a lot more to influence people and for people to change and to support and to include others more than just the training.
01:54I think it starts from grassroots level.
01:56It's again, it's a cultural thing.
01:57It's a systemic thing.
01:59And so it takes a lot more than that.
02:01But then that does help.
02:03And I don't know, does that mean that it no longer becomes law?
02:07It doesn't.
02:07But let's wait and see.
02:08That's what the people of Durham want.
02:09That's what they get.
02:10But I don't support it.
02:12Wherever you go is a diverse society.
02:14And I think we should all have some sort of training so we don't, well, don't upset people because you can inadvertently upset people innocently.
02:31So I think we all need diversity training for that, but also to appreciate what different cultures have brought to this country.
02:39The thing is with the reform that people are fed up with the Conservatives and the Labour government and they're looking for something new.
02:46We haven't got much else really, have we?
02:48Nigel Farage has got quite a personality, a strong personality to get things over.
02:55I mean, he got us out of Europe, you know, and stuff like that.
