Skip to main content

THE “DOGE” POLICY – What It Is and Isn’t

Reform-led councils have launched their own “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) units to hunt down wasteful spending.

  • Not a real UK government department – This is a council-level scheme, inspired entirely by a US concept that caused systemic collapse in the US. No such statutory department exists in the UK’s statutory or civil service. It is a wholly Reform created body.
  • Tactics used in the UK – DOGE units in places like Kent have focused on cancelling projects/pausing/halting spending and declaring this is money saved. Net Zero projects have been cancelled (don’t want to upset those big oil donors), electric vehicle fleet purchases paused, and office moves halted.
  • US inspiration’s track record – In the United States, similar “efficiency” claims were later criticised for inflating savings figures. Cancelled contracts were “savings” but in reality are just potential savings. If a council has never incurred the cost then cancelling it is not a saving.

REFORM UK: CLAIMS Vs FACTS on “DOGE” style efficiency and related issues

CLAIM 1: Reform’s DOGE will generate real savings by cutting wasteful projects.

FACT: U S analogues to DOGE saw massive layoffs and project termination, but little real savings. These were overstated or based on contract ceiling values not actual expenditures. Budget cuts severely disrupted services in health, weather forecasting, veteran affairs, air traffic control and more.

CLAIM 2: Reform’s DOGE promises streamlined services through lean bureaucracy.

FACT: US DOGE introduced red tape, disrupted functions, demoralised staff, and delayed responses – especially in agencies like NASA, FDA, the State Department, Air traffic control, and Social Security.

CLAIM 3: Reform’s DOGE strengthens accountability and date oversight.

FACT: In the US, DOGE gained court-approved access to hightly sensitive data, from Social Security numbers to veteran’s records – raising privacy and constitutional concerns.

CLAIM 4: DOGE is a temporary measure that won’t disrupt essential services.

FACT:   Far from temporary, US DOGE cut deeply into government capacity.

  • Hundreds of National Weather Service jobs were slashed, jeopardising climate and disaster forecasting. Recent emergency hiring to fill key roles confirms the damage.
  • Veterans’ Affairs hospitals now face extreme staffing shortages (up to 94% in critical roles) undermining care access.
  • Other agencies including the FAA had essential services suspended, contracts cancelled, and layoffs on a massive scale. FAA essential staff (non-traffic controllers) caused great concern.

Reform’s “Doge Efficiency Unit” Flop: £300m Shortfalls and Broken Promises – October 2025

Remember when Reform launched their Doge-style “efficiency unit,” promising to cut millions in waste across local councils? 

Well… The Observer confirms today (27th October 2025): they’ve found nothing. 

Despite all the Farage fanfare, “Doge” has visited just three Reform-run councils—and hasn’t examined a single set of finances. Not one. Why? Because councils aren’t legally allowed to hand over their books to political parties.

Meanwhile, these same councils are facing a £300 million shortfall next year. Most are planning tax rises and service cuts to balance the books.

Back in June, this seemed like performative nonsense. Because it was. Council budgets have been decimated by austerity. The cost of social care has skyrocketed. There are no “easy savings.”

So, who’s actually qualified to run councils: Reform… or anyone else? Did they genuinely not know, or did they just mislead voters?

Either way, the result is clear: broken promises, higher taxes, and worse services. Some Reform councils are already talking about council tax hikes. Reform voters—you got exactly what you voted for.