Civil servants have threatened to lead a revolt against Reform UK by leaving Whitehall posts en masse if Nigel Farage wins the next general election.
Top mandarins and low-grade Whitehall insiders have become increasingly jittery about Reform’s chances in 2029, particularly after Danny Kruger unveiled plans to slash the size of the Civil Service.
“I would be surprised if some people can stomach it, in particular in departments like the Home Office,” one official told Politico.
Another added: “If Reform is still leading 12 to 18 months ahead of the general election, expect lots of civil service CVs to be going round.”
However, one Whitehall insider expressed excitement about the prospect of a Reform-led Government.
“I think I might actually love it,” they said. “They might actually get stuff done and get rid of some of the nonsense we have to deal with.”
Reform UK’s Doge chief responded by inviting the mandarin to get in touch with him.
“Let’s get you running a department,” Mr Yusuf added.
Revelations about a revolt within Whitehall came just months after a top trade union boss told civil servants who refuse to work with Mr Farage to get another job.
General Secretary of the First Division Association Dave Penman told GB News: “If a civil servant doesn’t like that, is uncomfortable with it. Which they are entitled to do, then they have to leave the civil service. That’s how it is.”
He added: “I would absolutely think about that because what the Civil Service does, and does well, is it gives ministers the best evidence-based advice. It’s under the Civil Service Code that their job is to give them impartial evidence-based advice.
“And the ministers make choices about that. When they appoint people who simply politically agree with them, they’re not going to get that sort of challenge. And that’s the sort of challenge that ministers need.
“At the end of the day, ministers are accountable for policy so they can ignore that and say ‘that’s all very interesting, this is what I want you to do and do that’. And that happens all the time.
“But that impartial evidence-based advice from people who are employed because of what they know rather than what they believe, I think it makes for better Government.”
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Labour’s ‘political masters’ refuse to back cousin marriage ban as Tory MP exposes ‘real divide’
Richard Holden has launched a scathing attack on Labour for failing to “face the issue” of cousin marriage in Britain after blocking a second reading on its ban.
Speaking to GB News, the Shadow Transport Secretary expressed his frustration at the reading of the bill being delayed “until at least the King’s Speech”, expected to take place in May.
Mr Holden accused the Government of “turning a blind eye” after today’s scheduled second reading vote was blocked.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
Liberal Democrat MP urges Government to call Cobra meeting
A Liberal Democrat MP has called on the Government to call an emergency Cobra meeting as much of the South West is still feeling the impact of Storm Goretti.
MP for Taunton and Wellington in Somerset Gideon Amos said: “The Government’s Cobra committee must urgently be convened to ensure fast help is delivered across the region.
“The South West is routinely overlooked by the Government, but we cannot be ignored in this time of need.”
Downing Street says X’s response to Grok demands are ‘insulting’
Downing Street has said changes to limit the use of chatbot Grok’s image editing tool to paying users are “not a solution” but prove that social media site X can move quickly when it wants to.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “That move … that simply turns an AI feature that allows the creation of unlawful images into a premium service. It’s not a solution. In fact, it’s insulting the victims of misogyny and sexual violence.
“What it does prove is that X can move swiftly when it wants to do so. You heard the Prime Minister yesterday. He was abundantly clear that X needs to act and needs to act now, it is time for X to grip this issue.
“If another media company had billboards in town centres showing unlawful images, it would act immediately to take them down or face public backlash.”
He reiterated “all options” are on the table, including for Ofcom to use its powers to “take any action”.
Labour blames EHRC for months-long delay of single-sex space guidance
Bridget Phillipson has taken aim at the Equality and Human Rights Commission after it failed to publish the long-awaited guidance on single-sex spaces.
The EHRC submitted the guidance to Ms Phillipson four months ago, but she has yet to approve it.
However, the Education Secretary is now demanding the equalities regulator calculates how much it will cost businesses before it is published.
She argued the Government “did require certain additional information” from the EHRC which had “unfortunately slowed the process.”
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
Keir Starmer is ‘running scared’ of Reform, says Matt Goodwin
Matt Goodwin argues Keir Starmer is running scared of Reform
| Getty Images
Matt Goodwin has said Sir Keir Starmer is “running scared of Reform” as he took aim at plans to delay local elections next year.
The academic and GB News presenter said: “Instead of facing voters, Starmer’s Labour is now moving the goalposts.
“The official explanation for postponing democracy is ‘local government reorganisation’. Local councils, we are told, need time to restructure and merge their administrations.
“Yet, conveniently, this ‘reorganisation’ allows local elections that are scheduled for May 2026 to be postponed by a full year, denying millions of voters a say. In fact, some estimate that around ten million people will be denied the vote.”
FRIENDS OF GB NEWS CAN READ MATT’S ANALYSIS HERE.
Reform’s ‘flagship’ council set to raise tax by almost four per cent
Reform UK’s “flagship” local authority has raised council tax by almost four per cent despite pledges to cut taxes before last year’s local elections.
Kent County Council (KCC) produced its draft budget for 2026-27 on Thursday evening, revealing a 3.99 per centcouncil tax hike.
Reform UK took control of KCC after the local elections in May where it overturned a 30-year Tory majority, winning 57 out of 81 seats.
The hike is slightly more than one per cent below the Government cap, which has led to opposition councillors to warn of further impacts on key services and overall funding from central Government.
In real terms, an average Band D household will see council tax increase by an estimated £67.47 per year.
State pension means-testing ‘could guarantee its survival’ says former Tory MP
State pension payments should be means-tested to “guarantee its survival” amid the retirement benefit’s growing cost, a former Conservative MP and member of the House of Lords has claimed.
Lord Craig Mackinlay of Richborough, who is also a chartered accountant, and previously served on the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Public Accounts Select Committees, is calling for reform to the retirement benefit.
Britain’s contributory state pension reaches its centenary this month, with Britons currently needing 35 years of National Insurance contributions to claim the full, new amount.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
Zack Polanski sends direct message to Reform voters – ‘Your problems are not caused by migration’
Green Party Leader Zack Polanski has taken a swipe at Reform MPs as he made a plea to supporters of Nigel Farage’s party.
He told Sky News: “A Reform voter is very different to a Reform MP, and I have a lot more time for them if they’re thinking about voting Reform, because these are the exact people I want to reach out to say that your problems are not caused by migration.
“And so what I want to say to those Reform voters is I get your anger, and in many ways your right to be angry.
“But let’s not fuel that anger. Let’s make sure that we’re challenging power and wealth. And I’m actually your ally in that.”
WATCH: Reform UK London Mayoral Candidate Laila Cunningham says Sadiq Khan has ‘acted like a bystander’
WATCH: Landlord at The Wonston Arms, Matthew Todd, criticises the Labour Government for the ‘last straw’ of increases
Labour chair insists pubs u-turn is a ‘sign of confidence’
The Government’s move to backtrack on a budget decision and provide new financial support for pubs is a sign of its strength and confidence, a senior Labour figure has said.
A support package is being prepared for the pub industry, due to be announced in the coming days, following an outcry over the impact of a major hike in business rates.
The move is the latest in a series of U-turns from the Government, which has also backed down on major welfare reforms due to pressure from backbenchers, and has partially scaled back inheritance tax on farms following lobbying by the sector.
Asked by Sky News why the Government kept making U-turns Chairwoman of the Labour Party Anna Turley said: “I don’t buy this is a U-turn. This is actually about listening.
“I think it’s a sign of a Government that is actually in touch with people, that is listening to people, and that is responding.”
WATCH: Andrew Griffith lays out Tory welfare plans in swipe at Labour
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader says party ‘poised to take seats’ off SNP
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton will launch his party’s Holyrood campaign today
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The Scottish Liberal Democrats are “poised to take seats off the SNP” at the Holyrood elections in May, the party leader has said.
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland on Friday, Alex Cole-Hamilton said he believes his party is “coming back.”
He said: “We’re bigger than we have been for a while. We’re coming back. We’re winning at Westminster.”
Mr Cole-Hamilton continued: “In the last Scottish general election we overtook the Scottish Conservative Party, we came within touching distance of the SNP, and we were the standout winners in all local party by-elections in Scotland last year. We gained. We put more seats on than anybody else.”
Senior Conservative confirms party will support Labour’s pub plan
Andrew Griffith has confirmed the Conservatives will support Labour’s plans to reduce tax rates for pubs.
The Shadow Business Secretary told GB News: “This is something we called for on the day of the Budget.
“But its not just pubs, its hotel its restaurants…its across all of our high streets.
“Its got to be a proper u-turn, its got to go much wider than just pubs, its got to help all of those businesses that are so desperately impacted.”
WATCH: Chris Hope and former Editor of The Spectator Fraser Nelson discuss migration figures
‘’Stop Reform’ plot risks victory for hard-left if Nigel Farage doesn’t ‘Unite the Right’, MP warns
A tactical voting plot to “Stop Reform” could see the “far-left” pull off a shock victory unless Nigel Farage does a deal with Kemi Badenoch, a veteran Tory MP has told GB News.
Andrew Rosindell, who was first elected as the MP for Romford in 2001, suggested failing to ‘Unite the Right’ could also see the UK backtrack on Brexit.
Speaking to GB News, Mr Rosindell pointed out the policy areas that unite Mr Farage and Mrs Badenoch.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
X could be banned in Britain over AI chatbot concerns
Britain is weighing up a potential ban on Elon Musk’s X platform after it was revealed that its artificial intelligence chatbot Grok has been exploited to create sexualised deepfake images of women and children.
Sir Keir Starmer has instructed media regulator Ofcom to explore every available measure, including blocking British users from accessing the site entirely.
“This is disgraceful. It’s disgusting and it’s not to be tolerated,” the Prime Minister declared, adding that “X need to get their act together and get this material down.”
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
Labour accused of ‘secretly backing cousin marriage’ after blocking vote to ban ‘medieval’ practice
Labour has been accused of backing cousin marriage by refusing to support a Private Members’ Bill seeking to ban the “medieval” practice.
Shadow Minister Richard Holden warned Labour MPs were “turning a blind eye” to cousin marriage after today’s scheduled second reading vote was stalled.
The Basildon & Billericay MP put pressure on Sir Keir Starmer’s Government to support his proposed ban, with the Prime Minister last year rejecting his request to whip Labour MPs in support of prohibiting close family members from tying the knot.
READ THE GB NEWS EXCLUSIVE HERE.
What’s happening today in Westminster?
Peers are back in for the seventh day of the controversial Assisted Dying Bill debate.
Pressure is currently mounting from campaigners in favour of the bill to speed things up and run through the amendments before it’s “talked out of time” before the end of this current session of Parliament in May.
The focus today will be on the role of palliative care specialists, whether assisted death should be considered suicide, and the High Court’s role in final approvals.
One supporter told Politico: “If at the end of tomorrow it’s exactly the same as it’s been up until now, then obviously from our side the gloves will be off.”
The Commons is not sitting today.
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