Warwickshire County Council

Council Spending and Efficiency · drafted 2026-07-02 · accepted · 8 finding(s)

← council-level findings on this theme

10 Jul 2025The predecessor (pre-Reform) MTFS 2025-2030, set at the budget meeting of 6 February 2025 before Reform UK took control of the county council, was balanced only on the basis of delivering £79.6m of savings and drawing down £7m of reserves, per the Cabinet report scoping the 2026/27 MTFS refresh on 10 July 2025. [1]

17 Feb 2026The budget process was adjourned after the original 3.89% Reform UK proposal failed to secure support on 17 February 2026, and Cllr Shaw then moved an amendment raising the council tax rise to 4.44% and retaining youth grant funding; Council formally resolved to agree the 2026/27 Budget and continue work on the 2026-31 MTFS by a recorded vote (against 18, abstentions 3). [2][3]

4 Mar 2026Warwickshire County Council's Resources and Fire & Rescue Overview and Scrutiny Committee (4 March 2026) was told, in response to a councillor question on the Quarter 3 2025/26 performance report, that agency staff use had fallen 22% year-on-year — an officer-reported outcome, not a new cabinet/budget decision setting a target or cap; the Executive Director for Resources said the underlying workforce cost-savings delivery routes were set out in the budget report recently agreed by Full Council, rather than a specific consultancy/agency spending cap. [4][5]

At Full Council on 22 July 2025, in response to a member question about DOGE accessing residents' personal data, Portfolio Holder Councillor Bannister confirmed a DOGE visit to Warwickshire had not yet been planned or formally invited in, that its scope was still under discussion, and that he was working through logistics and legal agreements with other Reform-led councils; no date for a visit was given. [6][7]

At Cabinet on 12 June 2025, Councillor Chilvers asked the Portfolio Holder and Leader whether Warwickshire had plans to introduce a DOGE unit similar to Kent County Council's; the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Property, Councillor Shaw, replied that there was an ambition to save money but no firm DOGE plans were in place at that point. [8]

At Cabinet on 4 September 2025, rather than commissioning DOGE or an external paid review, Councillor Shaw proposed and Cabinet resolved to establish the Council's own internal two-year 'Value for Money' savings programme, governed by Shaw with Executive Director for Resources delegated to finalise scope; Shaw stated the programme would let the Council capture savings 'should a DOGE programme come in' -- i.e. as of this decision DOGE itself had still not been established or invited in. [9][10]

Cllr Stephen Shaw (Reform UK Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Finance and Property) presented the Reform UK administration's 2026/27 Budget and 2026-31 Medium Term Financial Strategy to County Council on 5 February 2026, describing a value-for-money programme of procurement review, a £730,000 AI investment to drive efficiencies, new revenue generation, and staff-expenditure review. [11]

In moving the Reform UK administration's 2026/27 Budget and 2026-31 MTFS, Cllr Shaw stated the Council's track record of delivering planned savings had enabled a proposed £103m of budget reductions over five years (to 2030/31) and £27.7m of savings in 2026/27 alone, alongside a proposed 3.89% council tax rise. [12]

References (12)
  1. Minutes, 10 July 2025 “The current MTFS (2025 to 2030) was balanced but was contingent on delivering £79.6m of savings and using £7m of reserves.”
  2. Minutes, 17 February 2026 “ent which proposed a 4.44% increase in council tax and the retention of the youth grant funding.”
  3. Document “Resolved That Council agrees the 2026/27 Budget and authorises work to continue on ensuring the 2026-31 Medium Term Financial Strategy is aligned with and supports the delivery of the Council’s ambitions as set out in the Council Plan.”
  4. Minutes, 4 March 2026 “there had been a 22 per cent reduction in the use of agency staff”
  5. Minutes, 4 March 2026 “Delivery routes for the savings were set out within the budget report that was recently agreed by Full Council.”
  6. Minutes “Councillor Bannister advised that he could not provide a date and was working through the logistics with other Reform-led councils and considering the required legal agreements, including data protection.”
  7. Minutes “He stated that the question was premature as a DOGE visit had not yet been planned. When DOGE visited the Council, it would be fully compliant with data protection. The scope of the visit was under discussion and all the points raised would be dealt with as part of those discussions.”
  8. Document “Councillor Chilvers addressed the need to deliver savings in 2025/26 and asked the Portfolio Holder if he or the Leader had plans to introduce a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), similar to that brought in by the new administration at Kent County Council. In response, Councillor Shaw advised that there was an ambition to save money for the Council and people of Warwickshire but there were no firm plans in place so far.”
  9. Minutes “He highlighted that by initiating this programme, as many savings as possible could be made, should a DOGE programme come in.”
  10. Minutes “1) Approves establishing a Council Value for Money programme to support the Medium-Term Financial Strategy refresh, focusing on the objectives set out in paragraph 4.23 of the report and programme workstreams in paragraph 4.24 of the report;”
  11. Minutes “Councillor Stephen Shaw (Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Finance and Property) presented the Reform UK budget proposal stating that national financial pressures, particularly over the previous 18 months, continued to impact local authorities and required the Council to deliver efficient, value-for-money services.”
  12. Document “The Council’s track record of delivering planned savings had enabled a proposed £103m of budget reductions over five years and £27.7m in the next financial year.”