Nigel Farage faces 'Doge fightback' as 'work-shy' council staff send trade union membership surging

The data showed a 446 per cent surge in Durham, with Lincolnshire witnessing a 335 per cent jump.

Ahead of the surge in union membership, Farage had told council staff who supported DEI and working from home to find new jobs.

Speaking after emerging victorious in County Durham, the Reform UK leader said: "I would advise anybody who's working for Durham county council on climate change initiatives or diversity, equity and inclusion or … things that you go on working from home, I think you all better really be seeking alternative careers very, very quickly."

Reform UK MP Lee Anderson also warned that council staff working from home tended to be less productive, adding: "The very least they can do is turn up for work."

Welcoming the surge in signed up trade unionists, Unison's general-secretary Christina McAnea told Sky News: "Membership has surged in areas where Reform did well in the local elections.

"Unions exist to ensure no one can play fast and loose with the law. Any staff working for councils now controlled by Reform, and who aren't already a Unison member, should sign up so they can be protected too.

"A party that has voted consistently against modest measures to improve working conditions and threatened to sack council workers at the earliest opportunity is not one working people are likely to trust."

She added: "Reform has been keen to shout about its tax and benefits giveaways, but there's precious little on which cherished public services will be sacrificed to pay for them."

Reform UK won 10 councils on May 1, establishing minority administrations in another three local authorities.

Trade union chiefs have voiced particular concern about Reform's push to scrap diversity, equity and inclusion training.

Just weeks after Unison launched its Protect DEI campaign, GB News exclusively revealed that Durham County Council had taken steps to circumvent DEI training.

The People's Channel reported that the expected alterations include ending the statutory enforcement of DEI training and climate change modules for all 98 Durham County councillors.

Durham County Council leader Andrew Husband told GB News: "These modules do not align with our objectives and having read the small print we can adapt training to satisfy ‘minimum requirements’ whilst staying compliant."

Zia Yusuf, who quit as Reform UK chairman before returning 48 hours later to lead the populist party's new "Doge" unit, also sparked fury from trade unions.

Yusuf has already visited Reform-run Kent County Council, West Northamptonshire Council and Worcestershire County Council.

Shortly after the 2025 Local Elections, GB News laid bare some of the barmy spending sprees Reform UK was looking to end in a bid to save taxpayers' hundreds of thousands of pounds.

In a dossier shared with the People’s Channel, Reform UK exposed how Durham County Council set aside £120million to meet net zero targets ahead of 2030.

Meanwhile, Kent County Council had been using taxpayers’ cash to rent office space almost 200 miles away in Brussels.

Despite being at loggerheads with trade union chiefs, Farage has recently claimed Reform UK is attracting grassroots support from members of the labour movement.

Reform's support for nationalising steel and bringing back blast furnaces appeared to ring alarm bells for those on the left about Farage parking his tanks firmly on Labour's lawns.

However, Durham Miners' Association renewed its spat with Farage's outfit earlier this week after doubling down on its pledge to ban Reform UK from its 139th annual gala.

Responding to the development, a Reform UK spokesman said: "The leadership of the Durham Miners' Association are political dinosaurs and completely out of touch with their members and the people of County Durham.

"Durham voters gave Reform UK an overwhelming majority on the council on May 1. The DMA clearly holds the thousands of former miners and their families who voted for Reform in complete disdain."