I've never met Rupert Lowe and have no desire to. Having been friends with one of the parliamentary staffers involved in the circumstances leading to his departure from Reform UK I know of his reputation and, it's safe to say, I doubt we would see eye to eye on most issues.
Sometimes, although politics should be a battle of ideas, it is incredibly difficult to take the personal out of it.
That said, one of the truest cliches in politics is that 'even a stopped clock is right twice a day', and this morning I have some sympathy with one of the many, lengthy posts Mr Lowe has posted on X.
In writing about his former party's control of Kent County Council Mr Lowe criticises the group's apparent u-turn regarding council tax. After a campaign claiming to be able to find massive efficiencies, the descent of Reform's British version of DOGE and, arguably, the hoodwinking of thousands of county voters it is now being reported that the party plans to increase council tax next year.
Mr Lowe argues that in opposition to this Reform UK should 'cut, cut and then cut some more.'
There is not a single Reform UK controlled county council that can freeze, let alone cut, council tax by efficiency savings alone. The demographic timebomb we are living under means any cuts are being massively outstripped by the increasing demand for elderly people receiving social care (and the SEND crisis).
Where Mr Lowe is right is when he says 'Difficult decisions need to be taken, really difficult. That will mean frustrating some voters. That is exactly what must happen, in all councils. Quite frankly, a big majority of politicians just don't have the courage to do it. They want votes. That is all.'
In this quote Rupert Lowe has the bravery to say one of the unsayable things in politics. Government spending is massively outstripping revenue, and servicing historic debt is now one of its main line items.
Tax income can only ever reach so far and the portability of wealth is making it far harder to collect from the ultra rich. At some point government must look at what they are spending our hard earned money on.
The difficulty for most politicians is that cutting most of those line items are unpalatable:
- In work benefits? (We are already seeing multiple calls for the removal of the two child cap)
- Retirement benefits? (Take a look at the u-turn on the winter fuel allowance)
- Disability benefits? (Ditto for PIP)
- How about education? (Spending on totally unnecessary universal breakfast clubs)
- Healthcare? (The NHS has become a quasi religon)
- Defence (with the United States rightly telling NATO members to pay their share increased spending here is unavoidable)
Politics desperately needs a generation of decision makers who can convey that challenge with honesty and clarity.
If we don't so urgently it may become too late to do so.
It may already be too late.
