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Andrea Jenkyns' pledge to dismiss diversity officers at Lincolnshire County Council has backfired after it was revealed the council doesn’t employ any such staff.
The new Reform mayor, along with party leader Nigel Farage, had made eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) officers a central part of their platform, promising to apply an Elon Musk-inspired cost-cutting approach dubbed “DOGE” to Lincolnshire.
At a Reform rally in Kent, Dame Andrea declared her intent to launch a “Lincolnshire DOGE,” claiming that with Reform now in control of the county council, they would eliminate diversity officers as a cost-saving measure.
However, a Freedom of Information response obtained by The Independent confirmed that Lincolnshire County Council, where Reform holds a majority, does not employ any DEI officers. The response, dated March 2025, stated: “Lincolnshire County Council does not employ any diversity, equity and inclusion officers.”
In response, Dame Andrea clarified that while the county council lacks DEI officers, North Lincolnshire Council—one of the three local councils she oversees—does employ outreach officers she believes fall under the DEI category. She also criticized the council’s spending on DEI training, pointing to £15,190 spent between 2021 and 2023.
Conservative critics were quick to attack the misstep, questioning Dame Andrea’s knowledge of local affairs and highlighting claims she resides in Leeds. A Tory source remarked: “Anyone actually living in Lincolnshire would know there are no DEI jobs at the county council.”
Despite this, union leaders expressed serious concern about Reform’s broader plan to cut DEI and environmental roles in other councils they now lead. DEI staff do exist in areas such as Kent, Durham, Staffordshire, and several others.
Unison general secretary Christina McAnea warned Reform that UK labor laws protect workers, and that stronger protections are on the way with upcoming government reforms—measures Reform has consistently opposed. She criticized the party for targeting public sector workers and urged council staff in Reform-led areas to join unions for protection.
McAnea also criticized Farage directly, suggesting he should focus more on representing his constituents in Clacton than on targeting council employees. She added that Reform councillors would soon realize there is little left to cut in many local authorities already facing severe financial strain.
