Moments after being installed as the new leader of Lancashire County Council, Reform UK's Stephen Atkinson spoke to local democracy reporter Paul Faulkner about early priorities, why his cabinet is all-male and what he thinks about his party being branded racist by protestors.
00:00Councillor Stephen Atkinson, Lancashire County Council leader.
00:04How does it actually feel to say those words?
00:08Yeah, it's humbling. It really is. This is a massive organisation.
00:14We've got 1.2 million people. Big responsibility.
00:20And your initial plans for the authority, obviously you've talked about savings
00:25and the need to make £100 million of savings over the next couple of years.
00:30Have you got any particular priorities as to how you would like to see that money saved?
00:35We made two commitments.
00:37The first commitment, this was locally, was that we wanted to keep the road budget at £70 million.
00:45The Conservatives had that reducing by £30.8 million next year and staying at that level the year after.
00:51We want to keep it at that level. There's over £400 million backlog in road repairs.
01:00Such as lighting, roads, footpaths, etc.
01:04We think that the little things matter to people.
01:08We think that having nice streets, nice pavements, clean signs, those things that create civic pride.
01:17We've lost civic pride in a lot of places.
01:19We need people when they come out of the house to think, yeah, this is a great place.
01:24So that's the focus.
01:26We've always been clear and we've got to make sure we have the money.
01:30The second one was we'd like a referendum on local government reorganisation.
01:34Reform policies nationally is to consult the public as much as possible.
01:38So we'll be writing to Jim McMahon and asking if we can have a legally binding referendum.
01:46Also, we need to ask about the mayoral position.
01:49I mean, I don't know if the policy's changed, but I think it's highly likely we would have a reform mayor for Lancashire.
01:56And if they reorganise, we'd have reform councils.
01:59I mean, that's neighbouring his and Angela in the seat.
02:02So we'd like to understand if they want to still press ahead at the same pace with this.
02:06You think political expediency might change Labour's mind on that front?
02:11I think it's up to the Labour Party to answer that question.
02:15You'll be aware that there was a protest outside County Hall today ahead of your first meeting and your official installation.
02:22It was a trade union council-led protest.
02:25There were people outside this building saying that reform is a racist party.
02:30How do you answer that?
02:32Our chairman, Zia, is a Muslim.
02:34We have Muslim candidates.
02:35We have Jewish candidates.
02:37What we do have in common is that we love this country.
02:41We're worried about the future of this country.
02:43We want this country to succeed.
02:45So I think it's wrong to call us racist.
02:47Why do you think they think that?
02:49Because the Overton window has moved so far left.
02:54What used to be traditional patriotism is now called right-wing.
02:59And it's not.
03:00Margaret Thatcher wouldn't recognise the Conservative Party.
03:04We, the reform councillors, have put their head up above the parapet.
03:12They've faced this abuse.
03:14They've done it out of a sense of duty to the future of the country.
03:17But we are not.
03:18We are not right-wing fascists, as they say.
03:22We are just patriots that love the country.
03:24And the country needs sorting out as soon as possible.
03:27And just finally, it's not gone without comment, that your cabinet is an all-male cabinet.
03:33What was the rationale for that decision after the 53 county councillors that you had to choose from?
03:40We had an academic, who was one of our councillors, forensically analysed people's skills and CVs, and blindly put the people who were the best qualified or best experienced for the roles.
03:53What we've got to remember is that 50 of the 53 councillors have no experience in council.
03:59So three of the councillors had to be the councillors who were already councillors.
04:04And they were all male.
04:07So that puts a different complexion on it.
04:09But, you know, I'm sure as we get to know people in the group, that we can revisit that if we've got opportunities.
04:16But we are absolutely clear we want the best people to do the job.
04:20What would you say to people that say that is what no diversity in action looks like an all-male cabinet?
04:27I wouldn't say anything to them.
04:29I've made it clear what we do, which is put the best people in the job.
04:33You know, this diversity and inclusion, the most deprived group of people in this country is white working class boys, who no one speaks up for.
04:45And the life chances there are, but terrible.
04:48You know, this doesn't work.
04:50It doesn't work selecting one group of people above another.
