Reform-Linked Think Tank Pushes for Civil Service, Welfare Cuts

A Reform UK-linked think-tank has advocated for a huge cut in civil service headcount and a reduction in welfare benefits, the clearest sign yet that Nigel Farage’s party would pursue spending cuts before embarking on its populist tax reduction plans.

The Centre for a Better Britain, which has been appointed by Reform to lead four working groups focused on shaking up the City of London, published its first report on Thursday. That set out a series of recommendations for how a government should respond to a “sovereign debt crisis” — but adds that many of the measures proposed “could arguably be implemented now, not least to mitigate the likelihood of a crisis occurring.”