Nigel Farage accuses Labour-run Milton Keynes City Council of failing to tackle 'rising crime and increasing costs'

He was speaking to a crowd of more than 1,000 people at a Reform UK rally in at Arena:MK ahead of the local elections. The audience included both Reform supporters and residents.

During the event, Farage claimed recorded crime in Milton Keynes had risen by 17 per cent in the past year.

But council leader Pete Marland rejected the criticism, accusing Farage of “cosying up to autocrats and despots across the globe”.

Farage said: “There is something here in Milton Keynes that is even more serious. I have looked at the crime statistics — folks they’re horrifying.

“Crime in Milton Keynes increased, that’s recorded crime, by 17 per cent last year. Now in Milton Keynes there are stabbings, now in Milton Keynes there are murders, now in Milton Keynes shoplifting is rife.

“Antisocial behaviour is increasing, the rise in sexual crimes in Milton Keynes is worrying and appalling.

“All of this overseen by a local Labour administration and a national Labour government who continue to pursue a policy of releasing people early from prison.”

Farage added that Reform would urge the Crown Prosecution Service to prosecute “every single” case of shoplifting and antisocial behaviour and called for a policy of “zero tolerance” on such offences.

Turning to council finances, he criticised council tax rises and the authority’s level of debt. “Council tax up 4.99 per cent every single year, debts in this council are £377 million, daily interest rate payments from this council are £38,000 a day,” he said.

When he asked the crowd how they thought the council was performing, some members of the audience shouted “terrible” and “rubbish”.

Farage acknowledged that running local government was “not easy”, citing pressures including social care and special educational needs provision.

He said Reform-run councils were delivering lower council tax increases than other parties and promised that, if Reform won control in Milton Keynes, it would not impose a 4.99 per cent rise.

He also urged more local people to stand as Reform candidates in the upcoming elections.

In response, Cllr Pete Marland, Labour leader of Milton Keynes City Council, defended the authority’s record.

He said: “Nigel Farage needs to spend more time in this country rather than cosying up to autocrats and despots across the globe while trying to push Britain to join illegal wars.

“If he did then he would know that Milton Keynes City Council has the lowest Council Tax in the region, with our residents paying £200 less than in neighbouring Northamptonshire Reform U.K-run councils.

“An independent Local Government Association inspection recently rated Milton Keynes City Council as “well-run” and under Labour control we are nationally recognised being one of the best financially managed councils in the country.

“Overall responsibility for crime lies with the police, but by helping with additional funding the council has worked with them to reduce violent crime, particularly knife crime by young people. The overall crime rate here is lower than every other major city.

“The reality is that Reform UK don’t do local campaigns. They repeat the same slogans across the country and have no relationship with local places. In Milton Keynes Reform has no plan to run the local council, only empty slogans and division.”

Milton Keynes City Council currently has 30 Labour councillors, 18 Liberal Democrats and nine Conservatives.

Local elections are scheduled to take place on Thursday 7 May, with all council seats due to be contested.