‘Another broken promise’ Barnsley Reform won’t bring in Musk-inspired team despite election pledge

Barnsley Council’s Reform UK administration has said it will not introduce an Elon Musk-inspired “DOGE” audit team, despite making that commitment during its election campaign. The reversal has drawn criticism as a broken promise and matters because the party won control of the council on a platform that included a pledge to scrutinise spending and eliminate waste.

The proposed team was modelled on the Department of Government Efficiency initiative associated with Musk in the United States, and was intended to examine council finances. Reform won 42 of Barnsley’s 63 council seats in the 2026 local elections, giving it a clear majority; it is now expected to pursue spending reviews through other means rather than using a separate DOGE-style unit.