What are Reform’s Policies?

It is tricky to find too much detail on their policies, because rather than a party manifesto, Reform UK has issued a “contract” with its members. However, there are some headline policies on their website: Policies | Reform UK

Bad news for culture, music and the BBC

Reform have been very clear that they plan to scrap the BBC.

The BBC is the single biggest employer of MU members in the UK. It supports five full-time orchestras, commissions the most new music, gives emerging artists a platform and employs and supports musicians working in all genres through its radio and television programming.

Most MU members will interface with the BBC at one stage of their career.

On their other plans for arts and culture, there is very little detail beyond this introductory statement:

‘Our history, culture, and traditions are a source of pride and unity. Reform UK will defend free speech, uphold British traditions, ban DEI quotas, and reject the politics of guilt. We will ensure British children are not indoctrinated in schools, that they learn of Britain's great and proud history.’

The party did not respond to the MU’s questions on their plans for arts and music (many journalists have had the same issue) but we can make some fairly well founded assumptions based on what they have done in Reform led councils.

“Doge”-like audits of the expenditure of Reform-led councils suggest that their arts policies would largely be the same as those of the Trump administration, whose Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) seeks to identify and eliminate ‘wasteful’ spending.

Not good news on Artificial Intelligence and musicians’ rights either

The arguments around artificial intelligence (AI) are complex, but at the MU we are clear that allowing AI companies unfettered access to musicians’ work without the need for payment is a disaster for our members.

Reform UK have committed to making Britain ‘a world leader in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, life sciences, and digital assets. We will create a pro-innovation regulatory environment that encourages experimentation, rewards investment, and attracts the world's best talent. Under Reform, technology will serve the British people, raise productivity, and create high-paid jobs. We enable progress, not hold it back.’

We can confidently assume this will not be a pro musicians rights stance.

A threat to the NHS?

On the NHS, Mr Farage has said repeatedly that he believes the NHS’s funding model should be rethought.

Making an appearance on BBC Question Time in May last year, Mr Farage stated that the NHS “isn’t working anymore” and that “we need to fundamentally rethink the way we fund and organise the NHS”.

He has made similar comments in the past - as leader of the UK Independence Party he said in 2012 that “I think we’re going to have to move to an insurance-based system of healthcare”, and in 2015 he told the BBC that the idea of replacing the NHS with an insurance-based system was “a debate that we're all going to have to return to”.

A disaster for the environment

On environmental polices, Reform’s policies can be summed up in a single sentence (in their words) - scrap net zero.