Lib Dems watch Reform: Reform watches the Lib Dems

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The Liberal Democrats have set up an internal "Reform watch" to monitor Nigel Farage’s party in local government, reports the Guardian. The paper quotes Ed Davey as saying Labour and the Conservatives are too scared of the threat from Reform to hold it to account.

The report sets out what the work of the unit will be:

A key part of the monitoring will be to see if and how Reform-run councils try to cut services, Davey said. Many families had been “alarmed” by Farage’s comments saying too many people were being diagnosed with special needs or mental illnesses, he said.

Other areas would include culture war battles, such as Reform barring councils from flying the Ukraine flag as a show of solidarity, and trying to cut back on climate and net zero-related work.

Davey said: "When you look at what councils do on climate change, the vast bulk of the work is insulating people’s homes. So is Nigel Farage essentially going to say to less well-off people: ‘We’re not insulating your home, you can pay higher energy bills, and that we’re pleased about that because that can make climate change worse.’ Is that the Reform position?"

It's clear that this work will be more substantial than the trawling of the social media accounts of individual Reform councillors for extremist or embarrassing posts. (If you enjoy that sort of thing, Reform Party UK Exposed on Bluesky is a good follow.)

The unit is being spearheaded, says the Guardian, by Amanda Hopgood, the leader of the opposition group in the Reform-run County Durham; Antony Hook, who performs the same role in Kent; and Mike Ross, the leader of Hull city council, who came second to Reform in the Hull and East Yorkshire.mayoral contest. You'd imagine they have quite a bit on their plates already, though.

Meanwhile, reports Conservative Post, a new website has been launched by Luigi Murton. The Post doesn't mention it, but he is a former Conservative HQ staffer who now works for Reform UK.

The report says Liberals Exposed will expose Liberal Democrat tactics and pledges

support ... for anti-Lib Dem candidates across the UK, offering digital megaphones, campaign muscle, and boots on the ground for those who want to take the fight to the doorsteps of Liberal control.

So far the website has three articles. One explains why we are so keen on getting those 'Lib Dems Winning Here' posters up: a second looks at inconsistent Lib Dem attitudes towards congestion charging.

And the third?

Bizarrely, this looks at the current Romanian presidential election and cheers on George Simion:

Deemed by some as 'Romania's Trump' due to his strong support for the US President and his Conservative views, Simion is offering a fresh direction and perspective for voters. 

How that will be any help in combating the Liberal Democrats in local government is far from clear. But it is a reminder that hanging Nigel Farage's admiration for Donald Trump around the neck of Reform UK is part of the work of defeating it.