I‘ve no doubt there will be lots of talk of reform in 2025.

As an appetiser and with the New Year a mere five days old Elon Musk has decreed “The Reform Party needs a new leader. Farage doesn’t have what it takes.” This spectacular volte-face from Musk, who has hitherto largely engaged with Farage with favourable one word replies on his X social media platform leaves me in the awkward position of agreeing – albeit in tangential terms – with the broad sentiment of his observations.

To be clear I have little (nay, no) regard for the Reform UK company masquerading as a political party. Nor do I particularly care which populist is appointed by its directors to lead it, but my sense of foreboding that when it comes to reform – of our public services – the current crop of leaders simply don’t have what it takes to get the job done, increases each passing day.

Now I have to confess, whilst my dislike for Reform UK is verging on guttural, my antipathy towards the terminology of “reform” as a trojan horse for scything cuts has me positively apoplectic. If we cannot be honest with the public about what reality looks like, how can we expect the public to understand it, or those in lofty positions of power to deliver it?

Read more by Calum Steele

Anyone and everyone in political or public office has danced around this subject for years. Audit Scotland, who no more care about the actual delivery of public services ahead of making sure the money is being properly accounted for, have warned about the........

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