Union memberships surge in Reform-controlled councils

The UK's largest trade union saw its membership jump by 200% in the 10 local authorities won by Reform at last month's local elections.

Unison figures show its membership increased by an average of 272% in the week after the results were announced, which saw Reform take control of 10 councils and pick up more than 600 councillors.

The data, shared with Sky News, shows an average of 64 people joined the union in the week beginning 5 May, following the poll in England on 1 May - compared with an average of 28 for the previous week and 21 for 2025 as a whole.

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In a speech celebrating his party's gains, Mr Farage warned workers at councils now controlled by Reform - including Durham, Kent, Doncaster and Staffordshire - to seek "alternative careers" if they worked on diversity or climate change initiatives.

Mr Farage has sought to bring the Trump administration's so-called Department of Government Efficiency - nicknamed DOGE - to the UK in a bid to slash the costs of the state.

He has singled out council spending and environmental policies for particular criticism.

Spike in union membership

After taking control of Durham council, Mr Farage said: "I would advise anybody who's working for Durham county council on climate change initiatives or diversity, equity and inclusion or … things that you go on working from home, I think you all better really be seeking alternative careers very, very quickly."

Critics have pointed out that councils often do not have staff who work exclusively on either diversity or climate change, that attempting to fire people from local government roles tends to be time-consuming and costly for councils - and say his comments are simply political posturing.

Shortly after Mr Farage's threat, Christina McAnea, Unison's general secretary urged workers at Reform controlled-councils to join her union.

Ms McAnea told Sky News: "Membership has surged in areas where Reform did well in the local elections.

"Unions exist to ensure no one can play fast and loose with the law. Any staff working for councils now controlled by Reform, and who aren't already a UNISON member, should sign up so they can be protected too.

"A party that has voted consistently against modest measures to improve working conditions and threatened to sack council workers at the earliest opportunity is not one working people are likely to trust."

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She added: "Reform has been keen to shout about its tax and benefits giveaways, but there's precious little on which cherished public services will be sacrificed to pay for them."

Ms McAnea's plea to council workers comes amid a wider fightback within the trade union members against Mr Farage.

Ahead of last month's local elections, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband accused Mr Farage of peddling "nonsense and lies" about net zero and that his agenda would not only risk "climate breakdown" but also "forfeit the clean energy jobs of the future" in Britain.

(c) Sky News 2025: Union memberships surge in Reform-controlled councils