Berry sets out Reform’s early deregulation agenda
Reform’s Jake Berry says the party is “not wedded to ideology” as it draws up its new policy platform, adding that deregulation, devolution and delivery could form the basis of the party’s general election manifesto in three years.
As part of a pitch to business at the three-day UKREiiF event in Leeds this week, he said Reform would likely roll back industry regulation it deemed unnecessary in a bid to get the country building again, citing HS2 as an example of a project where planning regulations has obstructed progress.
His comments were made against a wider backdrop of frustration at the conference, where developers, local authorities and investors had repeatedly emphasised delays in delivery pipelines, rising build costs and the cumulative impact of planning on viability.
“The government, whether thats local government or national government, and the courts through things like judicial review, is a significant clog on people’s ability to deliver,” he said.
“The Reform government is developing its policy, this is what Richard Tice is talking about and developing, and will have a plan to roll back all of those unnecessary [regulations]. We’ve got to have some regulations, I appreciate that, we don’t want to see a wholesale abolition of the environmental protections that we all know, love and enjoy in this country.
“But you have to focus on the bigger prize of getting the UK economy going, and that’s what Reform will be doing.”
Off the back of a successful local election campaign for the party this month, former Conservative party chairman Berry, who defected to Reform last year, said the party was developing a “solutions-driven” policy platform for a general election.
In a bid to illustrate the point, he added that they could potentially go as far as supporting traditionally left wing positions such as rail nationalisation, if they deemed it was the right thing to do to improve services.
He also hinted the party could go further on the transfer of powers to regions across the UK, saying it was his “personal view” that devolution currently does not go far enough.
However he said mayors should be more accountable for local spending, and should pay for local schemes through area-specific levies rather than through general taxation.
“Devolution will have only truly succeeded when it’s combined with local taxation,” he added.
“One of the things I was trying to push when I was in government was that every area should have a devo-max option, so if Manchester has the power to try and improve systems in the NHS, why shouldn’t Teeside, why shouldn’t West Yorkshire have it, why shouldn’t the North East have it?
“If devolution is really going to succeed, Mayors truly need to be held account for the decisions that they make. Money spent like that should be raised locally, mayors should be held accountable for it. Of all the powers that Andy Burnham has, the one he has never used is the ability to raise taxes locally – he has the right to [create] a business levy in Greater Manchester to pay for things like infrastructure.
“The question I put to Andy is why not? I think it’s because it’s politically unpopular.”
He also told delegates the UK should look at fracking and North Sea oil to reduce its dependence on the international energy market.
North Sea oil and gas production boomed in the 1980’s, but official government statistics say around 93% of the oil and gas that is likely to be produced from the North Sea has already been extracted.
“As a new party you have to get new policy areas, kind of everywhere. If someone said to me ‘What was Reform’s policy when it came to planning or infrastructure and growth five or six years ago, or two elections ago, I can say well it didn’t exist.
“That’s a huge challenge for Reform, but it’s also the greatest of opportunities and a particular opportunity for business.”
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So Reform don’t actually have any convictions other than chuck foreigners out? Have any of them read a history book, I wonder?
By Idi Ameen
Berry was our local MP , he disappered during Covid and was difficult to get hold of at the best of times , unless there was an opening event . He would then appear and try and take credit for it .
By Wislon
Not wedded to ideology = wedded to nihilism
By Only_here_for_the_CGIs
Well articulated by Berry there, I’m looking forward to them taking over.
By Anonymous
Oh dear..people are just making up their own narrative based on their own biases..surprise surprise. Please idi, read more write less.
By Anonymous
How is any of that going to materially improve people’s lives?
By Anonymous
Reform have no policies. What they do have looks to be largely reheated stuff from the last, failed, Conservative administration.
By Anonymous
Jake Berry. Wow. Reform Brains Trust on the march again. ‘We need some new policies – let’s try burning more oil and fracking to make ourselves secure for energy.’ Really, no-one should be taking them seriously. And yet it’s quite likely, that because too many people don’t even care enough to realise it’s ridiculous, they’re probably going to get a go at ruining things. No-one will be able to say they weren’t warned, of course.
By Northern Monkey
Reform UK’s Jake Berry says the party is “not wedded to ideology,” framing Reform as a movement focused on practical solutions rather than rigid doctrine. Speaking at UKREiiF, he outlined a developing policy platform centred on unblocking growth: cutting unnecessary planning regulations, exploring options like rail nationalisation to improve services, pushing for deeper and more accountable devolution, and revisiting domestic energy sources such as fracking and North Sea extraction – Will they actually be able to do it, they cannot do any worse than the entitled uni party.
Berry acknowledges that Reform didn’t have detailed policies in these areas a few years ago but presents this as a sign of a party rapidly maturing and broadening its agenda. The message is that Reform is actively shaping itself, testing ideas, engaging with industry, and prioritising delivery and economic momentum over traditional left–right boundaries.
Time will tell.
By Steve5839
This man was in a senior position in the last tory government which totaly mismanaged HS2 making the UK a laughing stock. Did he apologise for his and his governments part in this debacle? I doubt it. Reform are a bunch of has been tories, not to be trusted.
By Anonymous
Thanks for the AI version of what we can all read for ourselves, Steve5839. What was the point? (Ask ChatGPT if that one’s a bit tricky.) I did enjoy that you got it to throw in the uniparty conceit though. Well done. The Reformists on these pages are currently doing a great job of exposing Reform for the cliche-heavy, fact-averse company that they are.
By Northern Monkey
This country is in a mess because of ideology. Right wing funding ideology and left wing control ideology alike. Right wing funding ideology powered by the “need” to fund the left wing control ideology established over the past 30 years or longer. The UK has been put in a legal and regulatory straight jacket that stops anything normal happening at a normal price. Reform are right that tackling this has to be the priority. Close down a large part of the civil service, remove the silly obligations that provide their non-work, reform the law so that government once again can actually govern. The Labour version of tax more for even more extreme left wingisms is just the equivalent of a parasite finishing off its host.
By John
Steve5839, other than all immigration is bad, stopping immigrants will solve all the UKs problems and sucking upto Trump Reform don’t have any policies. They are a charlatan party.
By Anonymous
John there, exhibiting the cognitive dissonance Reform rely on, extolling right wing ideology whilst pretending it’s not all part of the uniparty nonsense trotted out by people prepared to sacrifice their own self-worth to support a man who couldn’t care less if they live in a hovel. All very embarrassing.
By Northern Monkey
“Deregulation” sounds good; scrap rules and let folk do what they want. That will get things sorted.
By Anonymous
There is a disproportionate media platform given over to Reform. Where are the Greens, Conservative, Liberal views. I don’t think that these types of articles, where Reform are given voice and platform should be on here. I appreciate others may disagree, but it is a comments section.
By Political Neutrality
Thanks for your comment. The story is part of our UKREiiF coverage, which was focused on those speaking at the event. You’ll see there is also a good amount of coverage about Labour’s Rachel Reeves and Steve Reed. Always good to get feedback though and the concerns have been noted. – Julia
By Julia Hatmaker