Nigel Farage issued a warning to the Liberal Democrats after a local council launched an initiative to "cancel cows". The Reform UK leader visited Gloucestershire on Tuesday as part of the party's campaign for the council elections next week.

Mr Farage took the chance to take aim at Gloucester City Council, which is led by a Liberal Democrat minority. The council was previously part of a campaign called 'Swaps in Seconds' which encouraged residents to reduce their carbon footprint by swapping cow's milk for almond or oat milk alternatives. The move was controversial and sparked anger among local farmers.

After his visit, Mr Farage said in a post on X: "Did you know @GloucesterCityCouncil spent £150k to cancel cows? They won’t be milking it when Reform UK are in charge."

He attached a video to the post in which he said: "I don't know who the recruitment agency firm are. Maybe they're friends with someone at the council? I have no idea!

"But spend £150,000 a year on diversity, equality, inclusion and whose climate change initiative was to tell the people of Gloucestershire to stop drinking cows milk. To go for almond or oat milk instead as a means of combatting climate change."

The council initially defended the campaign and explained how it aimed to reduce carbon footprints through everyday lifestyle changes. However, it soon removed the specific reference to milk alternatives from the campaign and clarified that it didn't intend to discourage people from supporting local dairy farmers.

Mr Farage's recent comments come after he promised to be the "UK's Elon Musk" if his party is successful in the upcoming local elections. He revealed that a Reform UK audit of council spending showed millions of pounds are being wasted on frivolous projects across the nation.

These projects include driving lessons for asylum seekers, trips to the south of France for civil servants and ergonomic chairs. Mr Farage vowed to slash this wasteful spending in every council his party wins in the May 1 elections.

Inspired by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the US, he said: "Local councils have big budgets and they waste loads of it. They spend it on diversity agendas, climate change, consultants, contracts with firms that are meant to mend pot holes and don’t do the job.

"And they pay themselves vast amounts of money. The bosses all earn way more than the Prime Minister, loads of them are on £100,000 a year, and basically no one comes to work on Mondays or Fridays.

"The whole thing has to change. We need a British DOGE for every county and every local authority in this country."