A Reform UK-led council plan to shut eight of its residential care homes has been condemned as “a betrayal of local people”.

Days before Christmas, Derbyshire county council announced that the homes would have to close after a proposed sale fell through.

The closures have prompted a backlash and have echoes of the furore in Lancashire where the Reform-led council is planning to close five care homes and five day centres and move residents into the private sector.

Mick Coppin, a regional organiser of the GMB union, said the Derbyshire plans put vital services and more than 200 jobs at risk.

“These closures are nothing short of a betrayal of local people and staff,” Coppin said. “Derbyshire county council did not stand before the electorate last May pledging to shut care homes.

“Care home residents, their families and dedicated care workers face huge anxiety about the future – just days before Christmas. It’s time for the county’s leadership to halt these disastrous plans and work with the community to explore alternatives to closure.”

Linsey Farnsworth, the Labour MP for Amber Valley, last week raised the issue at prime minister’s questions in the Commons, saying that families and staff were heartbroken and called for a rethink.

Keir Starmer replied: “It is deeply concerning to hear about the closure of eight Derbyshire care homes by the Reform-led Derbyshire county council. It will be hugely concerning to residents and their families, while we are making £3.7bn of extra funding available to councils to fund social care.”

Derbyshire county council said it had been in “intensive” but unsuccessful negotiations with a provider to take over the running of the eight homes as a going concern.

Joss Barnes, a Reform councillor who is the cabinet member for adult care, said he was “devastated” by the failure of the negotiations.

“I know this will be extremely upsetting news for all our residents and their families, as well as our hard-working care colleagues, especially coming at this time of year in the run-up to Christmas,” he said. “I’d like to thank everyone for their hard work, patience and persistence and I’d also like to say how incredibly sorry I am that this hasn’t worked out as we’d hoped and planned for.

“We have done absolutely everything to progress the sale, but in the end it wasn’t possible. Due to commercial sensitivities, we’re not able to give any more details regarding negotiations.”

He said the council would work to support residents to find new homes.

The decision to sell the homes was agreed in November 2024 when the authority was Conservative-controlled.