[News] Nigel Farage and Reform

[chickens]

Agree with everything you say but my point is that unless those being drawn to Reform believe there is a better alternative they won’t care.

Like with the Eu referendum, Trump, the rise of the right wing in France and Germany etc, there is huge momentum behind a demand for change and in the UK there are only two likely choices: Actual change by the government or the promise and hope of change by Reform. If the gov fail to deliver then hope will win out regardless of your logic and sense.

Possibly, however I see Farage as the right’s Corbyn. Plays well to the faithful, but won’t take the centre with him.

I can see the traditional Conservative vote being split between the Lib Dems and Reform, meaning Reform will beat their personal best in terms of electoral results, but not be able to form a government. For every Conservative voter he attracts, he repels another.

He may gain enough power to force a Reform/Conservative coalition or merger, but that will only break the Conservative Party for even longer.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Wasn't cutting immigration one of Nigel's Brexit promises? Then it went up, far from tearing him to shreds voters jumped on board with his next grift.

Indeed.

It didn't just go up, it sky rocketed.
From 330,000 in 2016 to 906,000 in 2023.

Net migration to the UK - Migration Observatory

An overview of net migration in the UK – defined as the difference between immigration and emigration of people moving for at least a year.

migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk

Those that vote Reform seem to be same ones that voted for Brexit. They are anti-immigration but still believe Brexit was the right decision. But it was their error in backing Farage and Johnson to stop immigration, two absolute charlatans. Let's be very clear on this, the people who voted for Brexit (alongside the Tories and Farage) are 100% to blame for the current immigration figures.

You back the frog faced imbecile in 2016 and the issue you care most about (immigration) gets totally out of control. Then you vote for this movement (in different clothes) again. Christ.

I don't think you can reason with these folk, they are just like MAGA.

 

[Gwylan]

He may gain enough power to force a Reform/Conservative coalition or merger, but that will only break the Conservative Party for even longer.

I really struggle to see any form of coalition or merger between the two parties. He and Tice, particularly the latter, have been consistent in their desire to finish the Tory party: why would they want to tie themselves to a party they see as dying?

But, even if they did want to join forces, it would be a tactical error. First of all, the Labour voters in the north who switched to Reform may not vote for them any more. There are also quite a few Tory voters, particularly in the south, who are repulsed by Farage who then may switch to LDs or Labour. There are also a substantial number of people who aren't traditional voters but have been attracted to a new movement rather the Tory/Labour "uniparty", as they call it - they'd lose those people too. Any advantage that Reform had in being a new force, would instantly vanish.

And, even if they could dismiss those fears, there's the simple fact that Farage is a divisive character who managed to split five like-minded MPs; how would he cope with a mass of MPs from another party?

I really can't see it

 

[A1X]

 

[Hugo Rune]

Possibly, however I see Farage as the right’s Corbyn. Plays well to the faithful, but won’t take the centre with him.

I can see the traditional Conservative vote being split between the Lib Dems and Reform, meaning Reform will beat their personal best in terms of electoral results, but not be able to form a government. For every Conservative voter he attracts, he repels another.

He may gain enough power to force a Reform/Conservative coalition or merger, but that will only break the Conservative Party for even longer.

Good post.

Farage just hasn't the numbers because his snake oil salesman persona does not work on 51% of the voting population (those with a degree) as Sir John Curtice points out.

If the Tories merge with Reform, it would break them forever. I suspect another party would be created such as the 'New Conservatives' for the current centre right politicians to move to whilst the likes of Badenoch would crawl, cap in hand, to reform.

 

[BadFish]

What's he got against Pylons?

Are Pylons woke now?

 

[TomandJerry]

What's he got against Pylons?

Are Pylons woke now?

To be fair Tice has been in favour of underground cables instead of pylons.

 

[BadFish]

To be fair Tice has been in favour of underground cables instead of pylons.

A far better option, I would also agree.

But Pylons are an odd thing to add to his tweet. I know the power of the rule of three, but surely he could have come up with something better.

 

[GrizzlingGammon]

It will cost Lincolnshire Council more money. If the council blocks planning apps for no reason, other than because we said, it will be turned over on appeal. Lincolnshire Council will then be subject to paying developer costs.

 

[TomandJerry]

A far better option, I would also agree.

But Pylons are an odd thing to add to his tweet. I know the power of the rule of three, but surely he could have come up with something better.

Reform are backing small nuclear reactors for energy.

"Clean nuclear energy would also be sped up through the use of new small, modular reactors, built in Britain"

 

[TomandJerry]

It will cost Lincolnshire Council more money. If the council blocks planning apps for no reason, other than because we said, it will be turned over on appeal. Lincolnshire Council will then be subject to paying developer costs.

Not really no reason, Reform prefer underground cables compared to pylons

 

[BadFish]

Not really no reason, Reform prefer underground cables compared to pylons

Are you a Reform Supporter?

 

[TomandJerry]

Are you a Reform Supporter?

I view myself as politically homeless currently

 

[nicko31]

I believe it is because he thinks that working from home is detrimental to the quality of service the taxpayer is getting from civil servants.

Is he proposing action against companies that allow working from home? I thought it was just government employees and the like?

Farage doesn’t believe in anything, it’s just about energising a group of people to reward himself and his mates.

Make no mistake though, Farage and his enablers are a threat to democracy in just the way Trump is. Not to mention his love of Putin and contempt for Ukraine

It’s time he has treated like any other politician and put under proper scrutiny. Let’s start with how he assisted the Tories in power, damaged our economy with his disastrous Brexit and cheered Truss’s budget from the rooftops. The state of the UK has got Farage’s finger prints all over it.

 

[GrizzlingGammon]

Not really no reason, Reform prefer underground cables compared to pylons

I was thinking more of solar farms and battery storage sites. But in all situations it's likely to cost them more.

 

[TomandJerry]

I was thinking more of solar farms and battery storage sites. But in all situations it's likely to cost them more.

They want farm land used as farm land, not solar farms.

 

[BadFish]

I view myself as politically homeless currently

Are you estranged from the Conservatives?

Tell me to mind my own business if you like, i will respect that. I am just interested

 

[TomandJerry]

Are you estranged from the Conservatives?

Tell me to mind my own business if you like, i will respect that. I am just interested

More than happy to engage privately my previous voting history in confidence

 

[Hugo Rune]

They want farm land used as farm land, not solar farms.

They created an issue where there isn't a problem.

Classic gaslighting.

Less than 0.5% of farmland is taken up by solar farms.

The government net zero targets would see just 0.6% of all UK land used for solar farms. For perspective, that's less land than is taken up by golf courses.

But if I were a Reform MP, I'd be trying to convince the masses that solar farms would impact on food production, agricultural jobs and would be too expensive.

 

[GrizzlingGammon]

They want farm land used as farm land, not solar farms.

And back to my original point, this is not a reason to refuse a planning application.