[News] Nigel Farage and Reform

[Chicken Run]

To be honest I'm rather taken by the Lib Dem manifesto - and I don't believe there's a Lib Dem thread, would it be a good or bad idea to start one?

I'd like the ability to be able to discuss it and pick it apart

Yeah definitely start one, good to have a good spread

 

[Weststander]

If, as we're led to believe, people get more right wing as they get older and he's already in Reform at 19 then he really ought to be put on some sort of watch list frankly

Interestingly I know many people who moved left to the centre with age.

You could set up a google search for "Telegraph Farage Reform" and just post a link to that, rather than having to post links to every single Telegraph article praising Farage and Reform and repeating their lies. Most of which are hidden behind a Paywall for those of us who don't subscribe to the telegraph anyway

I subscribe to the DT. Many business/finance articles are highly critical of Trump and highly sceptical of Reform’s fiscal nonsense.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

This is what is predicted, on Monday:

"The new reset deal is expected to include a UK-EU defence pact, concessions on fish a veterinary deal, European Court of Justice oversight and alignment to EU plant and animal health rules, and concessions on youth mobility."

A deal becomes a betrayal when you accept no deals.
That's the Farage position.
It is utter bollocks.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

To be honest I'm rather taken by the Lib Dem manifesto - and I don't believe there's a Lib Dem thread, would it be a good or bad idea to start one?

I'd like the ability to be able to discuss it and pick it apart

You could call it "the Lib Dem alternative to the mainstream and Reform, let the saga begin" and we can chip in as their position evolves.

 

[Gwylan]

I subscribe to the DT. Many business/finance articles are highly critical of Trump and highly sceptical of Reform’s fiscal nonsense.

Yes, that's true. I think there's a lot of support for Reform on their immigration policy, but a good deal of scepticism about their economic plans. The DT readers are another matter, however, they think any criticism of Reform and/or Farage is being generated by lefties. In the past couple of days, I've seen the Economist described as a far-left publication and City banks as being populated by Marxists. Some of these readers have a slender grip on reality.

 

[Berty23]

Reform are council leaders here in Warwickshire. The got pretty much all the seats in the north of the county where I never venture (Nuneaton and Bedworth type places). I assume their first priority will be to spend money changing the rainbow zebra crossing in leamington to a pwopper one.

 

[TomandJerry]

You could call it "the Lib Dem alternative to the mainstream and Reform, let the saga begin" and we can chip in as their position evolves.

Up and running

 

[Weststander]

Yes, that's true. I think there's a lot of support for Reform on their immigration policy, but a good deal of scepticism about their economic plans. The DT readers are another matter, however, they think any criticism of Reform and/or Farage is being generated by lefties. In the past couple of days, I've seen the Economist described as a far-left publication and City banks as being populated by Marxists. Some of these readers have a slender grip on reality.

I clashed with Truss luvvies in the comments sections over the last 10 months, just for politely mentioning the sheer incompetence of her joke budget.

Conversely and pleasing, Trump gets a widespread shoeing in the business articles comments, his fanboys heavily outweighed by rational people with a lot of business and/or investing knowledge.

 

[BadFish]

Could be Mystic Meg as far as I can tell.

Farage is a slippery one, he got Brexit over the line in the referendum but has avoided any mud sticking because he can play the 'Its not my Brexit' card

I think quite a lot of mud has stuck. However you are right there seems to be alot of people with collective amnesia over his part in Brexit and his broke. promises.

Not allowed to call those people thick so let's stick with 'forgetful'.

 

[BadFish]

To be fair to @TomandJerry we have been encouraging them to add the specific link!

But yes - can't read them as I'm not going to subscribe to the Telegraph, but there's always https://archive.ph/

We also encouraged him to read more widely on subjects and to not trust the telegraph.

He is sticking with it though.

 

[BadFish]

Yes, that's true. I think there's a lot of support for Reform on their immigration policy, but a good deal of scepticism about their economic plans. The DT readers are another matter, however, they think any criticism of Reform and/or Farage is being generated by lefties. In the past couple of days, I've seen the Economist described as a far-left publication and City banks as being populated by Marxists. Some of these readers have a slender grip on reality.

It begs the question, does a slender grip on realisty cause one to read the Telegraph or does reading the Telegraph cause a slender grip on reality?

 

[SouthSaxon]

I also found this interesting, from the article I've linked previously

With Trade between the UK and EU most wanted and the UK economy being fourth on the list

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/05/16/farage-make-me-pm-and-ill-scrap-starmer-brexit-deal/

Thanks.

So it seems to me that the Telegraph is using that chart to support Fromage's tirade against what he foresees as a defence pact being "a step towards an EU army". The title on the chart is "Defence spending is not a top priority for voters" (archive.is link). That's despite "Improving the UK's and EU's defence and security" being third on the list of priorities! One man's "top" is another man's mid-table I guess...

The other thing I'd argue with this chart is that people, not unreasonably, prioritise the things which they think will have most impact on their own lives above bigger picture considerations*.

I went back to the original Best for Britain research and found it doesn't make good reading for young Nigel. This is well worth a read, in fact the site in general has really good research:

Poll: voters expect trade to be government’s top priority at UK-EU Summit in May

Change Minds → Change Politics

www.bestforbritain.org

Two things stand out to me:

• Most respondents think Labour's EU reset plans don't go far enough, which includes Labour voters who are classed as "Reform-curious"
• A majority of respondents believe closer ties with the EU will have a positive impact on every category shown here. The tide has turned on Nigel's beloved Brexit
• When asked about what's important to focus on, people put a US trade deal second last on the list, which implies they don't think this will benefit them very much. More bad news for Nigel.

* This explains the seeming contradiction of a youth mobility scheme being comfortably at the bottom of this list, despite a majority of voters approving of it (this one is about appealing to the Reform base, most voters are fine with it, even in Clacton - see this research).