Do you think some people didn't know what level of government they were voting for?

@unn unless they have been a councillor before or been in power they won't know, there will be lots of mistakes I imagine

@Simonjt being able to read and do maths are two vastly different skill sets.

Being able to comprehend and assimilate information is far far more important than being able to calculate the area of something.
If the reading age is low why is that?. Does that make you thick if the school you attended couldn't help you to learn to read?

Further more people with literacy issues have often come up with highly creative ways to get around this.

Op do you not think that regardless, this sends a message to Labour? And if they get enough of a shock they may well reinstate the fuel allowance?

If they don't like labour of course they won't vote for labour and

Reform encourage this. I recently stood for election against a reform candidate in a local council by election.

My own campaign material was about issues I would actually be able to help with in my capacity as a parish councillor ( limited to managing the local community center, local planning issues , putting on town events , and using tax payers money more sensibly than has been the case recently.

The reform candidate sent out three separate expensive brochures promising all sorts of stuff that a local councillor has no power over. He had never attended a single council meeting and clearly knew nothing about the role he was hoping to be elected for. I had attended all council meetings for a year before I stood for election.

He promised to make all the roads in one part of town one way ( not within his remit and not actually wanted by residents for fear it would increase speed )

He promised to stop the boats and bring back the winter fuel allowance.

He made up a story that the council were going to charge for parking in the town and that he would put a stop to it ( there has never been a proposal to charge for parking in our town and that again would not be something the town council would be involved in other than to object on behalf of residents if that was what they wanted us to do if it was proposed by the local authority.

I won by a landslide as an independent non political party candidate.

I think those 2 ladies voted reform as they have seen the mess (and personal loss) that both the awful Tory and Labour governments have made, and think reform are the last choice.
It's their right to vote for whoever they wish.

Unless you like your councillors- I know a couple that take their work very seriously I think it hard to vote on local issues unless there is one single big issue.
I lived in an area with middle schools and there was a proposal to move to primary then secondary. Lots of campaigning on the issue.

Otherwise the stuff is generic with every party saying they will improve services and references to things that are national issues. Then it makes as much sense to vote on national. The Lib Dems managed to get to coalition because they built up a local base that gets councillors and activists then ready to campaign at General. They can also trade on competence at local level.
im hoping this is where Reform comes unstuck as they have to take decisions now.

Reform of the two issues of social care and SEND that have a huge impact on local government in England is only possible at a national level (not sure about Wales/NI/Scotlamd)

To be fair, it's very unusual to be stuck on a train with two "elderly ladies" playing TikTok videos at full blast on their phones. At least their conversation was entertaining!

Not all Boomers voted for it. Some young people did vote for it.🙄

There are some very loud younger people!

The workings of government including the role of local government, councils, central government, MPs, ministers and shadow ministers needs to be taught in all schools.

I'm a "boomer" and like all others in my friendship and work circle, voted remain. My nephews and their mates all voted leave and I'm certain they'll have voted Reform in the general and local elections because, y'know, immigrants.

Please avoid the lazy generalisation that all older people support this racist shite.

Unbelievable!

Staffordshire here too. I’m not a Reform voter, but I’ll be honest, the council have let my town run to the ground in recent years, terrible roads, crime and deprivation everywhere. Can’t think Reform can be any worse.

Makes me think of the (multiple!) people on my local fb group outraged that Labour had “taken away” their right to vote. They had to have it explained, in short words, that we just didn’t have elections in our area right now because we had them last May. And the fact they hadn’t received a polling card was not a personal plan by Starmer to deny them their democratic rights.

@WorriedRelativeyour comment just highlights your lack of critical thinking and the ability to see the bigger picture. The irony!

@unn , Tower Hamlets council launched a scheme to replace winter fuel payments to its residents so it is within the power of local councils to do this. Please remind me who exactly is ‘bloody ignorant’?

@1SillySossij of course that is what they meant but it doesn’t fit the narrative of all Reform voters being stupid does it?

Perhaps it was just a link to the political aims of Reform? I'm in a landlocked county, and we get asylum seekers. I'm not saying they're right, I'm just trying to think of a reason!

Oh yes I saw a comment on a local FB page that they were glad Reform had got in because they would stop the boats.

We're the most land locked county in the UK.

WTF do they think a county councillor here can do about it? The only boats they can stop are the rowing boats at the park.

It's interesting because it's not perceived by some as positive to be well informed and educated. Where I teach the highest achievers are children of Chinese and Indian origin. All my grade 9s are coming from this group, bar two girls who are from Eastern European families.

I'm am happy that my county returned under 10% reform councillors, ours was about 45% conservative, with the rest a mixture of labour, lib dem and independent - my local area went completely independent, as all those standing had high profiles of positive local commuinity work - and that's what local elections should be, voting for people who have made and will make impactful change on a local level - their remit is quite limited as most decisions are made nationally, but they can still effect change.

But for areas where isn't prominent local figures, people were using it as protest vote. Labour hopefully take this as a clear message that they are making this country worse and need to rethink their policies.