To reckon that Reform will win the next election, and to be utterly terrified about it? 😪

I'm not a reform fan, but calling them fascists is a bit of a stretch. I used to read the guardian and remember fondly the section of their readership who like to claim anyone right of Corbyn is a fascist. There were always bullet pointed checklists that "proved" it.

I’m right of center, and I can’t see Reform getting in. Without Farage they are nothing.
Labour are already more right wing than the previous Tory government.
If Starmer doesn’t perish due to the illegal immigration ( they are mostly economic migrants ) then I rate Labour’s prospects the highest.

More likely a reduced Labour majority

Labour are forecast to lose 302 seats in the next election, they will be lucky to even be the official opposition.

Are you worried they’ll cancel elections, gerrymander elections by giving children a vote, curb free speech with custodial sentences and attempted blasphemy laws, seek to limit news media access and limit non state children’s education? It would be a little worrying I suppose.

I think Kemi Badenoch must be rubbing her hands together with glee, she’s losing all her troublemakers to Reform. That should make it easier for her to reshape and reunite the Conservatives and move towards the centre. The Tories that have defected all like the sound of their own voices and influence, when they realise that Nigel Farage has all the power, I can see the infighting now and then they’ll storm off and start their own party. I suspect they make gains in May, but I also can see that they’ll be out when the next set of elections come around when everyone realises they’re useless. I think hyperbole around Reform is dangerous and plays into their hands, wokey lefties scared to take action. Calm and measured is probably the best way and hope that more of the right wing press start investigating or pick things up. (Which is quite likely with a more united and sane Tory party.)

I’m a centre leftist, but if it came to it would vote Tory to keep Reform out, I can’t believe I’ve said that! I suspect there will be many others like me, so will they make gains probably, but will they sweep in, I would say unlikely. More likely a reduced Labour majority, or a hung parliament.

Nigel is not a positive change. Nor is what he is suggesting.

You're an optimist. They're fascists.

To paraphrase Churchill: You cannot appease authoritarians. Appeasing is like feeding everyone else to the crocodile and hoping he eats you last.

I'm not a Tory voter but I am impressed by Kemi, so much so, I may change my usual allegiance. Having said that, if Zia Yusuf became leader of Reform I would listen more closely to their policies.
We need someone who takes seriously the worries of those of us who (are striving to) live an average life.

I’m not panicking. The awful events this week in the US - is that what British voters really want? People being rounded up off the streets, children abducted after school pickup, all because they have a foreign sounding name or ancestry from another country? There are racists in the UK, sure, but not so many I don’t think. Perhaps I am naive but I feel like many of us reject this ideology.

Has the stuff about Farage being a little Nazi shit at school cut through yet? So many witnesses. I feel like even the sort of thick racists who support Reform might draw the line at “gas the Jews.” Not that that’s been reported by any of the rightwing papers, not even the Times.

I will always vote, but feel as if there's no-one left to vote for. I always used to vote Labour until Tony Blair turned up. Then, in despair, I voted Socialist once only. About the time of the Scottish Referendum, I voted SNP and have done so since. But I can't seem to get excited about them anymore either. The Greens and Lib Dems are non-starters (my personal view). What's left? If there was a way of voting to 'negate' Reform, I'd go for it.

Reform is another wake-up call, the wake-up call that Brexit should have been - a protest-vote mechanism in which sinister, conniving elites such as Rees-Mogg and Farage prey on the most left-behind and disadvantaged communities in the country. Since the Brexit vote inequality and regional deprivation have only deepened, and nothing has been done about it. I really think that the major parties have dug their own graves by shitting on benefits claimants, treating them as low-hanging fruit because it is too politically risky to point out that the welfare burden has swelled because of pensions. Millions of people live in rural or semi-rural poverty with no serviceable public transport, shit schools the likes of which cannot be imagined by those within the M25 bubble, and no access to decent employment opportunities - no wonder they're on benefits, who could blame them?

She's putting the cat among the pigeons. A confident black female Tory leader. Yet another woman given way for unlike other misogynistic parties.

I i agree with you .
Although i think the country is already unrecognisable and thats why Reform could win.

I reckon she could but not because she fits a preconceived idea of statesman, ie male and stale, but because she doesn’t.

💯

Yes agree, there are a lot of bullies on here though 😫

If any grown adult is scared to say who they like politically or who they are voting for, the bullies win.

You didn't ask me but I am going to answer anyway. Charisma is very overrated and when did we last have a statesman like PM? What she does have is work experience outside the political bubble, a good brain, the support of the better side of the party and a wonderful voice. That'll do for starters!

Me too! I really like Kemi, I think a lot of people do maybe they are scared to say so?

Why do you think that? Not enough charisma or not statesmanlike? Seriously interested as I so want another Conservative Government next!

I agree she has been more impressive but she is not the right candidate to win back the masses.

I don't think it's a cop out. Labour and the Tories are a bunch of lying clowns so it's perfectly reasonable to have a punt on someone else. Certainly more reasonable than dragging George Bush into it!

I think you will find that as we get closer to the next GE, there will be a huge Conservative resurgence under Kemi. I am a lifelong Conservative voter, but had been wavering towards Reform; however, Kemi's recent performance at PMQ and outside Westminster have me thinking she would be a good PM and at the moment, if there were to be a GE, I would certainly be voting Conservative again.