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

The thread is about Reform. Posters have banged on about Farage (hundreds of times) since the first minute it went live. It’s therefore not totally unreasonable for me to mention Mandelson twice to demonstrate the total hypocrisy behind the absurd allegations and attacks on Nigel Farage. Mandelson and his connection to the current Labour MPs and other Labour influencers is as relevant to this discussion as is mentioning Nigel as it all relates to who we should be terrified of if they are in power. Actions to date show we should be more terrified of every other party particularly Labour than Reform. I am so it is relevant to talk about Mandelson. As far as your comments generally they are without merit, evidence and verging on the absurd. Again Farage derangement syndrome strikes!

Nobody’s backing Mandelson - who has been kicked out of the Labour Party and not before time. He’s a disgusting, traitorous, avaricious reptile whose behaviour 20 years ago verged on treason.

Why are you continually banging on about Mandelson? a odious excuse of a man no doubt.

But the thread is about Reform and Farage, so clearly both are fair game...

Farage, the man who thinks Andrew Tate is "an important role model for young men" who is mentioned in the Epstein files, whose close friend has just been jailed for spying for Russia... a man who excused Trump rubbishing our dead soldiers and a guy who wants to give money to the same killers of our young men and women, the Taliban...... is vying to be our next PM....

Association has destroyed Mandelson but "Association" for Farage is ignored by the 'Right, how desperate are they for power!

Reeves specifically said "funding for NHS" Yet you attribute the drop in that particular waiting list & extra staff to something else.... weird.

No wonder Mandelson is putting out interviews still he has enough backing him with the look over there rubbish. Another man feeling better that some do his bidding for him.

And absolutely not one piece of evidence produced about Nigel doing anything even remotely wrong never mind illegal compared to a pile of historic and current evidence showing clearly exactly what Mandelson and his Labour Party enabler are. My comments were to demonstrate the level of hypocrisy being shown here whenever Nigel’s name is mentioned in any context whatsoever by the left.

So you prefer to downplay the person evidenced to have been involved because they’re Labour? Bizarre.

This is getting absurd. Talk about taking Farage derangement syndrome to the next level. Your deranged attacks making totally bizarre statements show just how desperate the left are becoming. No evidence, no suggestions and no sane person would believe this.

@EasternStandardand that’s currently being dealt with. What accountability is Reform showing for Farages actions exactly?

Have you missed the Mandelson situation? Labour are deep in it rn. Some still back them, bizarrely.

@BeAmberZebrawell if you like the thought of a paedophile being your next PM then we obviously have very different values!

Mandelson definitely causing Labour problems atm. Terrible judgement by Starmer to bring him back.

A few will stick by them but probably still falling in numbers.

Nice deflection. Yes, we’ve heard of Mandelson and he’s been ejected from his party. Farage on the other hand has ambitions to run the country.

Very strange take on what has been released in the Epstein files. Have you heard of the gentleman named Peter Mandelson? You know the one labour parachuted into the poorest most working class seat in the country and continually brought back into government despite overwhelming evidence of wrongdoing and then bizarrely made him US ambassador ignoring more competent and experienced people. You know the one who provided secret government documents to Epstein, can’t recall receiving large amounts of dosh or wandering round in his underwear. To focus on the mere mention of Nigel Farage in totally innocent circumstances shows how desperate the left are becoming.

Not sure this is true. Other analysis suggests the opposite is in fact the position. Possibly depends on methods of measurement. Remember there are lies, damn lies and statistics. Also many Reform councillors were previously Conservative and even Labour, Lib Dem’s and Green councillors so they understood as well as most newly elected councillors what the job involved. Every party has councillors that were never councillors before, otherwise we’d never have any councillors.

Farage - 41 mentions in the Epstein files and his name is in 21 documents. Do we want this as PM?

No UK Elected councillor at any level can be forced to resign.

Any elected member is free to change party at any time without causing a by election.

Reform / UKIP / Brexit Councillors have the highest attrition rate
because they have the weakest understanding of the job in hand
(see Kent and that 50% Council Tax cut)

Goodness only knows what a mess they would make if given the keys to Whitehall

Silly me, I thought this was a thread about Reform. And the prospect of "Chief Brexiteer" Nigel Farage becoming Prime Minister.

I've seen no evidence that a Reform government would increase the UK's standing in the world or improve the NHS. Quite the opposite, in fact.

@BeAmberZebra you said the EU had proved an unreliable ally since Brexit. Are we not allowed to mention, in direct response, what a disaster Brexit has been for our national security? Maybe because that might draw attention to the dreadful damage Farage has already done to our country.

In terms of the number of Reform reps who have had to leave because of scandals or racism not being close to Conservative or Labour's, well they are a new party so havent had as much time in. But without a close analysis on figures, I'm not sure how you can speak with such authority on relative numbers in relative time frames. I was just illustrating how they have already been dropping like flies because you didn't seem to know that.

Have you heard about how Reform are already breaking promises and spending ludicrous amounts locally? Get this, 75k spent on flags in Notts and millions on a waste consultant in leics. Not reducing council tax like they promised. They are realising that doing the job is not as easy as they thought. I don't think for one minute that Labour are perfect and they have made lots of mistakes, but they are grown ups with experience of governing and are starting to make progress. You seem to think Reform will lead us straight into some kind of utopia.

I'm interested to know what you think of them recycling tories, who also helped cause the mess the country is in? Braverman and Jenrick didnt do so well in 14 years of power. What would be different this time?

In terms of being in league with countries and leaders whose human rights records are poor, well Farage already has a very close relationship with Trump. In America, the ICE regime is being accused of murdering innocent people in the street.

Not sure what the EU or Brexit has to do with a single issue I raised as if we had remained a member it wouldn’t have changed a single issue that I discussed.. Bringing Brexit into every discussion really derails having a rational debate I’m afraid.

I did ponder mentioning the EU. I thought it might derail any rationale discussion. Let’s agree to differ on that one as we will never agree or persuade each other. However would love to hear from you on all my other points.

Unfortunately we are a tiny little country with little power soft or otherwise in an increasingly unstable and dangerous world and we have to behave accordingly.

Shame about Brexit then, wasn't it? We've lost our EU vote and veto, plus much of our credibility and soft power. Those Brexiteers who insisted that we didn't need the EU for defence purposes because we had NATO must be kicking themselves. At least France had the sense to stay in the EU and to keep their own independent nuclear weapons despite repeated pressure from the US to give them up.

@BeAmberZebrathe EU has been an unreliable partner since Brexit? Why would that be, I wonder? We wanted to cut ourselves off from them, but we thought we could maintain all the benefits without the pay back? We had a close trading partner in the EU and spliting from them has wiped billions off the economy. Illegal immigration has rocketed since Brexit. Far from the prosperous utopia we were promised, its been a disaster and has meant the EU no longer has our back to the same extent. This wouldn't have happened without Farage. He is a power crazed racist bully.

I'm no more terrified of Reform than I am of the Greens and Tories. When you look at the "performance" of Labour, that's more terrifying than all of them as well as the most disappointing. And don't get me started on the Libdems 🤣

More councillors from other parties have been suspended expelled and resigned than Reform councillors. It a fact of life for local government. The MSM simply ignore it unless it’s Reform.
I am not sure our national security is being protected by our present or previous governments. Giving away Chagos and paying for the privilege, Chinese super embassy for a regime that cannot be trusted, importing fighting age men from backward cultures with no idea who they are and what their criminal and mental health history is, persecuting our veterans and making it impossible for serving officers to do their jobs properly, attempting to outsource our defence, agriculture rules and myriad other competencies to the EU who have proved an unreliable partner since Brexit and have actively trued to harm our interests.
The actions of Nathan Gill were repulsive and have been rightly condemned by all the Reform MPs and senior people and he has been dealt with properly by the courts. However his actions do not taint Reform MPs or members just because he was once associated with them in the same way as some of the appalling actions of Labour and Conservative MPs doesn’t taint their MOs or members.