Scared about a poll I read where Reform wins outright in First Past the Post????

Labour are going after various groups already. Some on here might not be in them but others are hence the crumbling in support.

People want real change, and if voting Reform is what it takes to achieve that, then I fully support it

They will get change. But perhaps not the change they hope for. Farage said Brexit would make life better. It hasn't.

Farage is a snake oil salesman. I can't understand why people who bought his snake oil in 2016 would do so again.

I often wonder what would have happened if that plane crash had turned out differently. A real sliding doors moment, that was.

Well fucking over pensioners and hoping to do so for disabled people and ruining the jobs market isn’t a brilliant record for 10 months in office @blossomtoes.

I don't think he will be a good leader whether or not you like his policies.
He is absolutely a fantastic campaigner that is undeniable and who's very good at speeches as every campaign there needs to be but when it comes to making a hard decisions and doing the graft I think it will just have weak plans that will be tol simplistic and not based in reality. A bit like the edi policy for the councils and proudly announced they were going to implement them in Lincolnshire without knowing that they're actually weren't any EDI officers employed. It's actually quite embarrassing.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that Labour has caused more harm than the previous government, the Conservatives.

Did you manage to write that with a straight face?

I voted for Reform because Farage is addressing issues that many people genuinely care about. That doesn’t make me a bad person in fact, most of my family and friends voted Reform as well. Many of those who supported Labour are now expressing regret, even if they hesitate to admit it openly. It’s becoming increasingly clear that Labour has caused more harm than the previous government, the Conservatives.

While I’m not a fan of Trump, I can understand why people voted for him... he sets out a plan and follows through on it. Just because people make a choice to vote, it doesn’t mean someone is right wing; we are all entitled to our own beliefs and views. It also reflects a broader frustration with traditional parties and ineffective leadership, particularly under Keir Starmer.

People want real change, and if voting Reform is what it takes to achieve that, then I fully support it

People forget that the NHS is a very cheap way to provide healthcare, only slightly higher than the OECD mean per capita. In other countries, that cost is paid by the individual, rather than through general taxation as it is here. Nonetheless, that cost is paid.

Medical crises contribute to half of all home repossessions in the US. Healthcare bills contribute to that.

The problem with this kind of preference falsification is that when enough people make a protest vote for a fringe party, thinking that that party won't get in, that party actually does get in and carries out all their fringe ideas.

Single Transferable Vote goes a long way towards solving this problem and the related problem of "anyone but Party X" tactical voting, which is another form of preference falsification.

The point of elections is to return a Parliament that reflects what the electorate want. FPTP inherently encourages preference falsification, so doesn't return Parliaments that are representative of the people, therefore it is broken.

Same. I am early 60s.

That doesn't say it's the model Reform wants to go with. Watch Farage's interview with Beth Rigby.

I’m well over 60 and don’t want to see my country thrown under the bus.

I would love to know the age range of Reform supporters on MN. If you are under about 55 and/or have children you care about I would say be cautious.

Reform's core vote is 60+ and it is the demographic it will need to keep happy if it wants to win a GE and stay in power. Don't be under the illusion that if you are not in that demographic you won't be thrown under the bus along with immigrants, the sick, the disabled, the unemployed etc.

Brexit fucked the younger generations in particular in many ways. A Reform government might do the same.

That hybrid system is how the anti-woman Maggie Chapman is an MSP.

Have Copied and pasted. It’s rather long.
www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/06/07/how-nigel-farage-backed-french-healthcare-system-could-work/

He said that in France “those who can afford it through their taxes pay into an insurance scheme”, while “those that can’t afford it, don’t pay in, so it’s for the mutual benefit of everybody.”

In France all residents must have some form of health insurance, whether state or private. The state system covers everyone regardless of income level or employment status. If your household income is below a certain threshold, you may be eligible for free health insurance coverage.
Healthcare in France is partly funded through social security contributions. Employees paid 7 per cent of their salary toward health coverage in 2023, while employers paid 13 per cent.
Medical treatment and tests are partially paid for by the government, but the patient is responsible for the remaining amount depending on the treatment.

French state health insurance covers 70–100 per cent of treatments such as doctor visits and hospital stays. Low-income and long-term sick patients typically receive 100 per cent coverage.
Private services in the public domain
Many private doctors and specialists in France receive funding through the state insurance scheme, allowing them to provide services through the public healthcare system.
Those with public insurance can access most privately run hospitals but the price of privately run services are often higher.
This means that although your state health insurance covers the same percentage of costs, you may pay more for the portion that is not covered.
French residents may take out supplementary private health insurance to cover the remaining cost of treatments.
Private insurance also covers specialist treatment or complementary therapies which are not available through public healthcare.

Both France and Poland spend far more on healthcare than the UK. There’d be something badly wrong if it wasn’t better.

Can you back that up about the French model? Because Farage has been vague.

Yes, it is indeed democracy. And I am in favour of democracy as the best available option for governing a country, but I also recognise that democracy can sometimes produce disastrous results. 1930s Germany is probably the best example of this, though not the only one.

What some people seem not to understand is that I can respect the democratic right of people to vote for whatever political party they choose without having to pretend that I think all political choices are equally acceptable. It is not antidemocratic to express the opinion that some political stances are despicable.

Agree. Just ignore

I suggest you just ignore them @SquashedMallow and continue the discussion with those of us who can express ourselves without resorting to lame
emojis in place of lucid arguments.

Link doesn’t work - and I have access to a subscriber account - so I can’t gauge the reliability of the analysts the Telegraph is relying on.

Reform floating a French model of healthcare reminds me of Farage floating a Norwegian model of Brexit.

Labour are getting there…

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/05/08/rachel-reeves-tax-raid-57bn-black-hole-britain-finances/

Rachel Reeves’s record tax increases have derailed the economy and threaten to blow a £57bn hole in the public finances, analysts have warned.

I'm off this thread due to being unable to reason with unreasonable people.

I just want to advertise that a certain poster is putting laugh emojis under all of my posts. So that other rational posters are aware of the childish and passive aggressive actions of these "reasonable and educated" people behind the scenes.

All those things you mention - NHS, Education, welfare, prisons etc - all groaning at the seams, underfunded and in danger of failing. All of these things are directly impacted by population numbers and tax intake/expenditure. Every single thing that you mention as important is being directly impacted by uncontrolled immigration.

It is a hell of a problem to solve and I have a lot of sympathy for those seeking a better life. But facts are facts and burying your head in the sand and pretending there is no impact on the institutions we all value is really naive I’m afraid. I think that’s why Reform is gaining such traction - none of the other parties will acknowledge this basic fact.

The Economist says there’s a £100 billion gap in Reform’s economic plans. That would crash the markets and the economy with it. If you thought the fallout from Truss’ budget was bad bring on Farage and see what total economic destruction looks like.