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Reform lost 6 by elections this week ๐ŸŽ‰

1000 replies

TheRealSmurfette · 05/10/2026 03:38

Some good news to start the week!
The mainstream media might be quiet about it, but the numbers donโ€™t lie: Reform UK just lost SIX by-elections in a single week.

Their momentum is officially hitting a wall. On Thursday, they failed to win across the UK and even lost the incumbent seats they were supposed to defend:

  • Amble Ward (Northumberland) โ€” LOST (Gained by Labour)
  • Hirst Ward (Northumberland) โ€” LOST (Reclaimed by Labour)
  • Claremont Ward (Blackpool) โ€” LOST (Held by Labour)
  • Long Whatton & Diseworth Ward (NW Leicestershire) โ€” LOST (Held by Conservatives)
  • Wick & East Caithness Ward (Highland) โ€” LOST (Stormed by Lib Dems)
  • Forth & Endrick Ward (Stirling) โ€” LOST (Held by Conservatives) about:blank 1, 2]

The right-wing vote is splitting down the middle, squeezing them out in low-turnout battles. Proof that real, local communities are seeing through the rhetoric.

Keep it up lads! ๐Ÿ™Œ

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TopPocketFind · 18/10/2026 11:38

The whataboutery is strong

All Reform have is 'don't look at us, look over there' and 'we will sue the journalists'

Never mind the racism and sexism.

BIossomtoes · 18/10/2026 11:39

Regardless of your extremely odd interpretation of what constitutes a crime, it most certainly is one. Itโ€™s called inciting racial hatred.

Tamarindo95 · 18/10/2026 11:40

TopPocketFind · 18/10/2026 11:38

The whataboutery is strong

All Reform have is 'don't look at us, look over there' and 'we will sue the journalists'

Never mind the racism and sexism.

Have you acknowledged the Labour cover up of the child rape gangs yet?

Pineneedlesincarpet · 18/10/2026 11:41

LittleBowSheep · 18/10/2026 11:31

No-one is convinced that the balance excuse in this case is anything other than derailment.

But Reform have been adequately covered in great detail upthread? We seem to have moved on slightly. Why can't we talk about other parties bad behaviour? There are loads of dodgy politicians. We don't need to be too tribal?

TopPocketFind · 18/10/2026 11:42

I was a child in the 70's, I have never goosestepped or given the Nazi salute

The war was still fresh in people's minds and that behaviour would have been completely unacceptable, it would have been seen as a lot worse than distasteful or reflecting badly.

It didn't bother Nigel Farage as a teenager, I give you that.

TooBigForMyBoots · 18/10/2026 11:44

Pineneedlesincarpet · 18/10/2026 10:43

Good point. A thread just devoted to slagging off just one party is pretty boring.

Edited

The irony.๐Ÿคฃ๐Ÿคฃ๐Ÿคฃ

Pineneedlesincarpet · 18/10/2026 11:45

SubstandardMotelsOnTheLa · 18/10/2026 11:24

Are you calling the LiW posters bitches? That is really rather uncalled for.

Just a bit of slang for you.

I have no issue with a thread discussing one side. But I personally don't find it interesting as people mainly think the same as me. I enjoy finding out how other people think with opposing views. Sometimes I respect the person while disagreeing with them (if they treat me the same way) and I find their views interesting and give me pause for thought. And sometimes I think they are rude or highly unreasonable or pick up on words or phrases just for the sake of it (which is also boring btw).

SubstandardMotelsOnTheLa · 18/10/2026 11:46

Pineneedlesincarpet · 18/10/2026 11:41

But Reform have been adequately covered in great detail upthread? We seem to have moved on slightly. Why can't we talk about other parties bad behaviour? There are loads of dodgy politicians. We don't need to be too tribal?

But there is still so much more to discuss abput Reform. And the ITV documentary will no doubt provide more material.

Pineneedlesincarpet · 18/10/2026 11:49

SubstandardMotelsOnTheLa · 18/10/2026 11:46

But there is still so much more to discuss abput Reform. And the ITV documentary will no doubt provide more material.

Undoubtedly. Let's discuss then. Im sure they have some extremely unpleasant people in tbe party and that's for NF to sort out urgently.

Tamarindo95 · 18/10/2026 11:50

At least Reform as a relatively new party, have openly admitted there have been some bad eggs that have slipped through vetting, and have a policy of getting rid of those bad eggs from the party once they come to light.

Labour however seem to actively promote already known about bad eggs (convicted criminals, tax evaders, pedophile associates, etc) into the highest levels of their cabinet.

TooBigForMyBoots · 18/10/2026 12:01

Ah a Restore voter. Another misogynist, racist, antisemitic party.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/09/17/restore-is-being-hijacked-by-racists-says-former-candidate/

BIossomtoes · 18/10/2026 12:16

And theyโ€™ve called him a traitor. A man who served his country. ๐Ÿ™„

LittleBowSheep · 18/10/2026 12:24

Pineneedlesincarpet · 18/10/2026 11:41

But Reform have been adequately covered in great detail upthread? We seem to have moved on slightly. Why can't we talk about other parties bad behaviour? There are loads of dodgy politicians. We don't need to be too tribal?

Ok, let's move on as you suggest, let's talk about the bad behaviour in the Tory Party.

I'll let you begin...

pointythings · 18/10/2026 12:28

Tamarindo95 · 18/10/2026 11:37

You think the Nazi's were bad. You should try living under a communist regime. These regimes have mass-murdered more than 10 times the number of their own civilians that the Nazi's ever did. Nazi's were amateurs in comparison.

So are you really saying the Nazis weren't all that bad? I mean, there is this saying that two wrongs don't make a right.

pointythings · 18/10/2026 12:29

Pineneedlesincarpet · 18/10/2026 11:38

A Nazi salute is not something that I would consider a crime. Otherwise most children in the 70s who had a go at goosestepping would be criminals. Its highly distasteful but I think that sort of behaviour just reflects very badly on the person doing it. No need to call things out. Calling everything out is what has numbed people (in my view. Not being someone who does a Nazi salute).

You're not serious.

Where I come from, any child goose stepping or doing Nazi salutes in the playground would have been in deep, deep, deep trouble. And they would have been told exactly why.

TopPocketFind · 18/10/2026 12:32

https://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/people/itv-exposure-features-controversy-of-wellingborough-reform-councillor-who-signed-up-to-white-supremacist-dating-site-9292797

The controversy following the discovery that a Wellingborough North Northants Reform councillor had โ€˜inadvertentlyโ€™ signed up to a white supremacist dating site is set to be featured in an ITV documentary tonight.

BIossomtoes · 18/10/2026 12:33

When someone defends the Nazis you really know youโ€™ve hit rock bottom and any further engagement is pointless. Unbelievable.

SubstandardMotelsOnTheLa · 18/10/2026 12:42

Where did you grow up @Pineneedlesincarpet ? Because goose stepping and Nazi salutes were not something the kids did where I am from. Many of our parents had fought in the war. Some had relatives who died in the Holocaust.

Clavinova · 18/10/2026 12:56

TopPocketFind · 18/10/2026 11:42

I was a child in the 70's, I have never goosestepped or given the Nazi salute

The war was still fresh in people's minds and that behaviour would have been completely unacceptable, it would have been seen as a lot worse than distasteful or reflecting badly.

It didn't bother Nigel Farage as a teenager, I give you that.

The 10 best Fawlty Towers moments

1.The goose step (first showing BBC Oct 1975);

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/sep/18/the-10-best-fawlty-towers-moments-40th-anniversary

TopPocketFind · 18/10/2026 12:59

Clavinova · 18/10/2026 12:56

The 10 best Fawlty Towers moments

1.The goose step (first showing BBC Oct 1975);

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/sep/18/the-10-best-fawlty-towers-moments-40th-anniversary

What has that got to do with playground antics?

As an aside, Cleese is now a proud Restore supporter

Clavinova · 18/10/2026 13:04

TopPocketFind · 18/10/2026 12:59

What has that got to do with playground antics?

As an aside, Cleese is now a proud Restore supporter

What has that got to do with playground antics?

Quite a lot I would imagine.

As an aside, Cleese is now a proud Restore supporter

I linked to the Guardian - apparently big fans of the programme.

SquirrelSoShiny · 18/10/2026 13:07

Anyone not seeing Reform as grubby grifters have lost whatever marbles they once had.

SubstandardMotelsOnTheLa · 18/10/2026 13:07

Clavinova · 18/10/2026 12:56

The 10 best Fawlty Towers moments

1.The goose step (first showing BBC Oct 1975);

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/sep/18/the-10-best-fawlty-towers-moments-40th-anniversary

An eleven year old article...impressive digging.

As I remember it, Fawlty was suffering from a head injury at the time due to a moose landing on his head. I don't think Farage had that excuse.

TopPocketFind · 18/10/2026 13:08

Clavinova · 18/10/2026 13:04

What has that got to do with playground antics?

Quite a lot I would imagine.

As an aside, Cleese is now a proud Restore supporter

I linked to the Guardian - apparently big fans of the programme.

I don't know about you, but as a child I knew the difference between a comedy show and real life.

We didn't do the goose step or the nazi salute in the playground or elsewhere. It was unacceptable.

Any other comedians you want to use to justify unacceptable behaviour?

Clavinova · 18/10/2026 13:14

TopPocketFind · 18/10/2026 13:08

I don't know about you, but as a child I knew the difference between a comedy show and real life.

We didn't do the goose step or the nazi salute in the playground or elsewhere. It was unacceptable.

Any other comedians you want to use to justify unacceptable behaviour?

Obviously not thought unacceptable in the 1970s (and subsequent decades) for the BBC to air the series for so long.

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