Why on earth are Farage and Reform so popular ?

[Nonamenoblame]

Their ideology is essentially heated up Thatcherism, more deregulation (if that’s possible) and laissez faire light touch for businesses, more cuts to public services because they love an even smaller state, cuts to benefits apart from those for pensioners, no real solution to the immigration issue apart from sinking the small boats.
So why isn’t Farage being challenged ? Everywhere you read that Farage is the next PM in waiting but his policies are a rerun of the last 14 years but worse, they haven’t worked so far, why would they work with a Reform government ? What’s an even worse thought is a Tory/Reform coalition, are we as country daft enough to fall for it ?
And how long would we give a Reform government to turn things around ? 6 months, a year ?

I'm bored. I gave you the source for my information. If you have a problem with that information, then fact check it.

I'm going to make the assumption that I'm correct and you get your information from the Mail and Twitter/Facebook. You haven't provided any alternatives when asked.

It's interesting to see, now Labour and Reform have crossed yougov streams, what the Labour response will be. I can see that labour supporters have got behind a strategy of calling people stupid and racist, which whilst presumably satisfying - doesn't seem to have the desired effect of retaining people who loaned them a vote in July.

What do you think Labour Party should do?

That's true. I remember being both young and on the dole way back. It was hard to get most of my peer group interested in politics tbh. You're going to need a big chunk of older voters with something to lose / gain. Later , as a shop steward I found the same thing ; younger members were either very cynical or just not interested.

@username299 that doesn't mean you're correct

Questioning The Guardian is not enough to make that assumption

I find Starmer's shift quite interesting. A week or so ago he was promoting deportation videos, took away citizenship rights and did the Gaza judge statement

He's going for those voters a fair bit in articles. So despite some in here saying polls don't matter as GE do far away they are shaping policy and rhetoric

Oh yeah, the deportation videos to echo those in going on in the US, but ours were just thousands and thousands leaving voluntarily on the most expensive plane in the world?

Yeh they don't work but that's Labour trying!

I think you are right though, the rhetoric will shift.

Imo it helps Reform when it does, it doesn't actually get the voters but legitimises concerns

So why did Torys get voted in for 14 years when they were also accepting free bees?

I guess because Reform are addressing issues which are ignored by mainstream politics, or at least not dealt with effectively.

what issue do you not see being addressed by the main stream parties?

So why did Torys get voted in for 14 years when they were also accepting free bees?

I suppose because the labour voters expected the Tories to be on the take but that the labour leader and MPs were different because they are seen as less corrupt and riding on the coat tails of the old boys network.

All that 'my dad was a toolmaker'.

Just googled it - there are 6.15 million working in the public sector and 5 million plus on out of work benefits so already reaches 11 million before considering students and people on other benefits which is more than the 9 million who voted Labour (and lest we forget that was only 1 in 5 of those eligible to vote).

For anyone of my age (mid fifties) who remembers when the country was run with competence I would question why anyone would vote for Labour and Tories now when they compare the competence levels to the 80s/90s. That doesn't have to mean Reform there are lots of other parties available but ffs stop voting for these people.

Tory party were uncharge of the country for pretty much all of the 80s and 1990s bar the last 2 and a half years.

Whilst the tory party left the country in a decent state for the Labour Party - or new labour to take over - it was a shit show during the early 1980s with 3 million unemployed, strikes and a war

Oh so its ok for tory mis to be on the take because its expected, but labour can't have a freebe? Really, why can one MP take a freebe thats allowed but another party can't as its not expected?

And what is your source about

1. Percentage of those voting Labour and total UK population?
2. Number of students voting Labour?
3. Number of people on benefits voting Labour?

Or are you just making this up? I thought we had a secret ballot in this country?

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10009/

Yes I know tories were in charge in the 80s/90s I was there! That's what I was saying, they were competent then unlike now. And unlike the impression you'd get from mn, because of that Thatcher was highly popular (unlike Starmer), winning 3 elections with high % voting for her on a high turnout unlike Starmer getting 20% of available votes against a terrible Tory party who have run the country extremely badly for 14 years - that is a terrible indictment of Labour! The only reason Labour got a high no. of seats was because of the historically low turnout.

I didn't say I knew who voted for Labour I just said that was my belief. No small business owner would vote for them given Labours economic illiteracy and the fact that very few of their mps have worked in the private sector.

Well OK.. I'll assume you get all your info from the guardian..and presumably take everything they say at face value.

Don't ask others to do what you won't.

China has a population of 1.411 billion, they don’t need immigration

of course uk can reduce immigration- but that has consequences on our economy and healthcare, so what or how do you navigate that?

it’s not as if the birth rate is going to increase when there is a cost of living crisis & nursery problem. If you want your nation to procreate then you need some big incentives to be having 3 children

The birthrate might increase, but strict rules about home schooling, no sure start centres, poor health visitors lack of teachers mean more strain on the system.

Nothing will change that, unless there is a long term cross party plan, which will never happen.

If you want your nation to procreate then you need some big incentives to be having 3 children

Starving to death if you don't is certainly one incentive.

Have you seen the expected 2050 population pyramid in China? It looks like a rocket lolly.

Oh so its ok for tory mis to be on the take because its expected, but labour can't have a freebe? Really, why can one MP take a freebe thats allowed but another party can't as it's not expected?

Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. 🙄