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 ?

Funny you should say that. Nathan Gill has been arrested for accepting russian bribes.

I think in the interests of balance (and before the flying monkeys arrive) we need to point out that there must be some Labour MPs we can whatabout to trivialise this ?

Maybe it's time to play some oldies. Keirs beer anyone ? How about Angela rayner council tax ?

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Sounds familiar. Project Fear anyone...

Well I think doing the tango with the Russians is a tad more serious.

To be fair, the 2019 vote looks consistent with previous votes;

October 2019
The Brexit party, which abstains or opposes most European parliament votes, hit back at the claims. “We will always vote against more power and spending by the EU,” said David Bull, a Brexit party MEP.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/10/brexit-party-meps-vote-against-measure-to-combat-russian-propaganda

There's a lovely photograph here of Tulip Siddiq, her aunt and Vladimir Putin if that helps;

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/jan/14/giving-tulip-siddiq-anti-corruption-job-seen-by-insiders-as-own-goal

To be fair, two of your links relate to the same investigation (misspent funds) - not two separate matters, which is implied by posting two links. Plus in the Electoral Commission investigation, the EC later found that Farage had 'inadvertently broken electoral law' - concluding 'that there was no intent to hide the donations'.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/oct/21/nigel-farage-fined-failure-declare-free-office-space

Also, your other link says Arron Banks donated accommodation, car/driver - not actually 'cash'.

UKIP MPs were found to have the worst attendance in the EU parliament.

Farage's plenary attendance rate of 61.4% (calculated June 2016 - 2019, your link) is actually higher than I expected. UKIP/Brexit Party were on a mission to leave the EU, not join it.

username299
He hasn't done any surgeries for his constituency since his election

Actually, there are some surgeries mentioned in the local gazette:

I am inviting my constituents who run local businesses to a Clacton Business Surgery on January 24 [2025] at 6pm.
https://www.clactonandfrintongazette.co.uk/news/24838874.nigel-farage-make-clacton-better-place-businesses/

October 2024 - Nigel Farage to hold advice surgeries for over-65s.
https://www.clactonandfrintongazette.co.uk/news/24670021.column-nigel-farage-holds-advice-surgeries-over-65s/

As a comparison, how many surgeries did Starmer personally hold after he became party leader? Very few it would seem - you had to catch him out and about;

Sir Keir Starmer says he will not stand for claims that he has become less accessible as a constituency MP since becoming leader of the national Labour Party.
"Our kids go to school in the constituency. When we go the pub we go to the constituency. When we walk down the high street and go to shops we are in the constituency."
"Every time we go out and about it is a mobile clinic, surgery."

Is that a royal we?
Farage goes to the pub in his constituency and Starmer's kids are secondary school age. How often does Starmer do the school run and go shopping? Both men have a team of people to assist them with constituency work - I can't see much difference to be honest.

https://www.camdennewjournal.co.uk/article/sir-keir-im-still-your-local-mp

Nigel Farage is a traitor. Lord Haw-Haw for the 21st century.

Drop a line to Yvette Cooper - she should be keeping an eye on this sort of thing;

• 'The Home Secretary will continue to be legally responsible for national security.'

And yet:

The CBI’s chief economist, Louise Hellem, said: “It is clear, you can’t have growth without green – 2025 is the year when the rubber really hits the road, where inaction is indisputably costlier than action

So the CBI seems to think that economically it's a very good bet.

What's not to like? The UK (which remains a science superpower) can remain at the forefront of tech, and build some energy security. The alternative is staying reliant on imported fossil fuels. How's that been going for you recently?

@TomPinch we don't need to rely on Saudi or wherever oil and gas more to get to green. It doesn't make sense. We need both for a while.

You sound as if you're doing better where you are, where is that?

NZ, where renewables come naturally. It's the benefit of living in a place where any of your cities could be flattened by an earthquake at any time 😀

To get worse? They're not offering any solutions.

It seems quite strange not to have any idea why Reform would be popular now OP, even if you don’t personally rate them. Have you been living under a rock? Who gets your vote? Were you happy with the last Tory government or the current Labour government? According to polls most of us have little faith in either the tories or Labour so there is a vacuum waiting to be filled.

What change is it you're after?
Damaging SEND education?
Joining Russia and Belarus in reducing human rights protection?
Having your child learn that Britain is the best country in the world and slavery is great thanks to a newly written patriotic curriculum?
Having more xenophobic and Islamophobic councillors with convictions for hate crimes?
Tax breaks for millionaires?
Tax breaks for private schools funded by education cuts- and who will teach in state schools (I will emigrate if they win)
Paying for acces to healthcare- and knowing that, like in the States, there will be poorer people who can't afford this

And all this is from a cursory glance of their manifesto.