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 ?

Overall, yes, but I entirely agree that the North and other areas lost our big time.

The US's situation is a bit like the UK under Thatcher.

Ie, an economy that has pulled ahead but with the benefits going to some but not others. It was always so in the US: there's always been a big wealth gap.

Trump's antics might stymie US economic growth though: people like him never like to admit that business needs stable government and sensible regulation to thrive - without it only the most powerful survive.

That's exactly why many people support Reform. Because they are sick to death of being treated with utter contempt by people who think they're better than them.

but some people dont help themselves and would rather study football, reality tv, etc then they wonder why they get the leaders they do

Trump is really going all out this time isn't he. I wonder if he's just setting up a smash&grab for the already wealthy. Don't know how that would work with an economy as big as the USA. Agree that the current rust belt situation there is reminiscent of the left-behinds we have here - on a bloody massive scale.

Russia will be one to watch once Ukraine's resolved - they have a lot of resources and wealth, mostly spectacularly mismanaged, but there nonetheless. Very unhealthy population though. China might well get them back on board and China itself of course is a roaring success story now - not just with tech and education, but flexing huge soft power with global infrastructure projects and so on, which Russia also was busy doing until the last few years.

They are popular with the same type of people that thinks that Hopkins woman "says what we're all thinking" and watch Gb news.

"Greed is Still Good" – A Gekko-Trump Monologue
"You know, folks, they called me a businessman, but I’m something better—I’m a dealmaker. America? Biggest deal on the planet. And the art of the deal is simple: You find the profit lines nobody else sees. Greed—smart greed—makes the world go round. You cut the tape, you cut the taxes, and you let the winners win. Don’t like it? Buy a better lobbyist."

"The little guy? I get it—you’re hurting. But you don’t build skyscrapers by laying every brick yourself. You hire. You deal. You win. And if you’re smart, you ride my coattails because the stock market doesn’t care who’s in the breadline—it cares who’s at the top of the line. So, step up, invest, or get left behind. The American dream isn't a handout—it's a hostile takeover. Greed is still good, folks. And under me, it's great."

"Because they listen and represent what a lot of people think.
The majority are fed up with the damage the main 2 parties have done to this country and want change. I'm one of them"

More like the country is in serious decline and they tell people what they want to hear. We' ll shrink the state, control immigration. Raise wages and make things better.

Farage and his ilk said the same about Brexit. We will take back control sunlit uplands etc fund the NHS instead. What actually happened ?

Legal migration skyrocketed.
The NHS got worse because it is now more understaffed than others
The state has to get bigger due to extra border controls and so on.
Taxes had to rise because non tariff barriers fucked the economy and international investment in the UK plummeted because we we used to be a business friendly entry point to the EU.
The Tories raised taxes to record levels as a result and it still wasn't enough.

Ok I'll bite.:
The NHS takes 47% of the public purse ( in 1997 it was 27%) benefits (including pensions which are the greastest propotion of that) ake another 23% what do you suggest cutting ? Defence ? Education ? local goverment ?( so social care)? the police ? There is no wiggle room. There is no spare money cutting any of this willl negatively impact on most people's quality of life. It surprises me not at all that a Dulwich College boy doesn't understand this. or at least pretends not to.

Is it “racist” to be concerned about immigration from cultures where some young males don’t share the same view of women?

this concerns me hugely and neither of the two mainstream parties seem remotely to care.

I don’t want be told that girls should walk home from school in pairs in 2025 UK.

100% this. I'm a small business owner and was apprehensive about labour (voted Lib Dem's) but thought let's give them a shot it might be what the country needs. But they seem to be bringing the worst of labour and tories. No one, unless you're a huge business, seems to benefit from labour.

It's finally sunk in that both mainstream political parties offer very little to ordinary people. And as much as I hate the idea of reform, I can see why they are popular.

I honestly think the reason Trump won in the US is mainly because of the Democrats not listening and not engaging in discussion regarding controversial subjects without labelling the people asking the questions or highlighting their concerns as X,Y,Z.

It’s the same thing here. People who raise concerns about certain subjects are labelled. You have supporters and voters for Labour referring to anyone else as the thick and uneducated underclass.

We have some serious issues in this country and we need to have uncomfortable conversations otherwise Reform will get in. Trump is making a mess of the US, and I blame the Democrats.

"Once again, if they are fleeing war WHERE ARE THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN??"

Usually left in a refugee camp due to the dangerous journey or kidnapped, trafficked, raped and murdered on the way here.

I don't think I'm better than people who vote Reform. I know I am.

This kind of statement is exactly what led to Trump winning in the US.

Reform would always grow support with Labour in. Their policies won't deal with the issue that underpins the former.

Then you have other shifts with US as a major one, then Germany plus others and Starmer / Labour starts to behave as an outlier

I thought it very likely, and looks like it's happening

It's odd to see the reactions though even if some could see this from a mile off eg removing citizenship, it's Trumpian panic that will push more support to Reform.

@FjordPrefect sorry raped and murdered by whom? Why are they safer in a camp?
Would you let your dh go on ahead are you too weak to make a journey? Would your dh rather leave you?
I don't buy it I believe it's more to do with the culture and traditional set up than an actual safety issue.

@Mrswalliams1

you are showing you don’t understand what’s going on.

"sorry raped and murdered by whom? Why are they safer in a camp?"

In most cases I'd suggest there's still a "woman and children first" attitude and young men are at more risk of harm, possibly because they are seen as potential future combatants.e.g events like the sebrenica massacre ( albeit on a much larger scale)

Labour will drive this, listening now and they'll keep irritating people

Reform will keep getting more support

The population is bulging at the seams.
Immigration is seen as one reason and yes, I support stricter policies which vet exactly who is allowed here and who isn’t.
An aging population. Quite frankly people who live a long life have not paid enough into the pot. Unpopular opinion but true. How many 90 year old who will be getting free prescriptions and health care on a very regular basis worked full time until they were 67? Not many I can tell you. So saying they have paid their fair share is incorrect. Add to that the cost of carers and they are draining the system.
Add to that the fact most 90 year old women were not even working full time at aged 60 and look how much ‘extra’ they are taking without having paid in.
Evan a man who worked full time until he was 65 had the luxury of having wifey at home doing all the domestic grunt work. That won’t happen to the 20 year olds of today.
Then you have the non working adults. I see plenty of them where I live. They all have children and don’t pay into the system.
They are the ones costing the tax payer more with the amount spent on their unruly children.
Again, another drain.
Yet what extra benefits does the hard working person who is working full time and paying their taxes get? Nothing. That is the real problem.
Those at the top and those at the bottom take whilst the hard working middle get screwed over.
I do not believe Reform is the answer.
Yet I have said for years, Labour need to market themselves as the party of the WORKING man and woman. Regardless of class. The emphasis should be to represent the person who is paying into the system through hard work.

The scandal of the grooming gangs which continues has stirred up a lot of anti immigration. People are frightened and angry.

It's the change vote for people who aren't benefitting much from the status quo and have lost faith in the system.

Farage is a disruptor, like Trump, and in the absence of anything credible within the current system, he is bound to be popular.

People who vote for Reform, Brexit, Trump etc often are not voting for this ideology, many are simply desperate for a significant change and shake up and have no faith not just in the current government but in the system of government and society.

Yes - the USA finally has an African president. And he's not called Barack Obama.