Anyone else gutted about reform ? Feels like it’s going to turn very trump here

[ShrunkInTheWashAgain]

In this country soon

People feel their wishes are being ignored and they are at the bottom of the pile as regards housing and health care.

With turnout as low as it was, it was inevitable that the racists would get in. Is it because people are lazy, so disillusioned with politics, or just didn't know who to vote for?

I dont have any answers, but just looking on our local groups (we didn't have elections yesterday) the racist hatred is getting more and more visible every single day. It's an horrific world to live in currently.

I live in County Durham and he's already saying anybody that cares about the environment or about equity or works from home are going to be sacked because apparently these things are a waste of money

So very professional

They have just about taken over the whole of the east midlands counties. Only Leicestershire which does not have an overall majority but even then they have the majority. It is quite shocking. Only 32% turnout in my constituency though which is also shocking.

"Why vote for Reform?"

Because it will put the fear of God into the governing classes. If it gets the present Govt. to actually DO something - other than take away my WFA and give me a major IHT problem if I die after April 2027 (it's not just farmers they have gone after!), then it might be a blessing in disguise.

Does anyone really think that Nigel Farage, who has set up his “political party” as a private business, Reform doesn’t have members who can vote on the leadership they have “subscribers” which is self explanatory, does anyone think Nigel is in this to make the average working class person rich? Give them a free council house? His “subscribers” aren’t even allowed a leadership vote!

Or that granny will live out her twilight years in a 5-star nursing home, all paid for, with English born staff? (Maybe if he has shares but it will be tax payer money going into the hands of the very few).

Reform are not on anyone’s side. They are good at showmanship and media, but anything else.

Keir Starmer isn’t perfect, but at least he seems to be heads down, getting on with his job, no scandal so far, no parties, jogging with dogs, photoshoots or fallouts with other world leaders. Not even backbench leader contests or in house fighting. Can you imagine how little will get done if Reform get in? How much time will be dedicated towards scandal and corruption?

Boring, steady leaders.

Christ. He’s so far up Trump’s arse that he can probably see daylight. Is he even capable of independent thought?

People also forget that councils have had huge cuts in government funding. Until recently I naively thought that councils couldn’t go bankrupt. That’s not the council’s fault, although I’m sure some could do better. But it will be interesting to see how Reform manage them. I suspect people will quickly realise that they have absolutely no idea.

How do you have an IHT problem and a need for £250 winter fuel allowance? Surely you are wealthy enough with problem 1 to not be so money grabbing and bitter about problem 2.

Disappointed - yes, but not surprised. When people are suffering they want to protect what they have. They dont see Labour as protecting the poor, the Tories obviously wont, hardly anyone understands what the Lib Dems are about and they dont support women, the Greens are a joke, obsessed with trans rights - so they see Farage as speaking for them. If he ever gets into power they'll soon see the difference between words and actions.

Fortunately we dont have a general election for years and anyway more of the population vote then than in council elections. Just do what you can to support the economy because if people dont see an improvement in living standards and in the NHS then Reform will continue to thrive.

@frozendaisy people can be asset rich - a house they've lived in for years - and cash poor. Downsizing isnt always as easy as you might think if it means leaving your support network. I have a relative in this position, although his house, which he cant maintain, is not so expensive that there will be a capital gains tax liability if left to children. If he had no children even a modest home attracts CGT.

As a pp said, people are desperate for change.

Just as they were with Brexit. Promised much; given nothing but misery.

If we thought Boris was a grifter, we’re about to see the master of grift at… well, I would say work, but he doesn’t turn up for actual work, does he?

I just don’t understand why people still trust him. If you’re a Reform voter, can you give one- just one instance where he has delivered what he promised???

That doesn’t make sense. Most ex Tory now reform voters were hardly underprivileged. Most of my DP’s clients are older and extremely affluent reform supporters. Talking family wealth, million pound plus houses in a poor part of the NW. I’m not sure what change they were desperate for. They got their Brexit which didn’t work …

You can imagine with the bin collection strikes in Birmingham they would sack the strikers.
Get one of their wealthy private refuge collectors in. Get Party “donations” and local people will be paying 8 times as much to have their rubbish collected.

That’s ok though because they will close drop in STI clinics, so give it 6 months and the area will be riddled with unwanted pregnancies and drug resistant gonorrhea! Progress

I think I am more disappointed with Labour and the Conservative Party who don't seem to be rising to the challenge.

In terms of brexit. It's had a negative impact obviously but it has been mixed up with covid, Ukraine, truss too. And i do wonder if it hasn't made much difference to the the most disaffected anyway?

As has been said in other places, the problem with the government is that they are always The Government, no matter what colour’.

It's such a mess and I blame the politicians in charge for not addressing people's legitimate concerns. They treat the population like fools. This is the result. What are they going to do about it?!

As for DCC, again, they have totally ignored local concerns about student let landlords taking over properties and making a huge mess in many areas. Some very sharp practices going on, which the council ignore. Our council tax is very high for such a poor area due to LLs not having to pay council tax. We shall see what happens. The reform councilors don't have a brain cell between them though so I doubt very much will improve. The one who posts on our village facebook page is a thick grunt 🙄

Hmm. I did forget the tories who are now voting reform. They wont all be wealthy - but there will be the same theme of wanting to hang on to what you have and not wanting change. Labour are taking more from people with money as well as those with little money.

Brexit has deterred many EU workers (largely white, largely Christian) from coming here to work in the NHS, and gaps are being filled with more staff from African and Asian nations (largely brown people), which I am not sure was the effect the Brexit voters were going for. But I might be wrong because they all say they aren’t racist, so if we believe that statement they probably embrace the more global and less European workforce.

They were council elections, important in as far as who decides what happens at a local level, but would it actually translate into a landslide for reform at a general election, not convinced. What is becoming apparent though is that the conservatives seem utterly lost, Bandenoch isn’t the answer, shame they didn’t have the sense to stick with Sunak

Because that was a protest vote too. The voters didn't think it through, they never do, but politicians need to address people's concerns. That referendum should never have happened.

I’m very worried that Reform will win the next GE. Years ago we were laughing at the thought of Trump being president and said it would never happen.

they say they want change but apart from that”stopping the boats” they haven’t talked about other changes that I’ve seen. Maybe a bit of DOGE rhetoric. What’s their plans for the economy, healthcare, education.

Sadly, plenty of intelligent , educated people support them too. You see them here on MN. I think it is dangerous to assume only the uneducated support them.

But it did and whilst the campaigning was going on it became clear that some of those concerns were, disingenuous shall we say.

Some voters have been led to believe “vote for us and everything YOU, just you, need will be instant and free, and everything you want will be cheap”

Except everyone wants and needs different things.

So few people nowadays think “I have enough”, when they do. It comes from the top down, too many people want more regardless of what they already have.

Look at the comments on here sometimes about how the rise in NMW is unfair to them because they are earning only a little more and they feel they should be “higher”, forgetting that so many on NMW are keeping us all fed and watered.

Reform will change things, if Change is what people want then go for it. I very much doubt it’s the change anyone desires.

Many people say they want “true British values back” which used to include calm rational debate and outcomes which were a compromise not having an unmovable opinion and spouting slogans like “not far right just right”.

It’s VE Day 80th anniversary this week, there will be flags, bunting and a feeling of national pride for being a big cog in defeating the nazis, the nazis who sent people, including children, to concentration camps for being “other”. How can you wave a flag around on Thursday whilst also holding the view that “others” are the root of all your problems and should be encouraged to sink in the English Channel?

For me there seems to be too many people with views too close to the people we helped defeat 80 years ago.

But try and have a civilised conversation about this in real life. It’s not easy, but remains necessary so I will always attempt an exchange of opinions with an open ear, closing down debate is another thing tyrants like to do.

100%.

Yes, I am. I’m not even a lefty, I would describe myself as a centrist who leans a little to the left with some things. I can’t stand the idea of Reform being a government, it actually terrifies me