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

218 replies

ShrunkInTheWashAgain · 03/05/2025 07:19

In this country soon

OP posts:
Unphased · 03/05/2025 14:35

If not Reform, then who, can’t seriously vote Labour or Conservative, Lib Dem’s are just dreamers, Greens, no thanks, it’s hard to know how to vote for, just not vote, that doesn’t feel right,

MrsSkylerWhite · 03/05/2025 14:38

Allseeingallknowing · 03/05/2025 14:27

Over 600 councillors! There would have been more if all had held elections.

So around 3.5 per cent of all councillors in England. Hardly earth shattering.

FairKoala · 03/05/2025 14:41

I don’t think Reform are anything like Trump. No one can be that arrogant or that much of a fool and I doubt our legal system would allow an idiotic idea that has just popped into Nigel’s head 5 minutes before be acted upon immediately

I will say I have never voted Reform however
I live in an area where the town should be booming. It is close to central London but has very cheap housing because the town centre is dying on its feet.
There are more boarded up shops than there are ones open. The town centre apparently after dark is a very rough area where drugs and crime is getting worse. I say apparently because in the year I have lived here I have only once been into the town centre and can’t afford to again £11 for 1 hour and 10 minutes parking
Only Primark I have been in on a Saturday after noon where staff outnumbered shoppers by at least 5:1 (only 2 other people in store) (think it is closed down now)

Then we have the Political Parties asking what can be done to improve the area. (Answers on a postcard type suggestion)

If they have to ask they really don’t have a clue.

xanthomelana · 03/05/2025 14:44

Flewaway · 03/05/2025 07:27

No. It’s a sign of how people feel
tje country is not working. And it’s not.

People have lost trust in political parties and rightly so. Politicians fail to talk honestly and directly, and have failed to prevent the country getting into the mess it is in. Many of these problems were preventable, or at least needed not to be this bad.

Reform is not the problem. The problem is what I have just outlined. That is what needs fixing.

Completely agree with this. I said on a different thread yesterday that MN doesn’t get how much issues such as immigration are impacting ordinary working people, I live in a South Wales valley and I never thought I’d see it anything than red in my lifetime because Labour get in regardless but I truly believe when our time comes to vote Labour will be finished here. There’s people here who’ve lost the WFP and are barely surviving on £13k a year but MN thinks it’s only the rich that have had it taken away which is so untrue. Rental properties are scarce because Welsh Labour have made it difficult to be a landlord but we don’t have enough social housing either. The NHS is dire, especially trying to get a dentist or even a face to face GP appointment. I can understand why people are looking at Reform, the other parties have had their chances over the years and blew it.

FairKoala · 03/05/2025 14:45

It’s the fact that Labour, Liberal Democrat’s and Conservatives aren’t able to see the issues (this has nothing to do with immigration) That people think Reform have a better understanding of what the issues are.

chocolatemousse3 · 03/05/2025 14:49

Unfortunately, every adult have the right to vote. Including the ignorant ones.

Maitri108 · 03/05/2025 15:11

Fundays12 · 03/05/2025 08:30

I agree with all this. People have voted for reform because they are unhappy and don't feel the government are listening to them.

That's all very well and good but the problem is, these votes have consequences. Brexit was a 'protest vote' it's so far cost billions but as long as people felt heard...

I feel especially sorry for the people of Clacton because it's one of the most deprived areas in the UK and they have a feckless spiv for an MP.

If you want to observe Farage being a champion of the working class behold his tireless campaigning for his constituents. He's earning a lot of air miles and making a lot of money off the back of it.

ProfessionalWhimsicalSkidaddler · 03/05/2025 15:31

Namechangechanged · 03/05/2025 07:35

Very gutted. They disgust me with their barely concealed racism. Thugs in suits.

Yes this is how I feel. A sad day for Britain. I just wonder whether they have voted because they are hateful racists or they are oblivious. Which is worse?

WoodlandLove · 03/05/2025 16:08

I'm so disappointed that people are falling for the narrative that immigration is the cause of their problems. It's depressing people look to blame extremely vulnerable people, with little agency, for government cuts etc. Rather than blaming the true culprits - corrupt politicians and tax avoiding billionaires. I could cry 😥

EasternStandard · 03/05/2025 16:13

MrsSkylerWhite · 03/05/2025 14:38

So around 3.5 per cent of all councillors in England. Hardly earth shattering.

I think it’s the swing that analysts etc are reacting to.

Wales will be looked at to see if there’s similar next year.

SwedishEdith · 03/05/2025 16:16

Australia has managed to turn it around for their Labor party. A lot can change before an election that's four years away.

BBC News - Australia PM Albanese makes stunning comeback with landslide win
www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9djze015xlo

BingoWingoForties · 03/05/2025 16:38

Ah I don’t really care. Labour are in for 4 years and the Brexiters are just having a little tantrum about it but they can’t actually do anything 👍

frozendaisy · 03/05/2025 16:40

anyolddinosaur · 03/05/2025 14:02

@frozendaisy You really dont get it. Yes saved as much for old age as anyone who was on low wage could do. Therefore not eligible for pension credit or winter fuel allowance as marginally above the cut off and equity release has already been used to some extent - and that is generally a mistake. Too proud to accept help from kids if offered, you cant force help onto someone.

There are people living on 50p above pension credit levels because of their past savings but you are full of bitterness because they own a house - by house sharing. Maybe you should try that.

But low wage asset rich is never going to happen again, the younger generations need politics to help them at least have a stable income and housing, your elderly relative at least had decent stable housing, working during a time of prosperity and peace whilst the UK was part of the EU with frictionless trade and free movement both ways.

But people don’t want that anymore, so we don’t have it. You win that one, think we can all agree it’s working out well.

We, as a household, are in no position to be bitter, we have dual EU passports for the teens, and their grandparent inheritance skipped us and has been entrusted for them. (We are ok regardless of who is in charge). They can even take the state pension from us (we would still be fine).

And yet we vote for parties that will take more tax because we want to be part of a society that doesn’t blame “insert group here” immigrants, leftie BBC, European Courts of Human Rights, The EU, France, I am sure there are more, anyone but ourselves.

This is the difficulty in discussions nowadays, individual cases don’t matter, but everyone thinks that is all that is of concern. We do understand why some people are wetting themselves thinking Reform are the answer. But I don’t think they are, not economically, (except for a handful of private enterprises), not socially and not politically.

Still at least we can leave this country I guess not everyone has the option as easily as we do.

ErnestClementine · 03/05/2025 17:10

I don't understand what they are actually going to do in local government. Their powers are fairly limited so is it just 4 years of bumbling around shouting about boats?

Maitri108 · 03/05/2025 17:12

ErnestClementine · 03/05/2025 17:10

I don't understand what they are actually going to do in local government. Their powers are fairly limited so is it just 4 years of bumbling around shouting about boats?

Stir up division most likely.

Nunaluna · 03/05/2025 17:24

They’ve said they’ll be cutting SEN budgets

Sirzy · 03/05/2025 17:26

Unphased · 03/05/2025 14:35

If not Reform, then who, can’t seriously vote Labour or Conservative, Lib Dem’s are just dreamers, Greens, no thanks, it’s hard to know how to vote for, just not vote, that doesn’t feel right,

Any of the above would be better and I never thought I would see the day I saw conservatives as a better option than anyone.

I live in one of the areas Reform has taken and I’m scared what that means. I am also pissed off that only 25% bothered to go out and vote

Fundays12 · 03/05/2025 17:27

Maitri108 · 03/05/2025 15:11

That's all very well and good but the problem is, these votes have consequences. Brexit was a 'protest vote' it's so far cost billions but as long as people felt heard...

I feel especially sorry for the people of Clacton because it's one of the most deprived areas in the UK and they have a feckless spiv for an MP.

If you want to observe Farage being a champion of the working class behold his tireless campaigning for his constituents. He's earning a lot of air miles and making a lot of money off the back of it.

Edited

I am in Scotland so did not vote at all but was not overly surprised by the results. Unfortunately protest votes or not Reform still has some power now so let's hope it's used correctly.

None of the current government are really taking action about the things that people are concerned about so maybe this will prompt them to listen a bit.

KnutsfordCityLimits · 03/05/2025 17:44

ErnestClementine · 03/05/2025 17:10

I don't understand what they are actually going to do in local government. Their powers are fairly limited so is it just 4 years of bumbling around shouting about boats?

Well, in areas where there’s local government reorganisation from district and county councils to unitaries (anywhere that still has a two tier system) they’ll be making decisions on the entire structure of local government for the next few decades at a pace that already seemed challenging. It was going to be tricky enough, but doing it with people in charge who have no experience of actually running local government, and ideas about what they want to do that aren’t actually possible, it seems a recipe for chaos.

Maitri108 · 03/05/2025 17:48

Fundays12 · 03/05/2025 17:27

I am in Scotland so did not vote at all but was not overly surprised by the results. Unfortunately protest votes or not Reform still has some power now so let's hope it's used correctly.

None of the current government are really taking action about the things that people are concerned about so maybe this will prompt them to listen a bit.

Labour do seem to be making an effort to address concerns but people want instant results which isn't possible.

The problem is parties are moving further and further right to challenge Reform which isn't working.

EasternStandard · 03/05/2025 17:58

Maitri108 · 03/05/2025 17:48

Labour do seem to be making an effort to address concerns but people want instant results which isn't possible.

The problem is parties are moving further and further right to challenge Reform which isn't working.

What effort are you talking about? The numbers are going up.

AfraidToRun · 03/05/2025 19:17

2008 fucked us all, but it's the immigrants and not raging capitalism that's too blame for lower living standards and shit in our rivers..

BingoWingoForties · 03/05/2025 20:01

AfraidToRun · 03/05/2025 19:17

2008 fucked us all, but it's the immigrants and not raging capitalism that's too blame for lower living standards and shit in our rivers..

That’s exactly what they want you to think! 🤷‍♀️

Echobelly · 03/05/2025 20:10

Yes, I am depressed about it, especially coming on top of all the shitty treatment of trans people. Yes, I know I'll get short shrift for this from some people pn here but as a cis woman all this is making me feel less safe.

Now I do know local elections are where all the grumpy people with an axe to grind come out but it's making Reform look like strong contenders and that will have an affect. This will also get huge sums of right wing funding from abroad coming into them as the rich and nasty see an opportunity to steer the UK in the direction they want. Which will be a poor one for LGBTQ people, people of colour and for women.

Now I have hopes that we can put up more of a fight than America for LGB rights (even if some can't find it in themselves to fight for the T) and for women's safety and bodily autonomy because we don't have a powerful Christian lobby in the UK, but I am absolutely not going to sit back and bet on it. We are seeing here and around the world policies that the majority have not asked for, voted for or support, so if somehow Reform do leap to power, especially with £££ (or should I say $$$$) behind them, they may well do what they like - legislation that pushes gay people back into the closet, abortion bans, making divorce harder, rolling back equality legislation etc.

I had hoped that at least the disaster unfolding in the US woud turn the UK against swinging to the Right in the next election, but unfortunately Labour's determination to be Reform-Lite and not even good at it makes it look likely we'll be as stupid and suicidal as much of the US electorate.