Mumsnetters voting Reform

[Illjustplayostrich]

Mumsnet mothers have always leaned Labour. Now Reform is ahead

https://www.thetimes.com/article/dbd39087-465c-4587-9eaa-292606ffb775?shareToken=a99daa444e8bc0f9444cca2bf01f3851

I'm slightly startled by this. I'm a centrist, slightly more right leaning perhaps but frankly I'm open to any government who will get a firm grip on the public finances and go about growing the economy in a sustainable way. My impression of this site is that it's definitely more left leaning and and Reform enthusiasts tend to get shouted down. Personally, I think we should be talking about them a lot more as it's highly likely they will form part of the next government.

My impression is that they are promising the earth but don't have people with the necessary skill set to make that happen. I really worry that they will get voted in and find out that they can't fix all the problems within 18 months, leading to yet more disillusionment amongst voters.

Merely a function of the huge dissatisfaction with the current Labour government.

Damning, I would say.

The Trussells started the first food bank in 2000. There were 35 food banks in operation by the time Labour left power in 2010. There are now about 2,000 I think.

Crisis loans from DWP used to be available to people in need, as pp says. Guess which government abolished them? The graphic below shows how the use of food banks has rocketed since the abolition of crisis loans.

What impact do you see on food banks, now that Labour has promised to lift 550k children out of poverty by 2030?

So Labour are also now responsible for people voting for a party of which they know virtually nothing of their policies? No individual responsibility in this at all? No explanation of what Reform’s policies are and what their vision for government is? No reference to alternative right-wing optinons like the Conservatives? Just blame elsewhere for angry knee-jerk responses. Damning indeed.

Whether you agree with it, or not, it’s understandable that a large swathe of the electorate would rather roll the dice on an untested Reform government, rather than accept the certainties resulting from this Labour government, to date.

Many of those voters doubtless tactically voted in Labour, against the Tories, premised on pledges made in Labour’s elastic manifesto, ahem.

And here we are.

Urgh! How awful. Still hopefully LBC doesn’t have a big listenership (or whatever it’s called?), and one hopes, even smaller for such a phone in. Glad I didn’t waste my time.

Poor Reform supporters, being forced against their will to vote for a party led by a bigoted grifter.

Whatever is posted it’s working to drive people away from Labour on here. Whether it’s mocking, insults, attacks it’s not helping in the way those doing it probably want.

LBC has quite a big audience generally, about 3 or 4 million I think.

I understand that pov.

On Badenoch, she is saying things now she never even hinted at when she was a back bencher or in government.
See also Robert Jenrick.

Much like Starmer i suppose, he would now undoubtedly be criticising Trump if he were in opposition... Its easy to shout from the side lines.

I find the Tories stance on many things hypocritical & increasingly extreme... especially on closer ties with Europe, popular perhaps but Trump shows we need to face towards Europe and not the USA, he doesn't support NATO, thinks highly of Putin and may even try to take over Greenland.

Good question.

I expect some detailed ongoing analytical data to be out within the year. As it was for the private school tax to state school beneficiaries.

Reduced usage of food banks, no more child poverty. The removal of the 2 child cap leading to more food for those poor kids. It definitely won’t go into the bank accounts of their parents to be spent on ‘other stuff’.

I’m not surprised at the phone in, we’re on here posting not calling in about mn. I didn’t listen but heard coverage about the poll in the morning plus Justine on LBC iirc.

Sure. I was referring to the point about it being men on a phone in about women.

Men mensplaining to listeners why women (or women on mumsnet) are ‘turning to reform’.

No thanks!

Well, considering after 14 years of Tory Govt, the number of children in poverty reached record highs of 4.5m... the reduction of 550k will only reduce numbers, not cut to zero
Sounds like you didn't know the scale of the problem....

Figures on VAT collected wont be out until later this year but apparently it has raised more than at first thought, as schools have hiked prices more than the predicted 15%, so more VAT payable...

Funny that, isn’t it?

Labour and their supporters are great at forecasting - less so, when it comes to confronting reality - whether it’s 6,500 state school teachers, or 550,000 kids.

They continue to take us for mugs.

So, will that mean more money to increase the 6,500 new teachers?

How’s that going, btw.

@Alexandra2001 ‘Figures on VAT collected wont be out until later this year but apparently it has raised more than at first thought, as schools have hiked prices more than the predicted 15%, so more VAT payable...’

And the data showing us how / where this monetary haul was spent to improve ‘state schools’ and provide ‘thousands of new teachers’… When will we see that?

I agree on that for sure. They need a better way to listen to us not men phoning in.

It’s good a site with mostly women is seen as important politically. It’s been easy for some to scoff due to ‘mumsnet’ but the media are slowly realising our views count.

I absolutely understand why Labour lost people in the Red Wall, etc. Is is also Labour’s fault that former BNP, EDL types are also drawn to Reform and will perhaps become part of its councils and the like? If Reform get the majority like they keep telling us all they will, exactly who will their MPs be? If people don’t know what or who they’re voting for ‘because Liebour!’ then isn’t that a really dangerous situation for us all?

At some point Reform and its supporters are going to have stop trading on their media spin, criticism/blame of everyone else and it’s hugely divisive politics. What will the look like in government? Who will be their MPs? What positive contribution has Farage ever made to society? It’s about time Farage, his party and their policies were given the same level of media scrutiny and political accountability as other parties and politicians.

I am guessing very few women phoned in, otherwise surely they'd have not bothered with the men?

Your last paragraph is how many feel about Labour. That’s part of their problem.

We have national elections in Wales in four months. Reform hasn't announced any of its candidates yet as far as I can see. I wonder if they are leaving it until the last minute to minimise the potential for dirt being dug?

@Alexandra2001

Well, considering after 14 years of Tory Govt, the number of children in poverty reached record highs of 4.5m...

Is there an agreed definition of what child poverty in UK is?

How anyone in seriousness can suggest that Labour and its politicians aren’t under heavy media scrutiny is beyond me - not a reflection of reality at all.

Yes! They didn’t even send a representative to the Senedd election debate - too early for policies, says Farage! All other parties managed it. They’ll wheel him out for some photo opportunities just before though, not as if it’s a single-issue party built around a cult of personality.