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.

True. The press are picking up on that too.

I can’t remember where I saw it but there’s been some odd attempts at smears. “Low energy” which yeh is not the case, that’s been dropped for dinner party whatever below. Also “weird” which is probably a euphemism for not pale and male enough.

It changes as she gets ahead. Whatever is said she’s not foolish, she gets Starmer on the ropes every week.

@Dragonflytamer Are you referring to Wales as a ‘burden’ in your earlier response? Just wanted to clarify.

Often called “St. Kemi” on the lefty threads, never understood what that was all about.

Not American, likely default spellchecker.
Reform agnostic means I'm open to voting for them, but other than vibes, I haven't been given compelling reasons yet.
When I do get those...if I do get those...
I fully get the "Reform are no ally of women" take. For all the reasons you list.
However the main parties in their own way are not particularly allies of women either.
But I can see how Farage et all have the whiff of testosterone about them.

Usual belittling. Although interesting given on another thread some claimed to have never seen made up names for any politicians other than Labour.

What would compel you to vote Reform?What policies would they need to propose to swing you from agnostic to supporter?

Even Plaid Cymru describe Wales burden "So long as Wales remains a part of the UK, Plaid Cymru believes that the role of UK Government in Wales should be to provide enough financial support for our public services" I'm not sure anyone believes the country is net economic contributor.

This hasn’t been answered, but how would it work?

@Sherbs12do you think it would?

Quite how PC expect to balance their fiscal budget given the scale and breadth of their manifesto pledges, is beyond me.

Independence would prove catastrophic for Wales - even a GCSE Economics student would be able to pretty quickly conclude that.

I have relatives living in Wales, and gosh do they have it good compared to much of England. Free prescriptions, subsidised public transport, train stations in even the tiniest of hamlets to improve connectivity between rural and city living, cheap housing in abundance, a miniscule number of asylum seekers so no extra burden on public services. Everywhere is cleaner and works better. People are happier. Nationalism is encouraged and people are proud of their heritage. I visited a town in Pembrokeshire where a homeless charity had set up its own estate agency for properties available to rent, thus reducing tough sleepers! Never seen anything even remotely similar in England.

I’m sure that this will go right over your head (and the head of at least one other poster), but I think factual discussion on net contribution is one thing, and referring to Wales as a ‘burden’ has very different connotations.

Also, does anyone have any update on the billions lost from the taxpayer by the Tory Covid contracts? I feel like they’re also quite a burden on the honest, ordinary taxpayer.

How much time have you got? Lol
Let's kick off with getting to grips with the exponential explosion in young people on permanent mental health disability benefits.
Current data shows 500k, with numbers joining this mountain rising from 5k monthly, under Sunak to 10k monthly right now.
These individuals mainly signed off after a cursory phone or online "consultation", never to be re-assessed.
I remember the 80s...there were riots when the dole queues swelled to 1.5-2m.
Someone tell me how this is any more acceptable, and doesn't have the same awful outcomes for the individuals themselves, society right now, the destructive debt transferred to the children and grandchildren of parents today?
I fully expect Farage to say that such diagnoses are being put on hold, people will be reassessed. Properly. No more distance checks where nothing can be certain, no, in depth, in person, with proper assessors, no assessors being given bonuses for reaching targets on people being signed off.
Those days will be gone under Reform, and I suspect under the Tories as well.
One area of many that both parties will align to.
Let's leave it to Polanski etc to keep and expand the status quo as a policy to defend at the GE.

Ah, ok - it was just the ‘Do you have soccer moms in the UK?’ question that threw me.

I think vibes, media and the Nigel Farage show is all the currently have, so that’s totally understandable.

Agreed that all parties have weak spots on women, although for me with Reform it’s less about the testosterone and more about the glossing over the woman-beating / heinous crimes that Andrew Tate is accused of. Huge, gigantic red flags.

There are plenty of places in the UK that are net beneficiaries, hell, likely London and SE are the places making most of the wealth the rest derive benefit from.
The point is that the SNP and Plaid never discuss this when proposing their independence from UK.
With 60% of Welsh employees deriving their weekly wage from the NHS and public sector, however are they gonna survive being on their own as Plaid seem to want?
I'd actually say Plaid are more dangerous populists than Reform would ever be.
Yet left wing populists like Plaid, SNP, Maduro in NYC, never seen to get blowback from all the left liberal commentators out there who rail against Farage 24/7.

Yet it's fine for those anti Faragists for Nicola Sturgeon to wave Isla Bryson into a women's prison, and call any criticism from women as transphobic and beyond the pale.
Look at the philosophy of so much of the left to look the other way on women's rights when it suits them, Harriet Harman and Patricia Hewitt supporting PIE in the 70s.
You don't think that ethos has died a death on the left?
No chance, Labour's embrace of trans ideology is a straight line from Harman, Hewitt.
Politics today is now also about who you least want in power, having moved from a 2 party system up until the 70s, 3 parties up until 2019, 6 parties in 2029.

To be clear, I’m not in Wales or Welsh, so I’m not campaigning here - I just took issue with the pp’s choice of language, although I’m sure I’ll get hammered for being too much of a bleeding heart liberal for doing that (but that’s ok because I get far worse when trying to debate with Reform supporters on social media amidst the fist and flag emojis).

I think people do critique those things? I think people are also making tactical choices to keep out what they fear most. I’ve certainly had criticisms of both PC and the SNP, and their leaders, but as I’ve already mentioned, it’s the elements of the racist underbelly, the casualness in their approach to voilence against women, the links to Russia/Putin that repulse me with Reform.

I think maybe you need to get to grips with the PIP and ESA systems if you think assessors are being given bonuses for "reaching targets" on people being "signed off".

That is an outright lie and I don't know where you have got that idea from. Unless you mean targets for turning down claims? Even then, don't think there are bonuses involved

Don't believe everything Farage tells you.

To be clear: I don’t think Sturgeon’s actions with regards to that were fine - that’s not something I support. I also don’t live in Scotland, but I wouldn’t have been campaigning for her after that, if I did.

I'm following Fraser Nelson on this, no Reform stooge is he.
As far as I can see, the only journalist covering this story.
This Labour govt won't even touch this area.
A future Reform/Tory one will.

I know you weren't likely to. All I'm doing is highlighting a major area of concern, as you are with Reform.
How about the Streeting PB Trial.
This is another schism between right and left.
I know which side I'm on.

I think its more a reflection on certain posters absolute praise for her... she can no wrong in the eyes of some on here.

Never used it myself though, she is just another Tory leader who will fall by the wayside before the next GE.

Her personal polling is poor and like Starmer, it will all pivot on the May elections, its not looking good for either of them atm.

It has probably gone over year head (given the patronising basis of you're posts) but it is not me that is supporting Welsh Nationalism. I am quite happy for the Union to stay as it is. If the Welsh wish to vote for a party driving for independence that is their own self determination.

Haha, if I'd said Gen X Football Mums, it wouldn't have had the same ring, lol.
My point in mentioning that was these "Moms" were instrumental as a demographic along with Hispanics, and to some extent Gen Z males, in getting Trump over the line.

Do you think so?

Badenoch was in Govt for 5 years, during those 5 years the benefits bill sky rocketed.

Benefits of course, encompasses things like SEN provision, whilst directly it comes from the Education budget, many SENs families will be claiming many other benefits, then there is childcare, huge drain on public resources, handed out to people on up to 100k pa.

Then there is Pension Credit...

When people say they want the benefits bill cut, it usually doesn't mean cutting things they claim or support.

As for targets on PIP etc, total rubbish, i ve worked for the DWP, met accessors and seen many claimants.

‘Certain posters’ some are coy with the accusations.

Another point backing the op.