A casual friend has just told me she's standing as a Reform candidate

[Mumblechum0]

And I have no clue how to respond.

I've always liked her, we're not close, ie don't do anything just the two of us, but are often in the same group at parties, book group, joint birthday bashes etc.

She's very posh, professional job, husband's a head fund manager (he walks round in a tweed cap and goes shooting on his family estate etc etc...just setting the scene, she's well educated etc.)

Anyway, she messaged me yesterday to say that she wanted me to know in advance that she's standing as a Reform candidate in our local elections; she didn't ask for my support, but didn't want me to just see her face on a leaflet through the door.

I'm married to a black man, have a mixed race son.

I haven't responded yet, as I don't know whether it's best to just ignore, or to say thanks for letting me know, or actually to say I'm quite horrified (which is my actual reaction).

Any ideas?

I think it's disengenuous to suggest that anti Muslim rhetoric isn't racist. The majority of Muslims in the UK are black and brown and the people Reform want to shoot are coming from Iran, Syria and Afghanistan.

Reform supporters bring up how dangerous Muslim men are and how they're all sex offenders. A lot of Vietnamese people come over via boats but they're not a problem apparently.

They also spout the far right Great Replacement theory, saying that Muslims are invading the country in order to take over and soon there won't be any white people left.

Muslims are referred to in very dehumanising terms and the riots weren't a surprise. Social media is a cess pit of far right racist and anti Muslim rhetoric.

Albanians are white, they're one of us, therefore they fly under the radar.

'Morally bankrupt' is an expression as in without morals.

I think it's disengenuous to suggest that anti Muslim rhetoric isn't racist. The majority of Muslims in the UK are black and brown and the people Reform want to shoot are coming from Iran, Syria and Afghanistan.

The countetargument is that there isn't any anti-black, anti-Sikh or anti Christian brown people rhetoric. Which would suggest that it isn't about the skin colour but rather the religion/culture.

Furthermore, many Syrians are no more brown-skinned than Albanians, Italians or Romanians.

Well. those who called them deplorable were proved right, or rather too mild, as the Trump government and their henchmen are not 'deplorable', they are EVIL INHUMAN MONSTERS!!! Who are endangering the whole WORLD!!!

Do you also think that it was 'superior and sanctimonious' of our ancestors to oppose the Nazis? Or the Stalinists? Or more recently the National Front/ BNP/ etc.?

Perhaps the opposition could be more effective; but that doesn't mean that opposition is wrong or 'sanctimonious'. Many of us don't feel 'superior' to the far right; we feel TERRIFIED of them.

Yes exactly! It's just hate, hate, division and hate they promote,.for what reason!

We have a different experience of social media and Reform supporters. What I've seen is 'remigration now', 'usual suspects', deport foreigners and keep Britain white posts.

The Reform supporters are anti immigration, anti Muslim and racist. They talk of the UK being invaded and taken over.

It doesn't matter what the skin colour of Syrians is. According to some, they come from a shit hole and are trying to turn the UK into the 'third world.'

On the campaign trail, one Reform candidate was talking about shooting at the boats from the shore.

Half of the us population have not been “proven” to be “evil, inhuman” or “monsters”. What nonsense

Thank you for this post.

I don't understand how being anti Muslim is not prejudiced? I don't want anyone being prejudiced against any religion in the UK.

Reforms obsession with Muslims means they are also obsessed with Muslim rape gangs, failing to realise that those groups of people are not responsible for the majority of sexual crimes in the UK. They wanted public funds to be ploughed into a public equiry to suit their political aims not to address sexual crime rates.

as in financially bankfrupt eg too many people coming over etc what good is trying to help all if the uk goes bankfrupt doing it ?

Yes, most people living in facist countries are nice to know I'm sure. But you are responsible for who you vote into power. The people in the US are finally realising they made a mistake with Trump - it costs us all dearly in the long run. Morally, ethically, financially.

Why don't you answer the question about whether you was superior or sanctimonious to right the Nazis? That's the thing with Reform voters they always skirt around the realities, everyone is bearing witness to the state of the U.S. how can you rationalise this as moderate behaviour as acceptable. Stop pretending it is all regular, nothing to see here..are you Reform candidate or something?

To oppose the Nazis that should read, not that grammatical mess above!

“Thanks for letting me know. I won’t be voting for you and probably best we don’t discuss politics in future”.

No, but those whom they voted for have.

Reform types don't realise that they're being manipulated. The far right is on the rise all over the West and social media providers have stopped moderating content.

It's very easy to get sucked into a far right rabbit hole. However, many don't seem to realise that what they're reading is far right rhetoric.

I was talking to someone on here who started coming out with the Great Replacement conspiracy theory. They were going on about us being replaced by an invasion of Muslims. When I said why are you talking about far right conspiracy theories on a parenting forum, they professed innocence. Never heard of it.

Countering accusations of being far right are people saying that the term is meaningless. Obviously there's a lot of cognitive dissonance involved. They just want remigration, Christianity and an ethnostate - far right, moi?

Islam is a religion and ideology though rather than a racial group. There are also a lot of violent Islamist extremist groups in the uk and internationally who are very dangerous to the vast majority of British people (including most Muslims) and should rightly be criticised.

Don’t be silly

It’s not worth any more of your energy . She’s made up her mind regardless of her friends. Just end the relationship as you’re not particularly close anyway

@Maitri108Agree. They want a version of the UK that has never existed. Just 'white people', Christians and no immigration.

Unless we do what Trump is doing (pretending to put Americans first but doing anything but).

Remember Farage was all over Musk until he got spectacularly dumped on twitter.

Being Reform / Farage is not a good look right now.

You don't think that Trump and Vance have proved themselves to be utterly evil?
Not to mention Kennedy and his monstrous anti-vaccination views?

This. If she’s not a racist, she’s picked the wrong team. Or worse, she might be one of those “I didn’t mean YOU of course” racists who make exceptions for people they know or like, thereby adding hypocrisy to their already dubious views.

I'm so tired of all the Reform apologists trying to argue that they aren't racist. We know who Nigel Farage is and what he stands for, and we know what Reform is all about.

If you hold racist beliefs, at least have the courage to stand up and say so.

Terrorists and extremists should be criticised obviously. For example, everyone is talking about Adolescence and incels which are classed as extremists.

We have a problem with far right extremists, look at the riots last year and people trying to set light to an occupied building.

However, the problem is when you tar everyone with the same brush and forget the human. The majority of Muslims in this country are getting on with their lives. They work, pray, care for their families and don't have extremist views. They're not an infestation.

Given her husband’s a hedge fund manager (making assumptions here, but let’s face it she’s sitting pretty) she’s likely a right wing Tory - economically driven? Perhaps have a chat with her why she likes their policies next time you see her? Be prepared to ask questions and have some responses from your pov. Does it concern you about their response to race and immigration etc?

My local Next Door page has a large contingent of Reform supporters. It's all "illegals" "usual suspects" "5* hotels" "threatening British culture" "not being allowed to celebrate Christmas"... yet they're not racist. If you ask them what the appeal of Reform is, they can't really tell you.