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?

Yes, this is so true and why more than any other party are they constantly batting off accusations of racism!

This isn’t the last time you’re going to have a Reform UK friend unless they are all lying in case you shame them. Reform has a lot of supporters and the support is growing. More and more people want to preserve Britain. ESpecially young people who see their future as bleak with the current policies.

You're not even close friends. Just acquaintances the way you've described it. So no headspace or faux outrage needed here. Just get on with your life....

She is a complete economic liability, literally everything she does is counter productive for the economy.

I have done rather well financially out of her stupidity but it does break my heart watching her impoverish the country and scare off investors (including me) day after day.

Politics is something that we’ve always discussed round the dinner table too, as did my parents, but I think it’s quite healthy to be able to debate different viewpoints rather than have identical opinions and agree with everything the other says. No matter how opposed your views are on uk politics in general, there are always things that you will agree on- for example, we both discuss the situation in Gaza on a daily basis with growing horror, particularly as our son in law is Palestinian and has lost a large number of his family over the last 18 months. My parents had very differing political views but it didn’t cause any problems in their relationship either because they were mature enough to accept that not everyone shares the same opinion.

A big shot investor scared of rachel from accounts indeed...

Not a big shot but I did ensure my investments were not at her mercy. Up 20% in 8 months and tax free.

I'm not referring to always agreeing, I stated, "diametrically opposed" so I could not entertain a relationship with someone who is extremely right wing, racist or sexist/misogynist as I have principles that I stand by and it would be completely unattractive to me. Disagreeing or debating an economic policy or political approach to an issue, perhaps informed by our jobs (where one or other of us may know more about the issue being debated) is an entirely different prospect to understanding someone who is a hot headed, unthinking fascist for example.

It's not as simple as that though, you have to dissect it to understand the real motivations and much of that is to do with many people have become unable to be intelligent, free thinking agents. It is not a case of the rise in Reform support is founded on a corresponding rise in fundamental understanding of the issues at play. There is lots of social media manipulation, people not applying critical thinking to these vox pops, just becoming feverishly outraged and not knowing why. A good example of that was in a Welsh town that had the highest votes for Brexit but also received the highest number of grants from the EU, they got caught up on the feverish hate and they ironically turned on themselves!

@Goldenbear I think that gets more difficult as time goes on, though. In my experience, while people’s fundamental views don’t usually change, as you become older, they tend to get more extreme. My husband’s views, and mine, were much less developed when we met when I was 17 and he was 21. Now we’re 67 and 70, we’ve both become more entrenched in our opinions. I’ve noticed this with most of our friends as well.

Pleased you've got your priorities straight!

I could cope just about with a Reform friend, more so if they had come from a position of Tory than if they had come from BNP/UKIP.
I wouldn't be friends with someone standing for election as Reform though. I wouldn't be rude to them but I would think a lot less of them and reduce time spent with them.

I've checked my list of local councillors up for election, I don't know any of them.

Some more genius moves from a reform candidate. A tommy robinson statue in every town square!!!

https://leftfootforward.org/2025/04/reform-uk-candidate-called-for-tommy-robinson-statue-in-every-town-square/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJiKZpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHozVAO8ogi015aFrXPkJltge6eLKkseu7hvjsKJQjawT-AycC3AODrYPGyka_aem_by9Fx-q4376Gz0vVAb3GeA. A

We're going to get 'taken over' by 'brown folk', haven't you heard?

😂

I've never wanted to vandalise before....... I'd have a chainsaw on order in a hot feckin' second!

He wants a statue of a convicted criminal in every town square? What a moron.

Someone called Donna Edmunds, who was running as a Reform candidate, apparently did yes. They are a weird bunch.