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?

Shouldn’t we all be obsessed with Muslim grooming gangs?

Maybe if she's a nice person she will bring common sense to local government.

This

Have you read their manifesto?

I guess it’s up to you. I cannot imagine having in my circle of friends the type of person that would support Reform so I suppose it’s not a problem I would ever be faced with. If it was somebody I was not close to I would phase them out.

Good luck whatever you decide to do.

Where is the tantrum?

Blocking and moving on with your life is the opposite of a tantrum. Why do people like you “throw tantrums” at the thought of people wishing you only associate with those who share their values?

No more than paedophile priests, MPs, TV presenters etc. Meaning, it's the crime not the religion of the perpetrator that is the problem.

I'd block her but then I'm a black woman who can't afford to have racist people in my life. She'd be out of my life and I would never speak to her again.

I note that when migration into the UK was mainly white from "christian" europe, did UKip etc call for them to be shot, drowned or referred too as an invasion & anti British culture.. as said by a leading Tory recently?

Aren't Reform calling for Tommy Robinson to be released?

Would many in the UK give CPR to a muslim/black drowning victim found on a beach? no i don't think they would at all.

Its all driven by racism, if these were fresh faced blued eyed Canadians or Australians we'd not be hearing this rhetoric.

I think a lot of people try to ignore the racist understones of Reform so they don’t have to accept what agreeing with them says about them!

Ok, on this point. What if those on the boats were brown skinned, brown eyed Australians - I believe there would be far less uproar. Which makes me lean towards it being a cultural issue/difference.

Which Tory was this? I'd like to read more about it and can't find it by researching. I did just find something about Andrew Parker & his comments were abhorrent and condemned by Reform.

I also have faith in fellow Brits. I can simply not imagine the majority of people walking past a drowning victim and not giving CPR based on the colour of their skin. In fact I think it rather "racist" to make such a negative assumption about British people based on no evidence of that.

For what it's worth I've not ever really considered Reform and their policies and I welcome this discussion to learn more about them and why they're considered racist.

I sincerely hope your group of friends are not in part responsible for this awful government we are currently having to suffer. If so you must all be ashamed of yourselves.

Conservative Suella Braverman said it, when she was Home Secretary, she was following on from Farage who said similar.

Braverman now calling for the woman jailed for incitement to be freed.

As we don't know the cultures of the boat migrants, just an assumption they are muslim, yes the hatred is based on colour.

I think many British people would walk on by, if they saw a dying boat migrant on the shore, my own opinion & obviously cannot be proven either way.

I don’t think that’s fair. A seaside town near me became a bit xenophobic when there was mass immigration of Poles. It was the sudden language, cultural change in the town not skin colour.

faced blued eyed Canadians or Australians Many of my family live in Canada actually. My brown family that settled during Partition. The assumption that white Canadians would be treated differently to my brown family here isn’t my experience. They are considered Canadian first and foremost. Both here and there the racism is on levels - immigration is one level - assumption s based on skin colour another.

Yes I also think most people would give CPR. That was my point.

I don’t necessarily think all reform supporters are racist, but if not racist they are definitely a bit intellectually challenged with weak critical thinking skills if they cannot see any parallels between reforms rhetoric and 1930s Germany, not to mention notice the glaringly obvious hypocrisy they spout, as well as the major flaws in their policies.

It isn’t a coincidence that any time I read the comments on a pro- reform post, the spelling is atrocious, full of complete bullshit that makes no sense to anybody reasonably intelligent, and they can never answer sensible questions or form well reasoned arguments because they haven’t a clue what they are on about.

Extremist parties target the poorly educated, most ignorant demographics of society because they are the most susceptible to psychological manipulation tactics, and also happen to be the same people who tend to double down when they are wrong because their ego won’t let them be wrong! Nige and co knew exactly what they were doing. They’ve stitched this country up like a kipper!

I almost feel sorry for those who have fallen for it, so perhaps your friend isn’t all that clever. I’d definitely block her though.

Its an opinion, just as yours is, we cannot prove it..... but yes some people would but i don't think many Reform voters would be queuing up to save him...

I never noticed the hatred seen towards European migration, was there the online hate we see now?

Did people in your home town call for these Poles, mainly white/Christian, to be burned alive and then try to do this? or want them to be thrown back into the channel?

@Teanbiscuits33 Genuine question in your ideal world what would politics look like? Given a proportion of voters are a bit thick and vote for populist ideas/ characters.
How far left or right would you allow, in order to ensure no extremists voted in. Or would you keep it as is.

Also what would be your method of tackling illegal immigration to the uk.

"go home" was certainly heard by many EE throughout their lives here, if not by most. People were/are attacked for being EE. Children bullied qt schools for being EE. Threads made towards some, arson attacks on some homes and shops. There were some hate motivated killings too.
The prejudice against some EE, especially Romanians and Albanians is out of scale. "There are too many!". EEs had it before Twitter became main mouthpiece and news source. The peak of hate crime around Brexit was actually scary. Actually, EE immigration was one of the main topics for Brexit.

I am always quite dismayed when people claim people in UK were/are totally fine with white immigrants. Has it been going unnoticed or been downplayed by people because EE are white (but not high enough on hierarchy of whitness to be equal to WE ones)? Or is it be a it wasn't played out online as heavily as this is now? Not on X, doesn't exist pr something?

Quite ignorant if yes tbh

Reform UK manifesto 2024: 11 key policies analysed - BBC News

Top one is immigration........

Just ignore it.
It would be different and more difficult if you were close friends, but hey - each to their own!

What do you think an ordinary person can do about them, apart from being aware and pushing for better, faster investigation and punishment?

How odd to message you. I wonder if she messaged all her acquaintances?

I have some Tory friends but that’s as far as I’m prepared to go!

You are right. For example, I remember when Farage was being openly xenophobic about Romanians. This is just one example:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27459923.amp

no need for the link it’s already been out for over a year so have seen it.

I still stand by what I said, and can see from this thread that others agree.

Ok