To be worried about the dark political direction of this country

[Krenonges]

Has anyone else seen the video doing the rounds of Farage being properly grilled in Congress? Honestly, it was the first time I’ve ever seen him held to account, unlike here, where the UK media give him endless airtime and barely challenge him.

They raised his 17 appearances on Russian state TV and his open admiration for Putin. Shocking, but not exactly surprising. Apparently he’s over in the US slagging off the UK, trying to cosy up to Trump, and giving speeches at far-right, anti-abortion events. Is this genuinely what he’s about now?

What I can’t wrap my head around is how he continues to poll so highly. Time and again he seems to act in ways that are completely at odds with the UK’s best interests, yet his supporters see him as some kind of saviour who’ll “stop the boats”. The irony being, of course, that the small boat crisis is a direct consequence of Brexit – the very thing he spent years pushing.

I know politics is never squeaky clean, but this feels different. It feels like there are darker, more insidious forces backing him, with the aim of undermining and dismantling the country bit by bit. It’s frightening to think how many people are still buying into the image he’s carefully crafted for himself, when the reality seems so much murkier.

All I ever hear from Reform voters when I challenge them is 'Yes, but Labour are crap' or 'You're just a leftie'. I'm not that left wing or even a Labour supporter, and i know Labour arent doing a good job right now. I just can't understand why people think Reform is the best alternative when Farage is clearly going to pimp the country out to his rich backers. The 'stop the boats' immigration debate is just the red herring, dog whistle policy that will get him votes.

More worrying is how the country can afford to keep paying out billions in benefits whilst screwing people to the bone with Labours forthcoming tax rises. Any promised solution is worth a try. And thousands of migrants arriving by the day all needing our already overburdened services

@peanutbuttertoasty the sign of a lost argument is when they start calling people thick/uneducated/morons etc. This is exactly why the left are imploding.

These two posts are quite amusing

Many of our overburdened services are only still running because of migrant workers.

But surely the problem is that these people are not ALLOWED to work. We need more workers. We need immigration but those immigrants need to work and pay tax. We don't have enough people eof working age to pay the pensions of the aging population. That's the problem.

I think people are focussing on the boats due to the fact that firstly they don’t believe that they are genuinely seeking asylum and secondly, and most importantly, it costs the country £5 million per DAY

When ordinary people are struggling, this seems like a HUGE amount of money.

Absolutely spot on!

Unfortunately it may well come down, for me, to who hates women the least. And the far more pressing issues are that 1. The government understand and are able to correctly articulate what a women is and 2. Keep men out of women's spaces. But the likes of the Greens etc? No chance.

Well I do see your point to an extent here. I agree that I dont want men in women's spaces but for me maternity rights and abortion rights are a bigger deal. Because more women need abortions or maternity protection than suffer from men invading our spaces. But it really shouldn't be a choice between these I agree.

I don't understand how people think Reform are listening and coming up with realistic policies to rectify all the issues that we are dealing with, as far as I can see all they are doing is scapegoating, blaming every single thing on immigration and deliberately blurring the lines between all types of immigration so all we end up with are groups of people jumping on a quite frankly nasty bandwagon

I don't think it really matters what the issue is. There is a reduced pot and its easy to say that everyone would have more if there were less people.

It's a simple story, it makes sense as a narrative. It appeals to people who don't have a lot and want a bigger slice of the pie.

It's the same as the NH S bus slogan. People really believed 350mil would go to the NHS, not reading between the headline that just because politicians say it could go to the NHS didn't mean they had any intention of doing so.

@Wonderwendy For what it's worth, I don't think Farage is the answer and his views on Energy positively fill me with dread. But the overriding issue is that Labour etc al actively hate the people of this country and are making it obvious. Reform are promising something different and that's what's drawing people to them.

Why do you think labour hate the people of this country? That's such an odd statement. Why do you say it?

Yes op I wouldn't rely on your 80% that much. Currently Labour are on 70% disapproval rating and only 11% approval and if an election were held tomorrow Reform would get in.

Mn is out of step on much of this.

I have never been so terrified than I am now, about what the future holds if that snake oil salesman gets in.

i wasn’t born in the UK but I’ve been here for decades and love the country. It is my home.

the prospect of seeing it decline further and potentially lose it’s amazing NHS makes me unspeakably sad.

I am praying and hoping that labour manage to sort the immigration issue, it’s the only way to stop Farage. Look what his brexit acheived? Illegal immigration increased after it! I wish he’d never got into politics, he’s done so much damage.

Agree. People should be allowed (I’d even suggest be told they have) to work whilst their claims are processed. The vast majority want to, they are human beings and dignity and self-respect are important to all of us.
other beneficial results: this “they’re given all of this free stuff” narrative would end overnight and the minority that didn’t want to work would be put off making the journey if it was a requirement.

I'm totally ashamed of my country and I hate what it's turning into. Whenever I travel overseas I feel obliged to apologise for being British. I'd be out of here in a heartbeat if I had the option of living anywhere else.

I've often wondered how much of a difference this poster might have made to the referendum result if it hadn't been suppressed at the time...

the biggest threat to this country has been and continues to be the woke leftist nonsense. It’s this that will be the countries downfall, along with socialism and militant Islamism

Even if this was true what is Farage going to do better?

Keep hearing about militant Islamism on these sort of threads. Muslims are around 6% of the population of the UK. I really would like to know how 6 % is going to rise up and take power?

It's a simple story, it makes sense as a narrative. It appeals to people who don't have a lot and want a bigger slice of the pie.

I would understand if they would get a bigger slice but Reform won't do that.

To some extent you are correct that increased precarity does mean the frogs notice that they are being boiled. But demographic change in the UK is a legitimate worry in itself for many.

You said "What I can’t wrap my head around is how he continues to poll so highly." - I urge you to genuinely try, because I bet you haven't. You don't have to agree, but at least you would understand your political opponents, which would put you in a better position strategically.

They're not going to stay 6% though are they? White liberals aren't having kids. Conservative Muslims are.

Also, to add, it is often a motivated minority who secures their interests against an oblivious or apathetic majority. Look at the gains trans rights activists made. The majority when polled prefer women to retain their rights, but they're more worried and preoccupied with other matters and their lives. Those who are hell bent on having their way, tend to be remarkably successful against a backdrop of people who just want to be left alone and do not engage.

Even that implies that all Muslims are radical islamists which is not even slightly the case.

I don’t think that’s the case at all.
Point was, even if it were, 6% is hardly a huge threat.

We have no way of knowing, extreme Islamists hide in the long grass of moderates