Pro Reform or not?

[WTAFMF]

My husband thinks way more people are 'Reform' than you'd think and many keep it quiet.

I disagreed but lately, with the flags and recent march and conversations at school gates, etc. I'm starting to think he may be right.

Pro Reform = You are being unreasonable
Other Party/None = You are NOT being unreasonable

Wondering what the consensus is on Mumsnet..

This is true.

I was joking the other day that my little private pension will grow while "they' are enjoying the benefits of a Reform government; but day to day will be an absolute struggle.

I loathe Reform and everything they stand for. I understand that a lot of people are disillusioned with mainstream politics but Reform are not the answer to anything.

I can tell you that DS24 and all his friends voted Reform last time and will be again
The 20yr old girls that work at my place have also not been shy at admitting they are reform supporters. I'm waiting to see if Starmer gives the 16-18 yr olds the vote or if he's noted that on the continent where they've been given the vote there has been a significant swing to the right.

That's incredibly sad, but I don't think they are representative of their generation as a whole. The polls show that most young people don't support Reform, even though the numbers that do have risen.

Ds and his friends all voted Labour/Green.

The young girls at work vote the same.

The swing to the right is amongst men, not all young people. And the 16-18 year olds are currently left leaning.

All university educated too!

How can a 20 year old have finished university unless they started at 16/17

Clearly standards have fallen if anyone could look at Reform and considered them fit to run a corner shop.

I agree with you.

Absolutely. And your last paragraph could quite as easily be referring to our current Labour govt... and a reason why so many people are perhaps now looking to Reform.

Starmer has been an absolute disaster! I cannot see him lasting another four months - let alone four years!

A brilliant post and something so many on here could do well to understand.

Just gone into third and final year.

But you said the 20 year olds work with you … You also said your son is 24.

You take what you want from University. Some people learn and grow from being surrounded by a diverse group of friends, and some very much stick to their bubble - like they never left school.

What change is refreshing to you?

Overt racism/discrimination?
Government sanctioned environmental suicide?
Scrapping of protections for vulnerable citizens?

Sounds really refreshing, as long as you are white, heterosexual and don't have children or give a shit about the environment.

In the words of William Hazlitt: “The prejudice of one generation becomes the opinion of the next.”

Boomers 1 : Humanity 0

That's the thing - I can't easily talk to her about it - her kids are part of the problem - they have severe mental health issues, she's lost her mother and her husband within the last two years. She's gone from someone active and energetic, to someone who talks about herself as if she's a victim - it's a complete change in mindset, she says she's not depressed but life events have taken their toll. I can tell at times that she is struggling cognitively, stuttering & repeating herself. I don't want to walk away, I don't want to believe she is racist, but I find it very hard to listen to her when she starts. I try to change the subject but she persists. Last time I saw her, I had to walk away because she just couldn't stop saying offensive things, even when I asked her to stop repeatedly.

I need to become a bit more resilient to it.

Voted pro reform but I am not really,however they certainly grasped the public mood and are understanding the current issues that genuinely matter to people regarding immigration. That being said it appears on todays news channels that Starmer has finally woken up and is making some right noises in that direction. Too little too late and its amazing how his priorities have changed overnight,almost in the face of such a bad conference speech when again he dealt the racist card to all who were concerned. I was a staunch Conservative voter all my life yet now in my mid 50s I am politically homeless. Reform and Advance UK are the only parties that are speaking to me right now. I will never vote for labour ever.So come election time I will see.

I do not think more people are Reform than we realise. Hiwever, I think.most people want illegal immigration sorted. I think most people want a cap on immigration. We need to be able to have sendible conversation around immigration. Debate does not mean racism. The party who addresses this will win the election. For context I am British born in my 50s offspring of a father from Caribbean.
The flag flying makes me nervous because for many this is not as a source of national pride.
As an aside, how are people managing to draw St George's flag on mini roundabouts?

I'm a little bit this. It would be good to see everyone (on all sides) holding them accountable for not doing what they say they are doing to do.

However, individuals (Farage and his friends) will make a lot of money out of this and the country will be worse off.

I need we need some "prepare for Reform" threads in the preppers section.

That is correct. For clarity....

my son and his friends are 24, had a university education, left 2/3 years ago and are now taxpayers in the early stages of their careers.

The 20 year olds have had two years of their university education and most are in their final years. They work part time in retail with me.

I know what it's like trying to help someone who isn't well. I didn't mean to come across as telling you what to do by the way. I think you have to look after yourself as well. In my case, it was someone older than me and we knew she wasn't well so it was easier to just tune it out (or seperate the person from their opinions mentally). But it's very hard to hear racist things (especially as in my case if you have family members who fall into those groups) Your situation sounds really difficult. Personally I never liked the hardline "if you are friends with a racist you are a racist" credo. That to me sounds like an easy way to isolate people further but that's not the same thing as sitting and smiling while someone rants away. It's a mental health toll.on you as well. Is there any way you can ask her to just not bring that subject up or is she too far gone do you think?

No to Reform, I hate their idealogy with a passion.

Can we please stop turning AIBU into a Reform promotional tool?

If you believe that you will believe anything.
But then most Reform supporters will in my experience.
They really are the suckers who don't deserve an even break.

I agree with your husband. I overheard someone in the library telling a story about migrant benefits , my physio told me ‘500 people are being sneaked in from Gaza a night’ and the people I worked with at last place were all voting reform to ‘stop people sitting around on benefits getting there money’ .

i also think that where people might have been worried about being accused as being racist - that is just dropping away and it’s an empty insult. people seem more and more comfortable saying they feel threatened from folk from other cultures. People also feel like life is tough at the moment. There’s not much hope around.

It reminds me of the discomfort I felt over the Brexit referendum. I think many people who are in a progressive bubble are going to get a shock.