To think Reform could be a little less smug?

[PersephonePistol]

Top of the polls, defections, no doubt do very well in the local elections in May.

But could they be a little less smug about it all? I’m not saying they shouldn’t big up the good stuff (from their perspective) that’s going on but they’re treating the next election like it’s in the bag.

I’m not sure it’s a terribly good look.

They can't help it because the plebs (a word used by lovely Nigel) have fallen for them yet again.

I think being so far up Trump's arsehole they disappear and spreading lies/misinformation is a much worse look myself. But yes, it is embarrassing.

I despise them. And their sheep.

Reform will not gain control of the Welsh Parliament. Plaid Cymru are well ahead of them.

@Cluborange666why?

This country will hammer the final nail into its own coffin of terminal decline if it elects such charlatans as a Government. The people who vote for them won’t be looking remotely smug a few years later.

Lol

There isn't a political party in history that isn't smug when things are looking up for them.

Are you serious?

Honestly, OP, I'm just amazed that anyone would expect Reform to behave in a way that even half way resembles ordinary human decency.

I expect them to behave in a reprehensible manner. A bit of smugness doesn't even feature in my own concerns about them.

Why are they popular? They're rubbish local councillors, show themselves to be inept and without any actual political abilities? Farage is bizarrely teflon - every reason why you shouldn't vote for him is in the public realm, and yet! Crazy.

Well, personally I think that Reform should fuck off to the far side of fuck!

YANBU.

They are totally unfit to be anywhere near government

Really? Have you seen the US? Have you seen Reform’s councils? Have you seen their lying and bullying and corruption? They are the dregs of society.

Perhaps it's time to reflect on why they are so popular

Agree but I think taking in all the worst of the Tory party is shooting themselves in the foot. How can they present themselves as a new fresh different party who will shake things up when they're riddled with failures from a previous abysmal government?

Because an awful lot of people believe any old shit and totally unproven simplistic solutions for complex problems - it’s easy to spout any old bollocks when you aren’t in power or dealing with ‘the books’ - itsall theory and dogmas that point. The decline of the country goes back a long way and all initially started by parties to the right of politics, sell off housing, privatise this that and the other, talk about austerity etc when clearly not that austere to lose £400 billion to Brexit for no particular gains etc, etc - then of course as well as the believe any old shit brigade , we have the Telegraph type rich people who don’t want any controls at all on how they make their money and ideally little taxation on them too .

I can understand the desire to have something different, if you feel things aren't working for you because recent governments haven't had your interests in mind. What I don't get is why anyone sees Reform as the best 'party' to bring about the Utopia they imagine. They dismiss evidence of unsuitability for public office as 'noise', and genuinely think being joined by the dregs of the Tories is a triumph.
I don't doubt they will do well in England. Other parts of the country have a better chance of keeping them away from local government.

To paraphrase - you believe people are stupid and gullible and are being sold a lie.

Is there something else you would rather people did, what is that?

What evidence do you have that anyone thinks Reform are a panacea that will deliver a utopia? I don't think anyone thinks that.

They're the only available option to send a signal to our rulers that we need an emergency halt on immigration to the UK. That's pretty much it. The rest can be dealt with further down the line, but people see the house on fire and there's only one option for putting that fire out. It probably won't work, but it's better to try than watch the whole thing burn. That's what they're thinking. Farage and Reform get a lot of criticism from the right.

Labour irritating more people each week is part of it.

We in NI don’t get a say in who ends up in power, yet we are ultimately ruled by them, despite our toothless devolved government. So if you lot vote in Reform, fuck you very much in advance.

Reform have had a bit of a dip in the polls lately, most notably in Wales where PC has opened up a reasonable lead over them. The key question is whether this can be sustained long enough.

Reform are in a bit of a tricky spot at the moment though. The continued Conservative defections to their party are damaging them in some ways, as many Reform voters chose them instead of the Tories but are now seeing Reform turn into Tory+, stuffed with Conservative rejects. In some ways the defections are good news for them, but in others not.

Secondly, there is Farages historically close association with Trump. Trump at the moment is not popular (to say the least) and this could cause some sections of the voter base to look elsewhere, leaving Reform with it's smaller pillar of more hardcore supporters. It will be interesting to see how Farage navigates this.

Well Labour are not exactly doing such a good job are they? They have made in clear in every way possible that they despise the Britisb electorate.
Every time 2 tier Kier opens his gob he pushes more voters into the arms of Nigel.
He has the charisma of a sack of spuds
(Although a sack of spuds is generally quite useful) 🤣

If they're smug then it's misplaced. They've become a refuge for failed Tories and their connections to Trump and Russia will be under the spotlight once an election nears - newest recruit Andrew Rosindell was deputy chairman of the Conservative Friend of Russia group back in the day. Sergei Lavrov's company paid for some of their 'fact finding' trips to Russia, so that's a great look...

@PersephonePistol I would think it was hilarious if it wasn't so serious. A party being smug about filling its ranks with people from the party who screwed up the country is almost as hilarious as it gets. It would make them unelectable if the electorate hadn't already proved themselves so stupid.

Maybe said electorate learned its lesson over the Brexshit debacle, however I fear not. Politics at the moment is dire.