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.

I think Farage has become over-confident and is in danger of digging his own, and his party's, grave.

The notion that anyone could feel smug over adding Robert Jenerick/Nadhim Zahawi/Nadine Dorries to their party is frankly hilarious and shows just how little the Reform lot have between their ears.

So why is Reform's polling on the slide? Why did Reform lose in Caerphilly when the polls, the bookies and Farage himself thought Reform had it in the bag? How do you explain this poll 👇

'Smug' is NF's default setting.

Unfortunately I cannot change people’s prejudices and beliefs single handed - if they believe all the country’s ills are caused by a certain number of immigrants who have no right to be here that won’t change, same with believing ‘the south gets it all’ ( it doesn’t - see regenerations in last 12 years in Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle etc- compared to say Bristol or Southampton or Swindon) - if they can’t see that an MP who basically isn’t interested remotely in his own constituency and spouts views about total independence whilst themselves having an EU passport , so no issue for him moving around , or a deputy basing themselves mainly in Dubai isn’t exactly what they are preaching then clearly thinking beyond the obvious is not doable for many. You cannot base a whole philosophy on simply not liking foreigners ( unless they are rich ones of course and funding you) - that way of working is going so well in the USA at the moment - and maybe he should be reflecting on the fact that the immigration situation was nothing like it is now when in the EU when we had particular agreements of return in place . Why would you vote for a party too that now has a ton of the exact people plenty wanted to never hear from again ? The problem is it’s pretty hard for current gvt to turn anything around on shirt buttons, a great deal of the population have now sussed out, especially if lower paid and renting and often with children that they are little worse off doing much less hours , people 55 plus with strong pension funds thinking bollocks to working and now no longer contributing much tax or NI , younger people struggling to have any aspirations work wise, so many just’save up or cadge off parents and ‘go travelling’ for 18 months - etc, etc - it’s a complete minefield - I do get that people are fed up but unfortunately I think the reasons run far deeper than it being the current gvt and simply voting for a bunch with the same mindset as the previous bunch including many of the same people won’t get to the roots of the issue - those people are in it for themselves and couldn’t now get arrested in commercial world outside of politics.

To misquote Churchill, never has one been so smug over so little.

Read more widely

They have absolutely nothing to be smug about.

Conservatives are only 4 points behind them. They’ve dropped four points already. They’re becoming the worst of the Tory party.

Let's hope so!

That's neither far nor nasty enough for that plc

I wish they would all just fuck off personally. Why people vote for these grifters is beyond me!

Protest, a belief (with some justification) that the other parties have failed.

Remember people were happy to vote in large numbers for the Tories when Boris Johnson was leader, and his lying and laziness except in the bedroom was well known.

I'm not sure that will produce the outcome you think it will

Immigration has dropped off the radar now that Trump has completely lost the plot.

Without that to shout about, Reform are a big nothing-burger.

I call it as I see it. There's a lot of support for Reform where I live, and they voice their faith and confidence in very clear terms on social media. Nigel will put things right, apparently.

Believing the idea that immigration is the cause of all issues and reducing it will solve all problems requires a complete reset of understanding and context. I can't think how else to achieve it

But isn't being a smug part of their manifesto? Surprised they don't have a banner saying Told You So at their conference.

Isn't believing that rapid mass immigration causes no problems at all and that it can continue indefinitely not just as silly and requiring it's own complete reset, understanding and context?

Maybe the problem is democracy itself, if we can't trust the demos.... could it be time to rethink?

I think that we’ve all learnt that this isn’t the way to go.
isn’t this how labour got into government?
I think the quote that’s relevant here is that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

If only we were strong enough to really go for something different.

im really heartened about the increased support for LibDems and the Greens, but fear that people either don’t really want change or they’re afraid about what change really means

The reason they are apparently popular is the gullible public believe they are different from the alternatives. They say they will stop the boats etc and yet when pressed have no viable idea of how to do this. Farage says “We will send them back”. Good luck with that. He wants us (and so does Trump) to privatise our National Health Service which will then be open to American business. When he wants any new ideas he goes down the pub to find out what suggestions are being bandied about. As for Jenrick joining them I can’t see that lasting as Jenrick is a corrupt, untrustworthy ambitious and unpleasant piece of work. He believes he will be seen as a big fish in a large pool of inadequates and aims to be the leader. It is up to the other parties to supply a credible alternative. That is our only hope. Firstly Starmer needs backbone or he should be replaced along with our less than able Chancellor.

Yep, right there with you in Scotland. They’ll get in. The newspapers win again. Beyond predictable.

Yes it is? No one has said that immigration doesn't need addressing, so rather an inflammatory statement here?
So a considered, thought out approach to immigration, without misinformation, exaggeration and vile hate mongering, that looks to manage down immigration, its impact on sectors of the economy, addressing issues like integration, language, culture, trade and investment, without the hate... would be useful ...
Ie the opposite of reform in terms of approach
And also dealing with the 1001 other issues that are really causing the decline of the country as well perhaps?

All politicians love to boast and crow, it's the nature of the beast

Yes, preferably before voting. The day after the Brexit referendum, a trending search on Google from UK residents was "what is the EU?"