To reckon that Reform will win the next election, and to be utterly terrified about it? 😪

[mumofoneAloneandwell]

i am a leftie

I think they’ll win

If don’t, they’ll have the majority in a hung parliament and govern as a minority party before joining with the Tories.

i’m going to tighten my belt re running my home and prepare for onslaught as the country becomes unrecognisable

Starmer backed him. He's been dodgy for 20 years

Farage doesn't have any kind of coherent economic plan.

As a populist, he simply sees which way the political wind is blowing and starts commenting to create media engagement.

People react to the obvious BS because he really is a grifter (that media engagement is also deaigned to enrich himself).

The UK is screwed because we have two parties (Greens and Reform) full of economic illiterates, while the Centre-right party (Tories) are despised due to their lack of competency.

I was hoping Labour would operate at the center and make reasonable economic adjustments, but they seem hell bent on completely avoiding tougher spending decisions, leading to poor economic growth, higher inflation, and increasing levels of political polarisation.

Its that political polarisation (due to having close to a zero sum economy) that favours populist parties.

3 years is an awful long time in politics.

Well Labour will likely piss enough people off for them to be out.

As for who gets in my vote doesn’t go to Reform but I don’t get the ire over saving pubs.

Sure. But if the managed decline continues that will favour the populist parties.

can't see it happening personally. He has no policies other than immigration

It already is unrecognizable under Liebour - how anyone could support the bunch of hypocrites and liars is beyond me.

It was proven that it never happened.

@NavyTurtle how can you prove it never happened, particularly when you have so many witnesses?

You can’t prove a negative. Over 30 of his contemporaries have verified it, it’s looking very much like it definitely happened.

You don't have to be working class to value a nice pub! I am definitely not working class, and our family enjoy the open to all comers approach, and a well-kept pint.

Re Farage and Reform: hell will freeze over before I vote for them, but where I place my X is currently something of a dilemma. The choice appears to be between economic illiteracy, conspicuous incompetence and the plainly deranged. With a substantial dose of corruption and grifting, and it's across all parties even if there are honourable exceptions.

These two, sticking to their principles (if they could remember what they were) https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/bungling-robert-jenrick-and-suella-braverman-accidentally-vote-to-lift-two-child-benefit-cap_uk_6982e40ce4b07fd36aea943f

The amount of times Fartage spouts off about shite and today in the House of Commons he was silent. Wonder why? Oh yes because it was about Epstein!

This happens frequently to MPin all parties. The voting system is antiquated, time consuming absurd. In addition it is sometimes difficult to contact the leader/whip to get information on the party line. MPs need to do this if their party is to be credible.

Well we will never know will we. I am just sick of constant witch hunting and lies to bring people down. If you want to believe gossip. You fill your boots.

He's also deafeningly silent on his US mate's rampant racism (referring to the outrageous post depicting the Obamas as apes).

www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/feb/07/reform-run-kent-council-accused-of-fabricating-40m-net-zero-savings

I thought the argument to bring on board Jenrick and Braverman was that they give Reform "experience" of Government.....

But it appears they are just as lazy and incompetent in Reform as they were in the Tory party.

A 5p cut in alcohol duty on pint of beer does show however that Farage is totally out of touch.
People drink less, pubs have been shutting down at higher rates over the last 15 years than they are now.

Anyone who is serious about saving pubs, had better explain where the billions required is going to come from, as we all seem to hate anyone who increases taxes.....

Reform finding out its not as easy as it looks. And blaming the Conservatives for the lack of magic money tree. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckglgzpkpk1o?at_link_origin=BBC_Hereford_%26_Worcester&at_campaign=Social_Flow&at_bbc_team=editorial&at_link_id=1CBCC43E-0374-11F1-871E-B474A43F27FA&at_format=image&at_ptr_name=facebook_page&at_link_type=web_link&at_campaign_type=owned&at_medium=social&fbclid=IwdGRjcAP4MvNjbGNrA_gytGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHkbpGEfZ3QD45Or0zhaaYVEvKkvrZmeya-bpbHlSyISCwXT5uJHwgtUtBr20_aem_BX8IetFlapzq6X5pRKfKGg

The Tories did indeed leave most Councils between a rock and a hard place, with no sustainable way of raising enough money to meet their statutory obligations in the long-term.

But Reform were unconsciously incompetent. They didn't know what they didn't know. Now, presumably, they have moved on to the stage of being consciously incompetent - they know what they need to learn.

I daresay lots of people will vote for Reform. You know, the ones who voted for Brexit and now can’t admit what a shower of shit us leaving the EU has created. They just keep schtum. Perhaps they’d like US style ICE camps? Folk being dragged off the streets reminiscent of 1939 Germany. Reform have no real policies. Farage spouts populist views in his quest to be Man of the People. I’m sure he has no idea where his huge budget would come from although on a brighter note I did hear they were planning to bring back weekly bin collections so that’s something

Give us the Laugh emoji back! 'Proven Farage never a racist'.😂😂😂

Reform have loads of ex councillors and MPs from various parties with experience of local and national government. They know everything they need to know except precisely how much of a shambles Labour will leave when they finally disappear (for another few decades) although their experience in local government probably gives a strong indication of the problems they will face. As demonstrated clearly with the amazing cost savings achieved they are dealing well with the appalling situation they have inherited in the councils they control. This will stand them in good stead when Nigel becomes our PM.

Hang on, so the people with experience of local & national government, that you're pinning your hopes on, are the same people who messed it up when in other parties....

I thought the whole idea of Reform was to bring in a new broom, not the old broom with a new handle.

Amazing cost savings.... can you link to these please?

My experience of Reform down here are that they are a bunch of self serving cretins, they had overall control but then all left to be Independents and handed it over to the LibDems.... bunch of idiots.

Farage wont ever be PM, he is an agitator thats all, he wont want the work or the scrutiny which will come as we approach the next GE.

Are you sure you re not employed by Reform?

@BeAmberZebra
Not so amazing in Worcestershire, where they are facing bankruptcy (see link in my previous post). Or Leics where they are spending millions on a waste consultant. Or in Notts where they spent £75000 on flags. How on earth is that amazing? Also, they are just recycling the very tories who left the country a mess in the first place.