The most pernicious secret about Reform

[SeriousFaffing]

The results from a YouGov poll in December show quite a large difference between men and women of those who would vote Reform at the beginning of 2026.

This has got me thinking about the split and women’s awareness of Reform.

Agree or not, I’m sure that everyone is aware of the links made between Reform and racism… However, I think that a just as big elephant in the room is what appears as pernicious and deep rooted misogyny… I think that the YouGov poll appears to show that women are subliminally - or very - aware of this fact.

When I think of Reform, I see images of white men chanting “we want our country back”. I think of Farage cosying up to the anti abortionists in the USA (many news articles on this) and I think of Reform’s policies to boost the birth rate.

I wonder about wanting ‘our country back’ being as much about harking back to a time when women were not out at work (taking up jobs) and expecting dinner to be on the table when he comes home. No answering back at home or in the work place. And, you know, ‘Protecting our women’ as though a commodity or object… But only when it suits.

What do you think? Am I unreasonable as a woman to worry about Reform getting into Government?

You are unreasonable - no, as a woman, I am not worried about Reform getting into Government.

You are not being unreasonable - I am worried too.

They terrify me.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gpnl0x3w3o.amp

"Farage stressed: "I'm not a Tate supporter. I'm identifying the truth, that young men feel that they're not allowed to be blokes."

What does being blokes mean? I can guess.

He also says men make sacrifices to get top jobs and women do not. I wish he could walk a mile in a mother's shoes.

They have a funny way of showing it. Clapping on Trump and Farage because 'at least they know what a woman is'. It was the same in Ireland voting for and clapping on Aontú because 'they know what a woman is'.

And no. Anyone who is pregnant should be able to get an abortion, there are these things called pregnancy tests that people can take that tells you if someone is pregnant whether they are a woman or they identify as a man. It really isn't an issue that should affect abortion rights no matter what way you try and swing it.

Using your vote to "own liberals" comes at a substantial cost. As Trump voters in the US are finding out.😱

Fortunately Reform are a weird, privately owned mess so I doubt they'll be forming the next government.🤷‍♀️

Reform Candidates on women.

Ian Gribbin (Bexhill and Battle)
“Right now all men pay for all women: we pay 80% of tax and you take out 80%. The fact you’re able to write on a technological device is all down to us."

“The cultural feminisation of the west is a disaster of epic proportions. We have elevated female characteristics – especially neuroticism, to the highest levels. Hysteria is now common place. The evidence from repeated psychologically testing is that women are appalling at taking criticism."

“Modern feminism belongs in the sewer of self hate from which it came: you say it yourself, you’re all jealous of the perceived freedoms of men.”

Andrew Banwell (Thornbury and Yate)
Called Theresa May “Merkels Bitch”.

Malcolm Cupis, (Melksham and Devizes)
Said of a woman dancing "behaving like a gutter slut" “This disgusting performance .... encourages misogyny in boys.

Another woman was referred to as a "malignant old hag".
Mr Cupis told the BBC he stood by his comments and would not apologise.

John Edwards (Southampton) referred to women appearing on ITV2's Love Island as "thick tarts" and the former leader of the Liberal Democrats Jo Swinson as a "gobby bird".

Sam Woods-Brass (Houghton and Sunderland South)
shared a photo of a raw chicken and said it reminded him of an erotic image of his girlfriend.

These are the attitudes of men Reform attract.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crggy73m2ero

I'm not sure I follow what you mean by "unions (men) who couldn’t defend nurses".

The vast majority of members and reps in nurses unions are women aren't they? The numbers reflect the number of men/women who are nurses.

Which unions? When?

The Darlington nurses didnt want to get naked in front of a man and their union decided to side with the employer. Its been in the news and everything.

Was their union men though?

As in pp the Darlington nurses and separately Sandie Peggie.

I'm not aware of the Lib Dems having apologised to Reform for calling them far right? Can you link, please?

I'm less than convinced that this actually happened, but regardless, I don't have to follow what the Lib Dems say.

I am not responding to the faux naive questions about why they are considered far right. Look at their rhetoric. Look at their alliances. And yes, look at some of their policies. If it quacks like a duck...

It's the "unions (men)" I'm questioning.

Unison is 75% female.

But the majority of the rise (both in spending an numbers claiming incapacity benefits) was when the Tories were in power?

And yet they still refuse to support their union members.

@JustSomeWaferThinHam they were seen. Locally, this is well known information.

When you’re not even quoting the right place, I can’t imagine that you actually care, other than also trying to weaponise this event with uninformed information for your own agenda.

@Ninerainbows This. Exactly this.

I just wonder why the PP suggested the union was male.

Why?

Legitimate question.

What makes you think you would be happy to see her as PM?

Just to add on this to be clear - because I don’t think I was enough in my OP - I think that the agenda is as much about them ‘wanting our country back’ from modern day women’s rights, as it is about anything else… In fact, I’d go so far as to say that I believe that to be their main agenda.

I’ve noticed this chat seeping in lately, the suggestion that women have too many rights.

This is the pernicious secret. Do I think that a 60 year old male Reform voter is going to turn around to his wife and say that he wants to strip away her rights because he feels hard done by?

He wouldn’t dare… But he’ll vote Reform.

Ian's attitude is baffling to me. He has this 80/80 statistic in his head, right? How would this be improved by Reform's policies? Wouldn't it be WORSE under Reform, what with their beliefs around women in the workplace (that we get an unfair share of the jobs because of 'DEI') and their desire to return to traditional Britain with traditional gender roles? That will mean more financial responsibility on men. It was their primary role, breadwinning.

If they were really bothered about the perceived sex imbalance of tax in vs tax out, they would be looking at ways to get more women into higher tax bands, surely? Looking at the gender pay gap and the gender organisational power gap.

Sorry maybe should have read (man)
when Unison were emailed by a Darlington nurse about the issue Unison put defending the man and the edifice of transgender ideology above showing solidarity with female members. Steve North president of Unison took to social media to describe the Darlington nurses campaign as ‘anti trans bigotry’. I don’t give a toss if Unison was 99.9% female they were certainly captured!

What do Reform UK have to offer women?

@TooBigForMyBoots good question.

They’ve announced they’re going reinstate the two child benefit cap in order to take 5pence off a pint. And with that exact link; rolling back one to do the other.

Couldn’t make it up.

“Ah the good old days, your tea would be on the table when you get home and then you can bugger off to the pub all weekend without her at home pecking your head… We want our country back”

The thing that really gets me about Reform is the sheer grift. They claim to be for Britain but there is no party that is more likely to accept money from outside the UK to implement American-style Christian Nationalist type policies that no one here wants. Or indeed corporate money to make sure they remove workers' rights and necessary regulations on businesses for their billionaire pals.

I'd suggest keeping an eye out next election for how many Reform candidates are current or former executives in highly-regulated businesses - cigarettes, gambling, fossil fuels, big polluters etc. Because if I were such a business I'd be making sure we got a senior executive on their candidate list in the hope of sympathetic legislation - especially in a party with so few experienced politicians, you'd stand a good chance of getting a fossil fuel CFO as your energy minister, for example.

@Ninerainbows I mean, this is almost as plain as a signed confession in terms of my worries.

I mean, how about neither men nor women having to make sacrifices for top jobs (not that it isn't bollocks that high flying women don't make sacrifices!). It's this whole 'for one group to succeed another has to fail' thing. Reminds me of this cartoon

He's obviously in his constituency some of the time - photographs in the Clacton Gazette (he also writes a weekly column):

2026
Clacton business owners put questions to MP Nigel Farage
https://www.clactonandfrintongazette.co.uk/news/25777742.clactons-nigel-farage-hosts-business-surgery-gazette/

Nigel Farage Column
https://www.clactonandfrintongazette.co.uk/topics/nigel-farage-column/