Anyone want to have a calm non heated discussion about Reform UK? Is Farage deliberately trying to slow down momentum?

[Greyblankie]

This isn’t a post to argue about reform voters - Would love a non confrontational discussion on the topic. (A lot to ask, I know).

I’ve always been a conservative but at the last election even I couldn’t bring myself to vote for them. I’d never vote Labour or Lib Dem and wasn’t comfortable with Reform so I just didn’t vote.

Following the disastrous start of the shambolic Labour government government I started leaning more towards Reform and have basically followed them for around a year.

Just recently however I’m starting to have my doubts. The straw that broke the camels back was them announcing that the money saved on child benefit would go towards reducing the cost of alcohol! It was so laughable that if it had been April fools I would insist it must have been a joke. But no, it wasn’t.

Now, I truly believe that Farage does not want to be PM - he never has wanted it and I’m starting to suspect he’s deliberately trying to sabotage his own party and bring the momentum down. Two Labour members who defected last week - one of them couldn’t even get the name of the party right and kept calling it Respect 😂

Anyone else think that the Reform movement was only ever meant to shake up politics and now Farage is starting to apply the brakes?

Also, any reform voters considering moving back to the Tories? I think Kemi is brilliant but it’s the rest of them I have my doubts about.

I don't know why anyone wants to be PM. It's a horrible, thankless role.

In what way is she the next Truss?
Can you be a bit more specific than “clueless” ?

Not really sure what’s so “disastrous” about the current government. Not particularly worse than any other recent government, in many ways better.

I don't know about her being the next Truss but she is clueless about British geography.

Ask anyone in Lincolnshire

Reform don't need a manifesto at the moment because we're not in a run up to a GE. They had a manifesto back in 2024.

We know their position re immigration and the NHS which are the elephants in the room that the other parties don't want to deal with but with the way this country is changing they will need to be faced in the near future.

Now you see I wasn't sure about Kemi to begin with but I think she is becoming a strong, confident leader for the Conservatives. I would vote for her.

I hope they have some policies for running Councils other than stop the boats

Can’t stand Reform (or Green with Polanski in charge) Both Farage and Polanski are dangerous charlatans.
Id be glad to get back to two party middle of the road grown up politics

Surely if Farage put money towards hospitality and pubs it would be a good thing. 2 pubs are closing a day. He would be saving jobs and also protecting a British institution.
Why can the government find money for everyone else in the world except working class British people.
Money paid out on the welfare budget should be dramatically slashed immediately.

Nothing from the local Reform candidates about pubs in our town.

This ☝️. Pretty much word for word how I feel!

Given the number of people in work who need their wages topped up, if benefits were slashed who would be going to the pub?

Addressing the ludicrous cost of housing would help reduce the benefits bill, but nobody wants to do anything about that.

Not Reform voters though. I think Farag was pretty serious about alcohol - I suspect this kind of statement is appealing to his audience.

Remember 2024 and Labour fully costed manifesto? People were ecstatic, few of us told that this manifesto will cost a lot and everyone will be impacted apart from unions and benefits claimants, but no, people didn't believe it and here we are.

So unfortunately I think that what it seems like intentional loss of momentum to you, is exactly what Reform voters want to hear.

Truss is mere amateur, she was beaten by the current government. She only managed to rise our borrowing cost to 4.8%, it's now 5.75%.

I'm very concerned about Kemi's international views, but I think she's the right person for domestic economy.