AIBU to think that Reform pose a real threat to UK democracy?

[Sherbs12]

Reform’s unelected chairman, Zia Yusuf, has announced that Reform will build detention centres housing immigrants waiting for deportation in areas which vote Green (or rather those which don’t Reform). They call this ‘an exercise in democratic consent’ and it’s been - rightfully - condemned by all other parties.

Last week he was threatening to ‘carpet bomb’ areas in which their MP had voted a certain way in parliament.

Obviously, this is detracting from the discovery that Farage received a £5million donation in 2024 when he seemingly changed his mind and decided to run as an MP.

So, while politics can be heated, all parties are open to criticism, we can debate the reasons behind the rise of Reform, AIBU to say that this approach from Reform is unacceptable in a democracy and an alarming indicator of how they would be in government?

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/amp/entry/zia-yusuf-reform-uk-migration_uk_69f8483de4b06e9242f51ba4/

Are you really so blinkered that you can’t for one second see that this isn’t just about immigration or party politics? That we shouldn’t just accept and normalise political leaders making threats against communities en masse if the majority don’t vote in their favour? Maybe that’s a price you’re personally willing to pay, but history tells us how this usually ends.

Why is it a threat to get some asylum seekers in your area?

And how will, for example, the 10,000 + Reform voters in G&D feel about that if the Greens win again in 2029?

They ate talking about concentration camps. FYI.

Most, if not all, areas that are Green inclined already have a community of asylum seekers. Why aren't you getting this?

They're detention centres. The UK currently has at least seven of them in operation at the moment.

If you think they're concentration camps, then you must think that Starmer is Hitler.

Democracy is being able to vote for who you like. With our free votes, there’s no threat to democracy.

I hope to god you're right. But we've had some pretty stupid, incompetent and fighty Governments in the not-distant past.

Hilarious.

Avoiding answering the question?

Apart from the odd migrant hotel in Bristol or Brighton, this is..

not true

Of course! It makes perfect, sense, and when Green voters are inviting the world to come here, they don't mean put them in the country's poorer and working class areas. No, no, no. They mean "Put them in our leafy, expensive neighbourhoods. They will make us strong with their multicultural diversity".

We've already seen their commitment in Crowborough where their welcoming response to asylum seekers has been so heart-warming. They have put out the green bunting and given them a lovely warm green welcome, because that's the kind of warm hearted, tolerant lefties they are.

I'm sure Green Voters won't consider that having men who have entered the country illegally living on their doorsteps is a "punishment". That would be very bigoted and unwelcoming of them. No, they will welcome them with open arms.

Democracy is being able to vote freely without threats if you don’t vote a certain way.

it's not really a threat if the 'threat' is giving people what they've voted for.

What is it about asylum seekers that you find so threatening?

The majority of asylum seekers aren't in hotels.

If they said we’re going to house asylum seekers in Green communities it would be fine. They already are mostly housed in these type of urban progressive areas.

But they’re not proposing having asylum seekers ‘in the community.’ They’re proposing building detention camps to imprison them. They’ve said they would not be allowed out at all.

So they’re punishing Green voters by rubbing their noses in it, by doing the opposite of what they want. I really don’t understand why people aren’t getting this. Do you think Green voters want detention centres?

Do you genuinely believe Reform are doing this because it’s what Green voters want? If you think that, well, then you’re hard of thinking.

I’m not threatened by asylum seekers (although I know from previous threads that you are); I’m threatened by a pattern - hence why I included his comment about ‘carpet bombing’ - of threats to influence voting from an unelected ‘chairman’ who has paid his way into politics.

And you do realise that when people vote in local elections this week, they’re not voting for ‘open borders’ if they vote for a Green councillor?

So, your turn now: are you happy to normalise threats from a prospective government to vote a certain way or face their consequences?

Extreme politics on both sides is scary The Green Party and Reform are two sides of the same coin - they just hate different groups. We need to bring politics back to centre. But generally the Greens with its embedded anti semitism and open borders policy poses the greater tgemrest in my opinion. But if we all start voting for centrist politics, swaying slightly left or right depending on preference a lot more people would be winners - the Greens and Reform are both the politics of extremism

Indeedy. 😏

But they are voting for antisemitism- are you ok with the antisemitism problem with the Green Party?

It's the intent behind the statement that matters. Reform, and those who vote for them, do genuinely see asylum seekers as a 'threat'. So from their perspective this is a statement of intent to punish communities that don't vote decisively to elect Reform into power. This should make us wonder how else those communities might be 'punished? Will they be denied funding and resources, which will then be siphoned off to other areas who towed the line? Once the promised detention centres have been built in Green areas will Reform be invested in making sure that they are safe, adequately staffed and well run? Or will they be invested in making sure they are an absolute shitshow so they can turn around and further blame asylum seekers when, inevitably, vulnerable and traumatised people being held in inadequate conditions leads to problems that impact those communities?

I don't have a problem with asylum seekers settling in my area. But since I can easily imagine Reform-run detention centres being an absolute hot-bed of human rights abuses and safeguarding failures, I'd rather not have those in my area, or any area for that matter. I don't trust or want Reform to be in charge of anything that is even slightly important or has the potential to have any demonstrable impact on people's lives in any way.

Whether or not it's what Green (or Lib Dem) voters actually want, it's a consequence of their virtue signalling vote. This is democracy in action.

If detention centres are so evil then here's a list of some detention centres in the UK at the moment:

Brook House (Gatwick)

Colnbrook (near Heathrow)

Harmondsworth (near Heathrow)

Tinsley House (Gatwick)

Yarl’s Wood (Bedfordshire)

Derwentside (County Durham)

Dungavel House (Scotland).

If they're so evil, why aren't you protesting them?

Many asylum seekers are in hotels, but others are in houses in multiple occupation, temporary council housing and private rented housing. Most of this housing is in poorer areas where most people don't vote for the Green Party.

But surely if they were in your area you would have’s greater chance of lobbying for improvements

What is it you are concerned about OP? That reform will allow children to vote in an attempt to gerrymander voting, curb trial by jury, curb free speech sometimes using custodial sentences, attempt to push more of the population into state reliance, give their mates jobs to give away territory, persecute ex military ? No UK government would do those things, you can relax.