Council Elections

[OneTealShaker]

The first declared seats going to Reform.

Reform +2
Labour -1

Buckle up people.

These are local council elections but it appears that people have based their votes on national concerns. Some of the media commentators can barely conceal their joy at the collapse of the Labour vote. Had Reform not been given so much prime time air time to spread their utopian story, would the results have been the same? The vitriol aimed at Keir Starmer is horrendous. Just wait until Farage takes control - god help us.

Evidence please? The whole point about illegal immigrants is that don't actually cost anything from a welfare perspective, as they are here illegally and cannot claim benefits. Estimates are it would actually cost us £70 to £90 billion to deport people here illegally:

https://bylinetimes.com/2025/09/24/farages-trillion-pound-black-hole-the-real-cost-of-reform-uks-mass-deportation-plan/

Where do you get your info it'll save us billions?

Any money saved - decreasing every day, thanks to reducing the backlog created by the last government - should be used to improve public services and invested in defence. The country can’t afford tax cuts.

Obviously Reform won't make the country better as a whole.

They may well be able to keep their supporters happy by maintaining pensioner benefits, paying for it by inflicting more pain on younger people. They probably won't cut immigration more than Labour is doing but they'll be much more brutal about it which their voters will like.

Things like special needs and the NHS will be a bit more difficult, there's really no way of making cuts for other people's kids and grandkids while ensuring Reform voters kids are unaffected.

As long as they don't abolish the NHS - we really are buggered if it's privatised. God help us, as it will be the rich living longer and with health problems can be treated, while the poor live in poverty while they succumb to illnesses.

Exactly this. I detest Reform, but this situation has been years in the making. Calling people racist and stupid, telling them they've been conned by Farage, is patronising.

Reform will be happy to see universities killed off so that won't be a problem for them.

Lol! It will be benefits for everyone not just immigrants. All absolutely lovely until you have a stroke and then turn into a net drain on society that you hated so much in the first place. No longer a net contributor. Again, careful what you wish for.

But if you're a Reform supporter you assume your own stroke will be paid for as you've "worked all your life".

It's everyone else who is an undeserving stroke victim that shouldn't receive benefits.

They might not receive actual benefits, but please check the gov website to see what they actually get

If they don't get a lot of benefits, they must be making money somehow in order to live. I've not seen many homeless illegal immigrants. Are they taking up jobs that would go to UK residents I wonder?

They’re not allowed to work. They get £49 a week.

how's that working out in USA?

Largest debt since the 60's was how the cons left the economy, and that was with 'austerity' supposidly saving our money and getting spending under control. How much was wasted due to the tories? PPE, their friends dodgy contracts, Rishi's helicopter, millions on a press room never used, honestly, the list is very very long.
This made interesting reading if anyone wanted to know.
https://www.bestforbritain.org/scandalous_spending_tracker

The difference with Labour is historically, and time will tell with this bunch in charge now, is they spent it on us. Better NHS, schools....... and they have to now increase spending on our defence thanks to Putin, as well as putting right what austerity wrecked. It costs more to undo damage than to keep on top of it.

I do find selective memory a bit troublesome.

Have you been living under a rock? Ever heard of asylum hotels? Free taxis to appointments? Use of all the public services? Dependents following on to come here and use of public services. Do you think that’s costs nothing.

Wow, Suffolk is a huge win for Reform! 36 Tory councillors ousted and 35 new Reform councillors. With a Green opposition no less.

I think that running such a huge unitary authority will be a real test of whether Reform has what it takes to govern.

Asylum seekers? They get a pittance - £49.18 a week, or £9.95 if they get accommodation. The total number of people who have ever come over on small boats make up 0.29% as a percentage of the UK population as a whole. Please don't believe the billionaire media class who tell you asylum seekers are the problem. Decades of neoliberalism, deregulation / failure to regulate, privatisation and public spending cuts have caused immense wealth inequality. And it's only accelerating with private equity getting a stranglehold over every facet of life. Reform are going to do what the Tories did, but on steroids. Bye bye NHS.

Explain to me how more spending cuts will solve our problems. See if you can persuade me I'm wrong.

Not enough money to live on and not working. 200,000 illegal Houdini's. Arrive, then disappear in a puff of smoke!

The latest jobs figures for the US are out today.

"The US economy created 115,000 jobs in April as businesses kept hiring despite the economic fallout from the US-Israel war in Iran.

The increase was stronger than expected, with the total almost twice as much as economists had forecast.

The data, published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), also showed the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.3%."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx21664lp32o

Yes, keep people stupid, makes them keep voting for them!

You are confusing asylum seekers and illegal immigrants. Asylum seekers get £49 a week. Illegal immigrants are unknown to the authorities (the clue is in the name) and work cash in hand on the black market.

Calling people stupid is stupid in itself. 🤷‍♀️

Politics is just opinion. We all want different things in many ways - but, basically, as ever, most people vote with their wallets.

We all want a government thst improves our life. 🤷‍♀️

Unknown? They haven't been processed?

the thing that worry me with reform are the paymasters - large religious group who want abortion stopped and oil who want people to be using oil as it lines their pockets

the net zero, as a whole will benefit most as it'll get us cheaper fuel bills eventually. As for abortion being banned in the same way it is in USA is worrying, woman would die and have done due to this type of situation

Torys were in control for 14 years and any government coming in after that is going to have their work cut out to change things around.

the divide between rich and poor will grow wider

my prediction for the next election is a hung parliament which will see tory and reform form a governemt and get nothing voted through as not a big enough majority

Extreme? Could you explain what you mean?

Approximately 8.7% of land in England is classified as developed (i.e. built-on).