Is anyone else terrified by the popularity of Reform UK?

[NewNameNigel]

I am. I feel like it's indicative of sentiment that is really bad for me and my family.

I know that they are unlikely to win many seats but the fact that so many people will consider voting for racists is not a good sign.

He's in a multi million pound house, has a Coutts account and speaks for the common folk.

Dh and I are both immigrants, from different European countries. There is a concerted effort in both of our countries of origin to make Europe for Europeans. Any nationalist type politicians are gaining popularity, and people are openly being racist now. Worrying times.

I would have thought that the overall left leaning mumsnet would have been delighted by reform. It’s just going to split the conservative vote and benefit labour and Lib Dem’s. If farage does his job properly you may find conservative MPs who once had majorities coming third rather than second…

It's really quiet bad. Some of the stuff they're coming out with is frightening such as remigration programmes. What's going on in France right now concerning to say the least.

Farage is so dangerous because people think he won't get any seats so he's not dangerous but he didn't need to be in power for Brexit. He's pulling politics to the far right.

I always wonder about people who would use the term "screaming" when talking about people opposing racism. The reform party is full of racists. That cannot be denied although for some reason, some people are falling over themselves to say otherwise. It is hardly using a racist trope to describe the party that is full of ...well, racists.

I always wonder about people who would use the term "screaming" when talking about people opposing racism.Hmm
Especially in a space designated for black women to talk about the specific issues they face....

Yep@NewNameNigel . They always reveal themselves.

Especially in a space designated for black women to talk about the specific issues they face....

I read this post days ago. It took me a while to comment on it as I did earlier today, as I find anti voices are loud on here so I can't be bothered. Just, forever talking talking talking, compelled to butt in. Bad enough trying to swerve all that in real life.

Im glad to know there are still some Black Women here tho.

Really? You think left leaning people of colour would be delighted by a far right party gaining votes??

What a privilege not to have to worry about the ascendancy of a far right party brimming with racists and a leader who dismisses his candidates’ statements as banter.

I would have thought so, yes.

consider it this way: the people voting reform, aren’t voting reform now because all of a sudden Farage has convinced them in these views. They are always there, like in every section of society. The more extreme your views (and this is both left and right) the less likely it is you’re going to be convinced about various political positions.

However, if you’re left leaning, and you want a labour government over a Tory government (accepting as a given the greens are never going to win), then reform is the gift that keeps on giving. It’s going to split the conservative vote. There aren’t enough reform voters to actually take seats off the conservatives, but if there was no reform candidate they would ordinarily be Tory voters. So now, the conservative vote is split and many more seats are open to the Labour Party.

If he doesn’t fuck it up, Starmer could end up with a majority like Blair (maybe not QUITE that large, but a fractured right vote is ideal for this situation).

What a shocking lack of empathy.

I want the Tories out. This doesn't mean that I want live in a country with lots of people willing to vote for a far right party like Reform.
This kind of sentiment has a huge impact on my day to day life. The fact that Reform won't get seats at this stage is irrelevant.

Not really.

It is an actual emergency that we need to get the Tories out. I hate Farage, but I am happy he is diluting the Tory vote. We can try and deal with this issue later. FPTP system means that this is all that matters at the moment. Once the Tories are ousted we need to get vocal about what we want.

But whether or not reform exists or is a polling option doesn’t change that those people are in society. If we compare Reform to UKIP (and the parallels are clear I think), UKIP achieved at its height around 16% of the vote.

Now, not everyone who wants to vote reform is ipso facto a racist. But let us take for the sake of argument that they are- approximately 1/6 of the country (at least, not including racists in the tories, the Labour Party, the Green Party etc) are racist. Before, they were voting for a party that had to work to include them. Now, they’re voting for a party that will never hold serious power, and in fact they’re going to harm the political chances of a party that is an actual contender for the conservative vote.

That racists may well vote for Reform is a certainty, but it doesn’t mean that every single reform voter is racist. On the whole, the policies that reform stand for are likely to be harmed by the creation of this party. Unless Farage is playing some VERY long game to fracture the Tory vote now, gave labour 10 years, then come swooping in to control the Tories, and try and wrench actual political power. But that feels far fetched.

I look white (am mixed) and I’m properly horrified. I’ve also got loads of posh relations who laugh at Farage’s jokes. If I say something offensive by mistake, please tell me.

Re Farage: How dare this revolting little freak be allowed airplay?

All the DC round here are black (inner London) and the idea they’re not the very pride of our society left me speechless. Our kids need more support not less.

Incidentally, all my posh relations agree that supporting kids is the priority. Most toffs aren’t racist.

But I still think Farage should be deported. In a dinghy.

I'm white and I am horrified. What upsets me are the lies Reform spout about immigration being the reason NHS, dentistry, housing, COL are what they are. Not mentioning austerity, Tory policy and the war in Ukraine.

It’s surely a combination of factors. Tory policy and austerity have been a disaster. But why does it upset you? Isn’t it fairly uncontroversial that if you add significant numbers to the population without managing the resources and infrastructure (like housing) they need, you will have a problem? Also that if your economy is dependent on imported labour, you may struggle with the economic growth needed to create the money for healthcare and so on?

I think we can say that there are awful people in reform without calling every concern about immigration racist.

Are you black? Because this is the black mumsnetters forum and I posted to ask how other black women feel about the increasing popularity of the far right.

This is such a valid point about the media. Thank you.

I meant to quote this in saying what a valid point you were making! Sorry

Tbh I am happy that Reform are taking Tory votes. I'm really hoping for a Lib Dem opposition.

Yes, when I wake up the next day with this scenario due to loads of Reform votes I will feel hungover, upset and remorseful, but for now, whoever can get the Tories out is ok by me. Reform will not get enough votes to get seats. This time, anyway 😬

Mark my words - the rise of Reform will continue.

@PerfectYear321 - I don’t know if you are black but if not then the lack of empathy is not surprising, as you say.

And it will be fine for you to wish that Reform will split the Tory vote and not worry about the consequences of their increased political presence.

Exactly. Even if they don't get seats, the split in the vote will make other parties create more right leaning policies to capture those votes.
Plus any success will make people more bold.
My friend got loads of comments after Brexit in her most Leave area.

As a black woman I'm extremely worried. Not necessarily for this this election, but long term. I'm of the belief that wealth inequality is the thing that needs to change and only the Green Party has anything in their manifesto to tackle that.
Once people see that no significant change is happening under Labour I think the voting will get more extreme.

Ill try and help reclaim the thread. I walked down the street next to mine, three houses proudly displaying vote reform in their windows. One of them works in the same industry as my white husband, so we chat . I'm ashamed to say I didn't want to have conversations, I don't want to get into conflict about the colour of my skin, it was traumatic enough as a child.
The local Facebook group lets posts stand like 'Labour don't care for the white working class' like there is only white working class, no other, and colour of skin matters.
I can't believe people just believe what gets fed to them by Farage and his cronies.