Why is there no coverage of reform party policies ?

[Alfreddoeblin]

Just that really. Labour and Tory party to a greater or lesser extent are being scrutinised hugely. The reform party not so much. Why ?

They wil want PR because they will get a lot of votes which won’t count in FPTP.

Agree they are the three seats that offer the most likely potential to be picked up by Reform. But equally it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if they didn’t win any them but ended up second in each. And as we all know no prizes for second place in FPTP.

Although Farage’s views on Putin may help the Tories hold on in the B&S constituency given the RAF presence in that general area. Realistically I don’t think Labour have much of a chance of sneaking through the middle in B&S.

How many seats do you think Reform will win?
I am surprised you think it will be more than the Lib Dems.

According to Electoral Calculus Tice is highly likely to get B&S.

This thread has reminises of Brexit, calling Farage's supporters stupid, uneducated, and various other insults. Policy is driven by the vocal minority and if the main parties don't listen to the quiet voters, then a Farage doesn't have to do much to entice them.

So whether it is feminist issues, imigration, the waste in the NHS, because Labour and Conservatives don't listen to the valid concerns of the voters (even the stupid, uneducated ones) people like Farage gain power and influence.

The stupid and uneducated people's votes are worth exactly the same as the votes of the educated and wise. Calling them names and insulting them is not the way to win them to your way of thinking. It is like Brexit all over again.

But they can't have it. We voted in 2011 in a referendum about whether we wanted to change the voting system, and the result was no. If I've learnt anything since, it's that if there's a referendum on a topic you're not allowed to ever change your mind.

(I would also like PR, and the 2011 referendum wasn't for PR, but still ...)

Well said. Absolutely agree with you

Farage’s sole talent is spouting garbage and making if sound enough like joined-up thinking for people who can’t see the causes of this country’s woes for the Daily Fail headlines blaming lazy benefit scroungers and immigrants to hear his devoid, visionless pontifications as “saying it like it is”.

Scariest thing is history shows that can be all fascism needs when the timing’s “right”.

A Reform leaflet has been dropped in my letterbox. Has been put in the recycle bin.

Same. I carried it there at arm’s length between my thumb and forefinger.

We cannot, as a country, do what ill informed loud mouths want. They aren’t a majority. History tells us that pandering to people like this is a disaster. Have we learnt nothing from history? Anyone who thinks we must bow to the loudest, because it’s what “the people”
want is just plain wrong.

Most people are pretty much a bit left or a bit right. Unfortunately some people like a noisy person spelling out what’s wrong and why they have suffered. It’s a tactic that’s just wrong and it is pretty awful that people fall for it. Plus they don’t have much knowledge of economics - turkeys and Christmas come to mind. The lower paid are struggling but others need to be more productive to up tax take and our prospects as a country. Brexit was huge self harm but who’s paying the price? Answers on a postcard please!

Reform are similar to EU shifts although we don’t have PR

Even if Labour get their majority it will not resolve the pressures around immigration

We are slightly different to France, Germany, Italy etc but that doesn’t mean we can’t get to the same place if people feel strongly

@EasternStandard FPTP makes it more difficult. That’s one thing in favour of it! I never thought I’d say that.

Plus I agree we had our chance but again, did the electorate understand the more complex arguments or did opponents just point out simplicity and ease of understanding the system as reasons for keeping it? And - just look at those awful Europeans who have to compromise! (They were told). We aren’t keen on change and Farage uses that against immigrants.

@TizerorFizz

"We cannot, as a country, do what ill informed loud mouths want. They aren’t a majority. History tells us that pandering to people like this is a disaster. Have we learnt nothing from history? Anyone who thinks we must bow to the loudest, because it’s what “the people”
want is just plain wrong"

This equally applies to both the left and the right.

The right will claim that the country has had pro immigration policies, woke culture including trans issues, rise in anti semitism etc because the hard left is a more vocal minority who don't represent the views of the majority.

The left will claim that the shift to controlling immigration, a push back against trans issues and a rise in Islamophobia etc is because the hard right is a more vocal minority who don't represent the views of the majority.

The main problem being that each side is so entrenched in their views reinforced by echo chamber social media that they cannot and don't even want or care to look at the issues from the other sides perspective.

I would though strongly disagree with you on the view that we shouldn't do what the "majority" wants. Like or loathe it that's how a democracy works.

Reform is picking up on same pressures as EU around immigration

I was just listening to Starmer on the radio adamant he can get in a room, talk and arrest trafficking networks to stop the flow

Given someone like Macron faces political wipeout, has EU funding in billions to help and can get in a room and talk with others why does Starmer think he can do it but other EU leaders cannot?

If he says with 100% confidence his plan will fix the flow and it doesn’t but it gets higher then what? I think anger will grow and five years is an incredibly long time for that to mount. A month is tbf

@fromtheshires I work somewhere like this. Government is all the same. Won't change that whoever comes in. The public money wasted is eye watering. However having higher taxes on the weathly means they move their money elsewhere and sadly that loses us in the economy and serious spenders. Labour will make things even worse than we are already because they want to increase tax on the weathly and hit Middle class working families. All that does is reduce spending and sadly people outside of finance don't get it. I wish a businessman would run the country not a politician. We need serious tax cuts and a boost for spending in the economy. Labour will do the opposite and finish us right off. Add in the mass immigration with nhs on its knees and we are done. People that can leave are for good reason. Nigel is the least of our issues.

I am a trifle confused. Haven't we left the EU and therefore taken control of our borders and therefore immigration (if it was indeed a problem) has been solved?

I think it’s about time people realise what immigrants contribute - a lot more than some Brit’s.

Reform are not serious. They are cranks. But they will mop up a lot of disenfranchised people who don’t want to hear that things are going to be difficult, they are usually magical thinkers. I suspect a strong crossover with voting leave in the referendum. We are an old country with complex problems that weren’t even touched by the last simplistic government and Reform would do no better. The point of them is to introduce racialism into the mainstream of politics. Farage has just endorsed Le Pen! He could only dream of a narrative like that in the UK.

I get the sentiment but all countries are dealing with established convention and the rise of the far right in the EU is part of that

If you want Aus style border control then you can but I’m not sure the electorate is in the same place

When you say rise of the far right in Europe, you do know that they increased their number of seats by less than 10% of the available seats in the European parliament?

Perhaps let Macron know as his bold move came off the back of it, I guess we’ll see how it goes in a few weeks.

@Thingscanonlygetsunk

"I am a trifle confused. Haven't we left the EU and therefore taken control of our borders and therefore immigration (if it was indeed a problem) has been solved?"

We have indeed left the EU and since then immigration has skyrocketed due to non EU legal migrants filling the place of EU legal migrants and no longer having the right to return illegal migrants back to France.

Like or loathe it that's how a democracy works.

Except when it gets made a mockery of by loudmouthed liars and gullible voters.