Why aren't Reform voters ashamed?

[TheShellBeach]

They don't seem to care that everyone will know they're racists.

It seems incredible to me that people are open about voting for them.

They don't think they are racists, they have a different world view. Probably see it as some form of patriotism, or defend it in some other way.

Why do you think they are racist?

What makes them racist?

I mean, a Reform canvasser recently said migrants (ie refugees) should be shot at the border and called Sunak a racial slur and justified it as ‘mates down the pub talk’ ie that he thinks it’s normal in those circles to talk/think like that…

Calling the current Prime Minister a "fucking *p..." sounds extremely racist to me.

Maybe that's just to settle their own internal misgivings, though.

I don't believe they are all racists. There are bad people in every single party unfortunately - but I think the vast majority are simply looking for an alternative to lab/con. I know I am.

I'm sure plenty of people are planning on voting for them but not telling anyone that. Therefore your question is a bit silly and doesn't make sense.

That doesn’t make the party racist though does it, it just means there are a few twats in the party, there’s a few twats in every party.

I personally would never vote reform. However I dont think anyone should be ashamed to vote for who they want...

I can see why people vote for reform. I can also see why people feel forced to vote Labour as the only alternative to Tory - I struggle with the country being represented by a party that people feel they must vote for, just because they dislike the Tory alternative more.

The whole system is a mess. But people really should vote for what they think represents them. Not what they think they should do!

I walked past them yesterday in my town centre

" He said hello madam ( 🙄 ) are you voting Reform ? "

I replied " No , I don't think so "

His reply was " well surely anyone with an IQ over 1 will be voting reform "

I said " well you're charming aren't you " he turned his back

Sanctimonious prick

I’m so fed up of having to pretend that every party vote is equally ok and valid because of ‘democracy’. The bullshit spiel of ‘we can all have different views and al get along and that’s ok’. Reform use the exact same rhetoric that far right parties have always used including the Nazis who were also democratically voted in. If you feel that represents you then you deserve to be called out on either being horrendously naive or racist and prejudiced.

They are too thick to be ashamed.

I can’t quite work out why people would vote reform. I don’t know anyone admitting it so I can ask.

However, I think the rhetoric of ‘you should be ashamed if you vote X party’ or ‘you must be thick if you vote x party’ or ‘x voters are racist’ isn’t helpful at all.

People often cite for these parties because they don’t feel listen to. They feel ignored. They feel unsupported.

By just insulting them or accusing them of being stupid or racist, you just cement their thoughts.

It’s how we ended up with brexit. People were fucked off and not listened to. People who voted leave were called racists and bigots and idiots and look what happened. It’s easy to say they are all racist, rather than look at the actual problem.

Their perspective is very often different I suspect Reform will get a lot of votes here. Because we are an area that’s had influxes for refugees in hotels. And the area is suffering for it. The village I am in the edge of is suffering for it.

The question should be ‘is why do so many people feel they don’t want to vote for (as an example) Labour.’

and the big parties should be taking a long hard look at what why so many people feel they can’t vote for them.

Sure, there's been nothing consistently racist about Farage & Tice's messaging since their UKIP days. From Farage asking Enoch Powell to back UKIP, (and broadly agreeing with his river's of blood speech) supporting the great replacement conspiracy, his antisemitic rhetoric around the supposed new world order, even his concern about living next to Romanians or discomfort at hearing foreign languages being spoken in London.

Given Farage has previously blamed immigrants for everything from him being stuck in traffic on the M4 to NHS waiting lists, and our housing crisis and that their leaflets begin and end focusing on immigration then I'd say it probably does.

There's a reason the racists from Britain First & Patriotic Alternative are voting Reform and it isn't because of their policies on market deregulation or fiscal stimulus.

Why aren't Labour voters ashamed?

Most on this site live in really expensive villages or parts of cities with none of the "diversity" they claim to love then hop on this site to moan about how people with actual life experience are "racist"
I'd be embarrassed...

You think that people can’t call out racism if they live in predominantly white areas?

(I live in a very racially diverse area fwiw)

Wow.

What should Labour voters be ashamed of?

@Leah5678 excellent point. If I was trying to destroy women's safety, I would certainly feel ashamed.

It's more the incessant insisting we should let everyone who wants to come to the UK move here and calling anyone who disagrees racist.
I'll take your word that you live in a diverse area but you're a minority on Mumsnet if true.
Most are busy morning about how their nice little village "doesn't have enough diversity/too many white people" and yet none have made the move to Croydon yet? Strange

How are Labour trying to 'destroy women's safety '?

@cupcaske123 by allowing biological men into women's single sex spaces, hospitals, refuges, prisons, changing rooms, toilets, sports, clubs, competitions.....

If Labour said tomorrow that humans cannot change sex and single sex areas are protected (without exception) they would probably have my vote. But they won't, so they won't have my vote.

People in the UK have short memories, people forgot the struggles under Brown when the great recession hit. Labour and the banks did bankrupt the country.

This cycle of recession and prosper is under every government. It's natural. We all want more for less! We all want less taxes. Yet we all want better public services.

Whether people like Torys or not, the worldwide pandemic, destroyed the economy and no party could have done anything to prevent the catastrophic impact.

We need to grow up. Is it time for change? Yes. But in 10 years of labour will we all be crying how poorer we are and wanting change again?! Of course we will.

Reform isn't the answer.