Reform party

[TalkToTheHand123]

Will Reform win any votes at the local elections?

Yes, we need so much more conversation in the UK about inequality and wealth hoarders. Have you heard of Gary Stevenson? He talks quite a bit about this.

Yeah apart from from you're confusing the 1m or 20 coming here for work and their dependents with x channel migration and the way we treat these few 10s of 1000s who claim asylum.

If migrants are doing cash in hand work, then it would also be true that UK citizens also are doing this, whilst claiming substantially more in UC... thats down to our own lack of enforcement of current rules

Wealth hoarders and ultra billionaires are the drivers of inequality; they need the focus of the population to be on immigration, and how it’s the sole cause of all our problems. This is why we have Geebeebies, a loss making channel, being funded by dubious sources being given unlimited funds to pump their agenda.

Claiming that immigration is the sole problem is a lie obviously, but they need to do that to divert attention from the true causes of decreasing living standards. Some swallow this lie; but most don’t! That is the barrier to reform gaining power.

It’s the mega rich that are the problem. Not the stop the boats, and GS is a brilliant thinker, hope he’s chancellor one day.

You sound like an absolute horror. I genuinely worry how many people think like this.

These are people that you’re talking about. Human beings. Men, women and children many of whom have experienced significant trauma. I wouldn’t treat animals the way you’re suggesting treating traumatised humans.

Who is GS?

Not every person who votes for Reform can be a thick, bigoted racist, and it's shows lazy debating skills, narrow-mindedness, and a lack of intelligence to say that's the case.

I'm not voting for them, but I know some people who are. Male and female, different age groups, different classes, and varying careers. Many are quite intelligent, and well educated, and very successful.

In answer to your question @TalkToTheHand123 Yes, I think Reform will get lots of votes.

Will Reform win any votes at the local elections?

If this was the point of the thread, then very probably would seem to be the answer.

Electoral Calculus had them winning 474 councillors, taking 26% of the vote, and gaining control of the following councils:

Derbyshire

Doncaster

Durham

Kent

and becoming the largest party, though short of a majority, in

Lancashire

Northumberland

Nottingham

Staffordshire

That of course is an MRP poll, and was undertaken about a month ago. How things actually play out at the ballot box on 1st May in those areas with elections remains to be seen. I'd rather the above did not happen.

https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/blogs/ec_lepoll_20250314.html

Gary Stevenson.

Of course it's true some UK citizens on UC receive cash in hand and is wrong, but the point is people coming here without authorisation should be stopped from coming and shouldn't receive financial assistance (I'll not use the word benefit ;)).

It's logical to assume there are some claiming cash in hand, I didn't mean all of them and I wasn't saying it wasn't understandable if they did.

People may say it is not much, but it is a lot compared to where they have came from, if they don't like it, they should stay in France.

They're asylum seekers, asylum seekers don't need authorisation. What you're proposing is people being left to starve and live in the woods or in shop doorways. You'd have to step over them to buy the Daily Mail.

So are you saying the UK should take absolutely zero asylum seekers? I trust you are aware that it is not possible to claim asylum from outside the UK and that there are no safe legal routes for asylum seekers at present.

I agree - the established parties need to understand why they are losing voters to Reform when they previously voted Labour/Conservative. It's lazy to suggest that all Reform voters are far right, and, in my view counterproductive. Who did those people previously vote for and why did those parties lose their vote? Don't insult them - work harder to regain their vote!

Few 10s of 1000s? In 2024 108,138 people claimed asylum. That’s just for one year and that number is increasing every year.

Substantially more? Someone mentioned asylum seekers get approx £50 a week to live on, Uk residents get approx £70 a week.

I’m not saying it’s the biggest problem the UK has but let’s not pretend we’ve got ”a few 10s of 100s” asylum seekers and Uk residents get much more money. These things just aren’t true.

Hadn’t heard of him but had a quick google and he looks very interesting.

Almost 37,000 arrived on small boats in 2024. Asylum seekers don't get more than UK citizens though I'm quite shocked to see such a low figure cited. Reform voters usually estimate benefits recipients in the top 5%.

There is a lot of nudging via social media at work and a lot of money from unknown sources being pumped into creating what I can only describe as anger.

If you check out local news headlines, they are geared towards antagonising the left and moderate voters and promoting the ultra right.

Labour and Conservatives don’t stand a chance against these clever algorithms.

I know a few people who voted Reform at the last election that previously voted Conservative. They said it was a protest vote. I would like to think they would have more sense than to vote Reform if they knew they would actually get in. Person voted Remain.

Someone said asylum seekers were a few 10s of 1000s and I replied with the proper stat of approx 110,000. I don’t understand why you’re coming back to me with a stat on the small boats?

I also didn’t say they get more than Uk residents.

It feels like to me you’re looking for reasons to get a bit frosty with me.

I actually would say I’m a Lib Dem voter not a reform voter. I think it’s unhelpful to assume someone’s a reform voter because they have issues with some aspects of immigration.

Not saying none, but a lot less. I am aware they can't apply outside the UK and I think they should be allowed to, but just because you can't doesn't mean it is ok to arrive by a boat and should be given the red carpet treatment. They should be put in another refugee camp as a deterrent to travel here.

I think we’ll have to agree to disagree here. I think she showed her true colours and was rightly called out on the views she actually stated. I don’t think there’s a requirement on posters to assume that someone doesn’t mean what they say.

It's unusual for Lib Dems to be frightened of Muslims and Sharia law. You were talking earlier about Islam becoming the main religion in the UK.

The thread is about small boats, so I gave the stats on small boats.

No but they should have at least a limited level of common sense.

I do agree there’s a genuine conversation to be had around immigration, and asylum seekers. What level of immigration is right? What should the criteria be? What support and additional spend needs to be put in place in those areas most affected? How do we ensure genuine asylum seekers are welcomed and supported while ensuring false ones are promptly identified and dealt with? What does dealt with look like?

all valid. I don’t feel the op was looking to engage on any of those areas

I think most posters do, and can see your views as stated for what they are

Is that because you have a rod up your bum?

I’m not frightened, I’m against Sharia law and I don’t want to live in a country where Islam is the predominant religion. I’m not going to pretend as if I have no concerns about the religion or the culture that generally comes with it? Which are all based on information that I’ve read and actually taken the time to look into, so I’ll stand by them. I also don’t agree with the Lib Dem approach to immigration.

You’ve basically just said that I don’t fit the stereotypes you have in your mind? I don’t know what to say to that.

That’s what the thread might have been about but it’s not what I was talking about.