Reform party

[TalkToTheHand123]

Will Reform win any votes at the local elections?

Yep so @TheNuthatchwas correct, it’s possible.

Your last comments to me were to accuse me of wetting myself, and then to 'get a life.'
What on earth makes you think I would have any interest in debating with someone who turns to personal insults when they can't win an argument? Sorry, not my style. There are plenty of other posters to converse with.

I see you haven't taken my advice. Enjoy your day.

Exactly what Luke Tryl said. Some possibilities are more remote than others.

IMO Farage won't get voted back in and Reform will fall apart by the next election.

It could change, today Reform would lead.

It’s less likely for Labour to do so rn. There’s nothing there that says it is more likely to go their way.

Not sure why pp think there is.

@EasternStandard
It's like watching a re-run of the US election. The Democrats were in denial too. Now look who sits in the oval office.

So do you two plan to vote Reform? @TheNuthatch and @EasternStandard

Based on what? The polls are showing regular increases in popularity for Reform at a very high level. Membership already high and increasing at a high rate. Out of Farage, Starmer and Badenoch, who is getting the most popular media attention regularly?

No.

How do you plan on voting at the next election?

Farage is good clickbait, that's all. The UK likes a character see Johnson.

Based on the fact Farage has done nothing for his constituency and has spent a lot of time sucking up to Trump. Based on the fact that Reform have a few MPs and are currently in fighting.

Can you tell us what policies, apart from 'stopping the boats' Reform have that you like?

Thanks, I wasnt sure if you were a supporter or not.

Home Office to publish the Nationality of prisoners for the first time in the UK.
Another boost for Reform?

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/apr/22/home-office-foreign-criminals-nationalities-uk

A dogwhistle to racists

Surely that's all Reform are.

It is, and Labour are blowing the whistle.

I would have predicted the same with Trump after what happened at the end of his previous tenure but he was voted back in.

Over the almost 40 years I've had the vote I've learnt that you should never underestimate anyone.

I've also learnt that mocking candidates and their supporters often has the opposite effect. Quite often, but not always it's the left doing the mocking eg. Ben Elton in the 80s with his 'Thatch' routine, Trump being mocked, his supporters called thick, Reform supporters called stupid racists, Georgia Melonis speak made into a dance track to mock her. I'm sure there are more but that's off the top of my head.

I agree, Reform seem a bit ramshackle, but I think it would be naive to write them off.

@JasmineAllen

Quite often, but not always it's the left doing the mocking.

That's blatantly not true. All Trump did during his candidacy was mock the 'woke' and 'communists' and call Harris names and mock her. In fact I'm sure he had comedians before one of his events calling a SA country a floating island of trash.

Haven't you heard of son of a toolmaker, Rachel from Accounts, two tier Keir and all the other mocking names given to the Labour party? Magic Grandpa...

Are you suggesting that we sit on our hands and engage with people whose only answer to the country's problems is "stop the small boats dump them in France" as illustrated on this thread?

Engaging with people and taking them seriously unfortunately doesn't work when they're not willing to engage themselves. See Brexit.

Fair enough, there is mocking on both sides. I didn't say it was exclusively the left doing the mocking.

I was more pointing out (in direct response to a PP) that the left have a tendency to mock and dismiss the chances of a party like Reform which I think is naive.

And yes, I am suggesting the best way is to engage with Reform supporters because ignoring them isn't going to placate them or make them go away.

You said it was mostly the left doing the mocking which isn't backed up by fact.

And yes, I am suggesting the best way is to engage with Reform supporters because ignoring them isn't going to placate them or make them go away.

This is what people have been trying to do on this thread. Perhaps you should lead by example and engage with the OP.

I remember all the mocking before the American election - even from members of Parliament - I think it sometimes heightens peoples resolve to go out and vote!

Yes I agree. I was so convinced that Trump would win because of this, I actually placed a bet for Trump to win. First time I've ever placed a bet!

It probably does and they get what they vote for. I'm sure they're delighted with the results.

What I said was quite often, but not always it's the left doing the mocking. You can check my post above 🙂

This is my experience, probably because most of the news/entertainment I watch comes from a centre left place because my politics are centre left.

It's a discussion thread. I don't need to directly engage with the OP because I was engaging with one of the other posters and my comments were directed at them 😁