Why do people like reform?

[TheGoogleMum]

I haven't been keeping very up to date with politics. I usually vote Labour. I don't really understand the popularity of reform, could anyone explain it to me?
As far as I'm aware Farage doesn't actually do anything when he wins a seat somewhere so I'm not convinced they'll actually do anything? Is it just a protest vote that's gone a bit far?

Why do you like Labour

Low skilled mass immigration are not net contributors to the tex system.

It's cheap labour though which a lot of employers want. And the public often doesn't mind because it keeps prices down. Who will do these jobs?

Back in the day uni was free so what ls the change now?

Because millions more go & universities have turned into businesses.

Why was housing not an issue years ago?

Housing was allowed to become an asset which is the worse thing subsequent governments have done to young people in particular.

The majority of the population didn’t. A narrow majority of those who voted did. That amounts to 37% of the electorate. Many of whom are now dead.

https://www.theparliamentmagazine.eu/news/article/brexit-referendum-voting-analysis

@ThingsThatMakeYouGoHmmmmmmmmm i agree with you.

I could, lots of people do if the accommodation is cheap enough to rent. Under £300 a month for over 55s flat where I am, bills, food. It’s doable.

Obviously harder if you have a large property to maintain or want to run a car.

@Seamond is that to me? I'm not sure I do like labour. They have certainly got things wrong in the past. They have currently only been in power a short while & no party can sort out years of mess in that time. Thats if it can even be sorted out. But Reform are lying, lower taxes cannot possibly lead to better services & standards of living.

Single people below state pension age on universal credit are expected to live on less than £400 a month.

Single people below state pension age on universal credit are expected to live on less than £400 a month.

But the same people who crow about attacks on pensioners don't care about the above or think it's of their own making.

I'm not denying there isn't a problem with illegal immigration or that governments shouldn't do more. But stopping it is going to cost millions & millions & have other consequences.

No, sorry, it was to OP, thread title was why do people like Reform, then went on to say they voted Labour.

Yes but they also get additional elements such as rent and council tax discount. Isn’t the point that its set low enough to just about scrape by for a little bit whilst you get a job. I claimed JSA 20 years ago (twice after getting made redundant) it was about £30-40 a week which even then was not a lot.

This

Yes but they also get additional elements such as rent and council tax discount. Isn’t the point that it's set low enough to just about scrape by for a little bit whilst you get a job.

Just as I said!

Perhaps these are simply the same people who later end up on pension credit, or do you grow out of being "feckless"?

I really don't want to take your bait (again!) but things worked pretty well in the 80s and 90s (not sure if you're old enough to remember as I am) when we had 15 million less people. We paid alot less tax, could get a doctors appointment police were efficient and we could all afford to rent or buy a house.

But things being different to 40 years ago is not just because of immigration...

Who is "we"??

Presumably, you mean someone else as long as it's not you!

People keep saying "we need to pay more tax", but then those on most benefits know their benefits are tax-exempt. OAPs went made at the thought of losing their WFH and object to ideas such as extending NIC to pensions/interest etc. People with ISAs are objecting to ideas to reduce the tax-free thresholds etc. Means testing child benefit under the coalition was very unpopular, etc.

People say it, but they mean "more tax" to be paid by someone else, not them! So it's a meaningless and pointless virtue signalling statement.

Most people vote according to their own beliefs and circumstances. They are unlikely to vote to the detriment of their own lives if there was a clear choice. That's human nature and it's not a bad thing. I care more about my own life and the lives of my family than I do the boat people or anyone else. I am sure that you are exactly the same if you were honest. It would.be weird if it was the opposite (unless you are Jesus of course, in which case apologies).

And that applies to voters of any party Labour and Conservative too (I'm not sure why you have decided I am a Reform supporter from any of my posts, incidentally).

Hopefully someone who knows about economics can helpfully go through the Laffer Curve for us all.

The majority did.

The majority of those who voted - 30% of the electorate didn’t bother.

So very similar to the minority who caused the Labour "landslide" in last year's GE then!

After all, Starmer's winning vote was virtually unchanged from the prior GE when the Tories won convincingly. There wasn't a "landslide" towards Labour for Starmer to win, it was simply that lots of Tory voters didn't vote Tory! So rather than Starmer winning, it was actually more that the Tories lost!

So you can't really claim Brexit wasn't a convincing win IF you also try to claim that Starmer has a convincing win, because the votes are pretty much comparable!

That’s what happens in general elections too so if they don’t vote that’s on them and they can’t complain either way with the result

The majority of those who voted - 30% of the electorate didn’t bother.

What was the turnout vs other elections? You are never going to get everyone voting.

Who is "we"??

Everyone has to pay more tax

People keep saying "we need to pay more tax", but then those on most benefits know their benefits are tax-exempt. OAPs went made at the thought of losing their WFH and object to ideas such as extending NIC to pensions/interest etc. People with ISAs are objecting to ideas to reduce the tax-free thresholds etc. Means testing child benefit under the coalition was very unpopular, etc.

The tax free threshold needs to be lower. Income wise the higher earners pay similar tax to other countries, it's the middle earners who pay less. Workers above pension age should pay NI. Potential changes to things like council tax etc

All deeply, deeply unpopular & unpalatable so it's easier to blame the boat people. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Simple then. Introduce a new 2.5% tax, call it a NHS surcharge or social care tax and apply it to ALL income, including ALL benefits, ALL pensions, wages, interest, dividends, property rental income, foreign investment income. And wait for the squeals of anguish from everyone saying "it's not fair you've taxed ME, I'm a special case, you should be taxing everyone else!".