Scared about a poll I read where Reform wins outright in First Past the Post????

[fixingmylife]

I guess we are years away from a General Election, but I am scared about the rise in populism and the seemingly popular Reform. I think it would be unthinkable to have Farage as our Prime Minister. I don't want a small state, private NHS, racist far right populist, Trumpist in charge of the country.

I know MN is generally fairly anti Reform, Brexit etc, but where are all these Reform voters. I don't know anyone personally who has admitted they would vote for them? Is it the all the disenfranchised young men?

This

What is good about them and what they are voting for?

I am concerned by the idea that under proportional representation, my representative isn't beholden to my area. I could vote for a party that then, once elected, says X area is shite, let it burn, and have no recourse until the next election.

If anyone has an answer to this please let me know, because I've always been a 'democracy first' sort of individual, but this concerns me.

Single Transferrable Vote for regions or constituencies avoids this concern.

It's just like Brexit; a slow car crash and it's really going to fuck up the country.

Is this the future of our relationships?

Would that be by constituency? Because if so I retract my concern.

Why do think all reform supporters are bad? You've said yourself you don't any! I have a very politically mixed group of friends and family - all of them good people and most of them want the same outcome but just different ways of getting there.

You need to be open to having conversations with people and would bet you do know reform supporters they just haven't told you.

I think if things keep going the way they are we are going to end up with a Conservative/ Reform coalition at the next GE

I mean, I'd even vote Tory to keep out a Reform candidate, that's how worried I am. Something I always swore I would never do. The constituency I live in is a fairly safe Conservative seat, and remains so in any projections, but my ward is full of Reform supporters. I can only hope the new Reform councils don't live up to the hopes of their constituents when the new councillors realise what local government actually involves.
Though it has to be said that Farage's piss poor performance as a Clacton MP doesn't seem to have made any difference. People want someone to make things better, and around here people are convinced that Farage is the man for the job. It chills me to the bone.

I don't think people who vote Reform are bad but I don't think Reform is a good choice to vote for.

It could be, yes.

Or you can have a hybrid system like Scotland.

They're the only party willing to even voice a willingness to tackle real problems such as mass unfetted immigration. And NO having issues with mass immigration, unregistered males with totally different cultural norms here, without qualifications and valuable contribution to society is NOT racist.

Nobody bar nobody (except actual racists) have a problem with foreign professionals coming here to work. It'd be utter madness to judge one professional against another based on country of origin.

The real problem that keeps getting diverted from by screeching "racist"(and successfully, by the way no other party dares broaches it with any gusto) is mass uncontrolled immigration by people that's way of life does not meet our cultural expectations, and are not contributing to our society but actively being a burden and a drain on it. People are fed up !

We're cow towing to tiny minorities (such as trans people ) and demanding the other 99% majority stick pronouns on their work emails and badges (it's work! That's crazy !) and that's not enough - men in toilets with young girls to #be kind. It's utter madness! And people are sick of being branded an 'ist' and have a conversation or debate instantly shut down.

Reform are the only party willing to talk "common sense" in the sea of madness that's currently out there. That's enough for many people to cling on to.

It's not even the groups in question that are the problem (e.g trans people - we used to all just rub along and accept this teeny tiny minority and let them leave in peace : Nadia winning big brother in the noughties anyone ?) a genuine transperson known of as a 'woman' who advertised freely she was 'transsexual' and was born male and remained biologically male. Nobody (unless a bigot) would have a problem with that! Nobody bloody did back then! But she wasn't shouting from her podium to make 99% of us change our everyday life to accommodate her. Institutions such as NHS and government are the ones trying so hard to get on the "right on" bandwagon they're the ones dictating on the 0.01%s loud minorities behalf ! And not listening to all the everyday people (that includes immigrants and LGBTQ people ) !

So people in conclusion have had enough and want to stop being silenced for fear of being persecuted and branded an 'ist. People are scared to say how they feel (and most of the time their thoughts are indeed rational )

It makes me aghast when you get those old gems flying around "oh so you don't mind Dr Raj, he's the right type of immigrant is he, you racist ?" Well.... actually yes!!!! Nobody does mind the 'right' type of immigrant and nobody gives a shit what their colour or creed is ! But people don't want 20 yr old males arriving on mass with zero to contribute.

No other party acknowledges normal people's normal concerns. The vote share proves this. And it's not all Wayne and Sharon smoking their roll ups with their man utd shirts on down the boozer with their tattooed arms out. Wake up !

This is the second thread in a couple of days saying that we need proportional representation to defeat Reform. Yet proportional representation would have given Reform way more MPs than they currently have and would work in their favour.

@TheodoraCrumpeti said to myself I'd vote for the most left wing party standing in my area that responded to my request that they support the right of women to have single sex spaces. I wish the Communist Party of Britain was standing, they'd have got my vote.

I voted Tory for the first time ever. I really hope to never again. Why do good people think women don't matter?

My region is more than half reform at the last locals. I WANT to vote Labour (I don't believe any of them but Wes Streetling on this), Green, or Lib Dem, each of which I've voted for before, but I can't until they support the most basic of women's rights. Elizabeth Fry would be turning in her grave.

@fixingmylife would you mind telling me what the sarcastic laugh emoji was on my reply ? Or does my opinion not matter?

Why are folk so scared of reform. A lot of folk are dissatisfied with the present government and the Tories were even worse.

Because they're going to make the country a lot worse than it is and won't fulfill their promises.

Why do you think that someone who admires Putin and Trump is good for the country?

What about the NHS, Education, Climate Change, Defense spending, Welfare, Prisons, Social Care? Surely these things are of more importance than the Reform dog-whistle, let's blame the migrants and trans people for all the countries problems.. Sigh. We need immigrants and with such a low birth rate who is going to look after us when we need social care? It's not just about immigration and trans people.

Once again - you're coming out with tired "tropes". Read what I've written again : did I say anywhere in there that I don't support immigration and we don't need immigration? Once again you've done the old classic of shutting down the conversation by stating I've blamed "trans people" and "immigrants" that's so lazy and manipulative.

Luckily other people will read my post and see exactly my thoughts, which ironically is not what you've deduced.

Look, reform won't get in. It won't happen. It's a "protest" vote for most people: so hopefully the government will take heed of it and act accordingly.

I voted reform at the last election but wouldn’t have done if I’d thought the candidate had a chance of being elected. I live in a safe seat so mine was a protest vote.

I don’t want to see a Reform government but the main parties have to start listening to voters instead of dismissing their concerns.

Brexit is still divisive and the split is still roughly half, I don't see how leading with an undo-brexit message would help. You just reopen the wound.

I don't think Reform stand much chance in a GE because much of this month's vote was a protest vote.

Starmer would do better to focus on things he can actually achieve - reduction in NHS waiting lists, improving funding for secondary education, sorting access to GPs etc.

Starmer would do better to focus on things he can actually achieve - reduction in NHS waiting lists, improving funding for secondary education, sorting access to GPs etc.

All of which depend on improving the economy and closer relations and improved trade deals with Europe are key to that.

Unless Tories sort themselves and their messaging out then they won't be the 2nd party. LibDems seem to be stuck in 3rd party - despite having many more seats than Reform no one ever discusses their prospects.
So basically, how it looks today, is Labour v Reform.
When I drove past polling stations on Referendum day I had a conviction it would be 'out' - there was such a queue at my local one like I've never seen, normally walk straight in for any election, people were clearly out to get their vote in when they wouldn't normally be fussed. If Reform manage to maintain their attraction to the protest vote, attraction to people not normally engaged in politics even enough to vote due to wanting 'a better deal' then they have a good chance and I think you'll see it in action at polling stations.
Due to their inexperience plus their attractiveness to dubious folk then I think it's also possible they'll collapse or eat each other before 2029 - personally I very much hope so!
We aren't going to get PR any time soon, and whilst scared of Regorm or similar I actually don't think we should be finding roundabout ways to avoid it - good clear messaging but staying within our current democratic rules is the way to go.
Though I do believe in PR, or rather not FPTP, as it happens just we shouldn't push it through to avoid things we don't like - should have it as and when it's agreed and voted on.

It won’t.

It will galvanise the Reform vote even more.

The EU have not exactly coveted themselves in glory during the Brexit negotiations, they are seen as obstructive and unnecessarily hard line toward the UK and this won’t help.

I think Brexit was a mistake, but we cannot walk it back now.

I think she means what is good about Reform?

Apart from being anti immigration and jumping on whichever anti-woke bandwagon he wants they don't have many policies and none that won't harm the working classes more. If he's looking towards protectionism that is going to damage the economy and make things cost more.
Nigel farage thinks the people that vote for him are beneath him. He is a very rich middle class former banker and cares absolutely nothing about the people that he has voting for him.

I've met him a couple of times in real life and he is pretty unlikable as a person. His very articulate but his mannerisms and body language is quite strange I can't imagine him being a good person to represent the UKe Labroad and at this moment in time we need a good representative who is likeable and diplomatic. He has already alienated most of Europe with his strange behavior in the EU parliament.