This migrant problem is going to let Reform in isn’t it?

[EvangelicalAboutButteredToast]

Honestly it’s such a bloody nightmare. Reform are making a total hash of local government from what I’ve read, putting teenagers in charge of whole departments with no relevant experience. What are they going to do if they are elected to run a country!!!! I’m honestly terrified. Labour need to be seen to be actively doing something to quell the far-right momentum that’s gaining traction from ordinary folk. I’m amazed at the average, usually pretty sensible people around me who are now telling me they are going to vote Reform.

there was an interview I saw yesterday where the minister said that thousands of people were being deported regularly. The interviewer asked why there were no videos of this and she said there could be. Well let’s see it! It would absolutely help.

I’m not sure about that. The people leaving now are impacting tax receipts. That’s due to Labour.

And pp said similarly after Brexit yet are still here. A few mners might go but then again maybe not.

The ones like the Hollywood actors who “fled” the US to the Cotswolds and Notting Hill when Trump got elected. They are the sorts of people who aren’t bothered by the state of the economy nor the increasingly dangerousness of its streets as they are entirely insulated from it because of their wealth and resources.

Depends on your perspective, I suppose.

It will be the educated professionals who are most likely to leave. You might be glad to see the back of them, if you don't mind the brain drain and loss of tax income etc.

I will vote for any party that gets this current shower of uselessness out of government. The current bunch are absolutely wrecking this country.

I hope Reform don’t win outright as I do not think they have the experience to run the government. For me, best option is a Reform/Conservative co-ilition. And I don’t care what people think about me voting this way - Labour are destroying this country at the moment and I dread to think what will be left in 4 years time.

I have never even thought about emigrating before. I am activitely researching leaving this country thanks to Kier and gang.

I will be leaving if Reform are in government, although as they have four MPs and can’t run local councils I’m not concerned.

You’re losing income tax now with Labour.

Debbie downer? The Tories left our public services in an appalling state. If we want decent public services, including the NHS, Social Services, the Police and the justice system, then we have to pay, one way or another. There's no way around that.

I think it's a GOOD thing that Reform have the very limited chance to dabble in local government now - they will hopefully show that they are no good. Let them fail. Let them show their true colours. Better to find out now. If Farage wins power, he will probably make the massive thieves and criminals Boris Johnson and Tony Blair look like gentlemen. I don't think Reform are the magic bullet people think they are; and if they gain power, the magic bullet will shoot the people who voted for it.

Much as I despise all politicians and government, I think Labour are the least of all available evils right now. They are the closest thing we have to "adults" in charge; and after Boris Johnson, I don't trust anybody who promises miracles, which is what Farage is doing. Labour are not good at communicating what they are doing right, and they don't have the Tory press on their side. They were given a very, very shitty situation to put right, and they were not promising miracles. To me, any politician promising miracles is a huge red flag.

A headline in the Express said a couple of days ago "Farage promises: three strikes, and it's jail for life" (I saw the headline, didn't read the article). That's exactly the soundbite that appeals to his right-wing Daily Mail readers as they froth over their morning cornflakes. It's an ideology that I used to support, but the reality is far more nuanced than that, especially as we have so few prison places that we have to keep letting criminals out, and I don't think Farage is going to woo his voters with "I'm going to invest billions not in the NHS (let the ill die instead), but in Titan jails, with generous salaries to tempt officers to work in them."

Farage is a disruptor: he says radical things to make the government change their tune, but isn't really offering a credible alternative. I think people sometimes vote for disruptors to show the government the red card, thinking that whoever they vote for isn't going to win... and then it's a shock if they do. I think some people voted Brexit simply to show their indignation for government bureaucracy in general, or immigration in general, not expecting it to win, and were stunned when it did. Maybe even Farage wasn't expecting it.

Yep, and will lose much more under Reform.

Idk I think the mners view of leaving is overstated.

If people can set up businesses and not get hit by too many anti growth policies they’ll stay. It’s usually taxes / growth limiting policies that changes behaviour.

Agree with much of this post. I won’t be voting for them myself either as I suspect they would prove utterly incompetent, but equally I really don’t understand why Reform’s current appeal is a shock to anyone. At this point, after decades of being ignored and marginalised, how else are people supposed to vent their frustration?

I’m a typical liberal left/centrist mum: ex-primary teacher, do lots of volunteering, and historically have voted mainly Lib Dem or Labour. But the London suburb I grew up in, and am currently in the process of moving away from, has been transformed in recent years by unsustainable levels of migration. Crime has risen and there is practically zero community trust or cohesion - people now just co-exist uneasily in parallel silos of class and race. Since Covid in particular it has moved beyond ‘diversity’ - which for many years had been absolutely fine - to an environment that feels culturally utterly alien to me.

I don’t want this for my child, so we are moving out of London to somewhere that still has a cohesive and relatively homogeneous community - somewhere my DD can feel safe, rooted and comfortable. We are lucky that we have the flexibility and resources to relocate - many friends and neighbours have expressed similar yearning to do so but are much more tied to London than we are. There is certainly a sense among many that demographic change in many places has now reached some kind of ‘critical mass’ which is deeply affecting people’s relationship to where they live, and they are seeking an outlet through which to express that feeling. Reform, I think, is that outlet.

I’ll either be voting far left or far right.

The country needs a shake up ASAP as I’ve had enough of living in Dicken’s England.

That’s not true. We need to reform (pun not intended!) public services. There is an absolutely extraordinary amount of waste in public services - streamline it, get rid of useless red tape and bureaucracy and plough that money back into the front line services.

I am glad you have had no issues. That is what people want.

There is a difference to the general population. They are resident usually. As in the community and the local police usually know who the wronguns are.

These hotels are transitory by nature. I dont think you can compare tbh. You have no idea who you are living next to one day to the next. Whether they are the same risk profile as your neighbours is highly debatable tbh. Incidence of conviction of a sexual crime in the British population is something like 2 out of every 10,000. It can go up to 50 for some nationalities.

Do you want to give a descriptor of your area? As in rural, town, etc. Perhaps you have found a good location and people can learn from this in locating more hotels.

Our male migrant hotel is c. 180 men in a village of 2000. There have been no sexual assaults thankfully. There is however constant unhappiness at the migrants. They have nothing to do except sit in the park. Which is next to the school. You often have 20 or so but can have 50 plus sometimes.

The kids cant use the play park as people dont feel comfortable letting them out alone. They no longer walk to school alone. And reports have been made on occasion about men standing outside school gates watching children. (Thankfully not recently so hoping these men have been moved on).

These men could just be watching the world go by. They have absolutely nothing to do. But I am not going to sit here and say people must ignore any gut feeling or feeling of intimidation, ‘be kind’, etc. If they want to be concerned then thats their feeling. And if they want to protest if one of the children is attacked then I am not going to judge that. I would want the hotel gone too.

Well, we'll see. Not everyone is motivated by money alone.

Did he happen to clarify what Labour's economic strategy is? I'd love to know. Apart from saying the word 'growth' repeatedly, I can't think of anything they've done in their first year to actually stimulate growth.

I'dont disagree that farage wont fix anything. However, I can see why people will vote reform - even though I wont.

As i said, I'm no fan of reform and think Farage is an idiot. However in terms of things getting worse? From personal experiance, things are vicerally worse than they were this time last year, financailly things are much tighter, our company didnt do raises this year, due to the NI bullcrap that labour bought in - as it was either that or redundencies... however, eveything else has gone up in price... it was shit under conservatives - but i guarentee it has been worse under labour

All

I 100% agree.

Exactly this.

I think by the time of the next election there's a strong chance that Reform's councillors will have cocked up so many local councils that it will actually go against them the general election.

It's a long time for them to try and keep things right. And people notice when things affect their day to day lives

This. No-one can predict anything at this point.

The far right are putting a lot of money into creating fear and chaos, especially on social media. And unfortunately many of the British public are lapping it all up and taking the propaganda at face value. Same happened with Brexit.
Tufton Street and the like…

Yes, and for Farage to cock up also. He and Tice encouraging "protests" involving neo-Nazis may bite them on the bum, for example.

Ok feel free to go but it’s taxes you’re talking about and that’s what is needed.

Reform voters: What do you think Reform will do, that Labour aren't doing? (Specifically - because all the vague 'send back the boats' stuff doesn't make sense: they can't really police the 300 miles of southern British coastline?)

(Also chuckling at the Reform voters who are looking to move abroad, hmmm)