What will life be like under Reform?

[Easipeelerie]

I have accepted the likelihood of the next government being Reform. I don’t think the government after that will necessarily be Reform. But in the 4 Reform years, what do people think life will be like for the different groups in our country? Will we see very immediate changes?

This is a bit like saying, "If I am in £5000 worth of credit card debit, I may as well be in £50,000 worth of credit card debt". I.e. Reform are not going to be able to deliver when it comes to running the economy or the country so it definitely is something that should stop people in their tracks - if they think the situation is dire now, they ain't seen nothing yet! I mean we only have to look at Brexit, spearheaded by Farage, to see how that has made us all worse off!

I hope they don’t get into power. It will be like going from the frying pan into the fire! It sure does look like that’s the way we’re heading though. When will people ever learn? Voters voted Labour wrongly believing that things will be better and now they will probably vote Reform, again believing that they will be better. They’re going to be bitterly disappointed. Watch this space.

I would rather vote for Kemi Badenoch. She has potential to be a great Prime Minister. A dream team would consist of Kemi, Katie Lam and Penny Mordaunt.

Reform auditing councils is giving me Musk/Doge vibes...

I will be voting for Reform.

The Tories are gone.
Labour is doing a worse job that I could ever have imagined.
I certainly wouldn’t vote for Lib Dem’s or Greens, or we’d all be having to call men women.

So I don’t have a lot of choice. I’m thinking that a party of business men might be worth a shot. Anyone who ‘knows’ it would be ‘hell’, doesn’t really know. They just assume.

I have to vote with a party that aligns with my beliefs.
A belief that the welfare state is unaffordable. A belief that whilst we must look after the elderly and disabled, other people should be forced into work, and they should work as many hours as I do, because both DH and I work full time, despite wishing we didn’t have to and it’s unfair.
A belief that work should be rewarded and if you earn and save, then yes, you should be able to pass that wealth on to offspring.
A belief that illegal immigration is bad and drastic action should be taken to stop it, for example no more funding for hotels or human rights lawyers.
I would also like closer ties with the States. I have no interest in Europe whatsoever as they are making all the same mistakes that we are.

That’s just my opinion. But clearly Reform is an appropriate vote for me.

I think that the squeezed middle, who are always the people shouldering the burden of paying for the welfare state in this country, and who work to pay for their own services plus the services of others, are fed up. I work somewhere in the region of 100 hours a month for nothing due to tax and NI. That’s 100 hours a month that I could spend with my family or spend doing things I’d like to do instead. It’s wrong and I think socialism is also wrong.

So Reform it is.

Are you proud of hyperbole - it doesn't wash with me.

Go away with your hysterical arguments (and I'm not talking humour)

The arguments are so insane, I can’t even take them seriously anymore. People on the left of centre are so desperate not to have a right leaning government, they’ll say anything.

It does sound like Reform are the party for you, but referring to them as a party of businessmen seems a bit off. Are you including Lee Anderson, Nadine Dorries and Jeremy Kyle in that? Or maybe their TV doctor who consulted with a widely discredited anti-vaxxer for their health policy? Their on-stage national anthem performance at their conference was beyond parody - seemed like a bunch of grifters, cranks and rejects, if you weren’t too dazzled by all of the sequins and merchandise tat.

Let’s agree to disagree and you keep voting for this lot, who are less useful than a chocolate teapot.

Lets be honest none of the current parties have many MPs or candidates with any useful life experience or experience of running anything never mind a country.

They are all pretty anonymous, could you name 5 MPs in any of the current political parties?

So most people are going to rely on what they say and based on recent experience could you trust them to do what they say?

Has anyone actually taken a serious look at Reform and considered whether they have the political experience or expertise to take on the role of governing this country?!

They have pretty much ZERO experience..... They can all stand on a stage and appeal to people who haven't thought to apply critical thinking skills to the issue presenting itself.

Do we REALLY want a US style government here?? Do we want to apply a layer of bureaucracy to our health service? Anyone who has sought healthcare in the US as a visitor will know that before you see a clinician they take all your payment details and the wait for treatment as an emergency is not dissimilar to here, in my experience. Those people who take your credit card number are paid by the hospital. I have a colleague who lived in the US and came back to the UK due to the cost of medical insurance once he retired. Could no longer afford it.... Consider the number of health bankruptcies in the US...

If Reform form the next Government we are doomed IMHO.

Friend left the US aged 66 and his health insurance premium was $28,000 a year and that was EIGHT years ago. Let that sink in....

It will destroy the country and send us backwards to a time only a few remember.

We often reminisce about history but the reality is pretty grim. We forget how good we have it now.....and we do have it very good. This idea that we can cut back the welfare system, kick out immigrants and offer no permanent provision for people coming to work here is to put in frankly utter nonsense.

Millions of people rely on state handouts, most of which are working. The last bout of austerity actually caused lasting damage to the British economy. It was so bad that even Boris Johnson admitted that it was a huge mistake.

Leaving the EU caused damage to our economy and our international reputation.

No permanent provision for foreign workers would equal the fact that many simply wouldn't come and work here.

So what is Farage after, it's simple. He will trash a raft of employment law that will mean millions of workers won't have any rights. He will return the country to the man power days and if you dont like it it's no bread and butter for you tonight. Children will end up impoverished and we will see a return of slums

You can’t be blind to what is happening in America? Farage is copying Trump to the T- even to “eating cats and dogs” except in Farage-land it’s swans 🙄. Do you see that people are poorer, bills are higher, groceries and the government lies and gaslights about the reality. Meanwhile violence has increased, press and comedians are silenced. The government asking people to report anyone critical of Charlie Kirk. Students that protest on policies that the government disagrees on are lifted off the streets and into grim cells with no trial. Do you see how the Trump family wealth has increased. How much taxpayer money HE spends on golf but so many vital services are cut. Do you hear the divisive rhetoric that Trump and his administration use?! Here’s some direct quotes “The radicals on the left are the problem, and they're vicious and they're horrible” threatening "I mean, bad things happen when they play these games. I’ll give you a little clue, the right is a lot tougher than the left. But the right’s not doing this. And they better not get them energized because it won’t be good for the left."

Do you not see ANY of this? Why is it hysterical to be concerned that Temu Trump Farage is going to bring this here? I’m sure most Americans don’t feel that their country is in a better place under Trump. We should be very wary at the rise of the authoritarian far right. My grandparents sacrificed so much in the war to keep this country free from fascism, I won’t be gaslight into pretending it’s not threatening our shores.

No, to be honest it sounds like you are describing the UK and all the lies, gaslighting, corruption and economic misery we have been dealing with here, especially this last 28 months.

I spend a few months a year in the US and people are happy with much of what Trump is doing, particularly in regards to the border, tax cuts, roll backs on DEI and climate change and foreign policy. I’m not sure where you’re getting your info from, likely left wing media. People are proud patriotic and likely to continue voting Republican.

As for Charlie Kirk, I was a huge fan and I can’t believe how disgraceful people have been on Twitter and even left wing “celebrities” in the MSM. A father, a son and a husband, murdered for having a different opinion. Quite right that those people are shut down. I’m all for free speech, but celebrating murder is a step too far even for me.

And one last thing - I only hear the divisive rhetoric that Starmer and left wing politicians here use. ‘Right wing thugs’, ‘Tory Scum’, ‘Nazi scum’ etc and people like yourself have fallen for it hook line and sinker. No one is a Nazi on either side, no matter how much I lack respect for some of our politicians.

So your whole post could apply to the Labour Party and the UK. Even one of their own activists described them just yesterday, as being a bit too authoritarian fgs.

I’m no fan of Starmer (or his party for that matter), but I can’t remember him inciting his supporters to riot? Or threatening anyone with violence. Comparing him to Trump is ludicrous.

This.

Seriously you believe all this yet you think other people live in a social media bubble?
You are so biased its incredible
I have no issue with other views but you just deny that alternative views can credibly exist
Its petrifying

As are you completely biased. You cannot see that perhaps you are wrong either.

No government party is perfect. Biden pardoned himself over 8000 times along with his son. I’m not saying right leaning parties are perfect. But I find the screaming about Farage amusing when we have a corrupt authoritarian government in place, who have no idea what they are doing; are borrowing like nobody’s business and are tanking the economy. Too many people are still praying for the socialist dream - it’s never going to happen.

Final thought, just because I vote Reform doesn’t make me wrong or bad and just because you might support Labour or Lib Dem’s doesn’t make you morally superior or good. It’s doesn’t. You just think it does.

I didn't vote at all at last election. Why - I figured Labour where getting in regardless and they did. I wasn't unhappy with that. Like everyone else I had high hopes for them.

I didn't expect them to fix things in 1 year of course not.
However I didn't expect them to make things substantially worse.

I'm not talking about the small boats although that is without a doubt an issue.

I'm talking about the huge increase in our debt and no sign of getting out of it although today's telegraph says RR is now talking about increasing vat so I suppose that is something.

We need growth. Simple as that and we need to start repaying the debt not keeping on adding to it.

I was hopeful last year when they cut the winter fuel allowance but then they backtracked on it showing they have no backbone.

Then they voted against their own proposed benefit cuts which just goes to show how utterly unfit they are to run the country. I mean if you are borrowing to pay your bills, you don't keep spending more and more do you.

I'm afraid I just don't have any belief in them now.

Small improvements this year and standing by decisions would have been enough for me to have faith in them going into year 2 but that hasn't happened.

The Trump administration has used threats, lawsuits and funding cuts to pressure media outlets perceived as critical. Trump has repeatedly called the press "enemies of the people" and threatened to revoke broadcast licenses for networks like NBC and ABC. If journalists didn’t use the approved language of the regime they were threatened and removed - Gulf of Mexico anyone?
The Trump administration is removing books from educational and military libraries that they deem inappropriate or not aligning with their ideology. On book banning, Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" was removed from the US Naval Academy library in 2025, while Hitlers Mein Kampf remained. The US Naval Academy removed about 400 books. Trump threatens schools and universities with defunding if they don’t follow the government’s ideals.
Yes, once Raynor used the word “scum” in describing conservatives. She apologised following multiple death threats. I’ve not seen the use of the term “Nazi scum” used by Labour politicians- perhaps you can provide evidence though?
Contrast this with the deluge of dehumanising language from the Trump administration, there is never an apology. A good example is Stephen Millers “you have nothing, you are nothing” dehumanising speech at Charlie Kirk’s memorial. Trump has a longstanding history of using dehumanising language toward his political adversaries and marginalised groups, frequently referring to them as "vermin”, “lowlifes”, "enemies from within” and saying “They’re poisoning the blood of our country”.

When you talk about people as less than human you can justify treating them as as less than human. Blood thirsty men are joining ICE to live out that violent rhetoric, bullying and being violent to women and splitting up families. Video below.

The left wing response to Kirk’s murder was one of condemnation. Almost universally those in a position of power on the left condemned his killing. The right moved straight in with inflammatory divisive rhetoric, framing the ENTIRE left as though they had universally committed the murder. This was in the aftermath, immediately following his death - before they even knew who his murderer was. The right’s insistence that his death meant you couldn’t criticise his racist misogynist beliefs was such a blow to free speech. The right conflated criticism of Kirk with celebrating his murder. Yes, I did see some anonymous accounts celebrating his death but by and large the response has been that no one deserves to die for their beliefs, even if his views on women’s rights and race were pretty repulsive to many.
Americans that I speak to - I have family and friends there- have a VERY different perspective to you- step outside your right wing echo chamber and you might see this too.

Reform would be a disaster for the Uk. Their links to Russia whose primary aim is to destroy the west and rebuild their empire by taking Europe, is traitorous. Reforms Nathan Gill Taking Russian money to push Russian agendas is treason in my opinion. Why does Russia use bots to push Reform and right wing parties across Europe? Because it did fulfils their aim of a weakened, divided and vulnerable Europe.
www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2025/9/27/ice-officer-slams-woman-to-the-ground-at-immigration-court#flips-6380185718112:0

Actually i sort of am.
Hear me out.

I had a pretty bad start in life. Very scary childhood with lots of chaos, abuse and terror. I've known for about the last 15 years something wasn't right. Previous to that I thought my childhood was 'normal'. Now early retired (not claiming benefits, living on my own money till first private pension kicks in) I have finally done something about it.

The NHS has diagnosed me with with severe complex trauma and I'm getting schema therapy. My assessment appointment with the clinical psychologist was meant to take 50 mins and she had me in there for nearly two hours as she has so much she wanted to ask me.

So it would be fair to say I've had a pretty terrible life in some ways. I went to uni and worked hard to be independent (partly through fear and the need to 'get away'). Worked my arse off my whole life. Probably missed out on loads of stuff. Certaintly had anxiety and depression most of it plus OCD and a host of other issues.

So when I hear people claiming for anxiety or depression I know what I am talking about. Funny enough it never stopped me working. Amazing what you can do when you have to pay your bills and you have no other choice. Amazingly I find people with 'real' mental healthy issues try desperately to hide them, to mask them and work harder than ever to overcompensate.

It's good that we are talking more freely about mental health but we should not be enabling people to hide away behind it. Actually we (the country) can't afford for people to hide away behind it.

So what would have happened to me had I just gone the other way. Scary to think about. Lucky for me my parents did give me money through my life (guilt probably) and I managed to earn decent wages as well.

Lots of people who are 'too ill to work' will suddenly make an amazing recovery when their benefits are cut and they face starvation (unlikely to actually starve given our food banks etc or the fact you can shoplift with no penalties).

So as someone who has had real trauma and resulting problems from it I have next to no respect for all these benefit claimants.

If someone has a real issue ie downs syndrome then fair enough they probably can't work. Same if they have spina bifida or another serious condition.

I did comment on it. I read the whole thing and my thought was what happens to 1 individual should be of no interest to any goverment trying to make hard decisions to govern a whole country.

My personal opinion - I couldn't care less. Happy now. Would you really expect me to care about a complete stranger on the internet who has no impact on my life? I can't imagine anyone does. Humans pretty much care about themselves and their immediate loved ones. We saw that during the food shortages in covid when people were stocking up and to hell with everyone else.

There will be lots of 'sob stories' as we try and turn the country round. The goverment can focus on hard decision or sit around a camp fire holding hands listening to sob stories.

There was a well-publicised ill-judged comment by Angela Raynor, but I'd like you to provide some other example of Starmer and other Labour politicians using those phrases.

is what is happening in the US a shitshow? Yes some bumps in the road no doubt. I for one had to watch my investments plummet last spring when all the tarriffs were happening and the stock market was reacting.

At least the man is making big decisions to try to look after his own country.

I mean that's what the tarriffs were all about no? He also appears to be rounding up the illegals quite openly and removing them. At least he is doing something and trying to fix things.

It was only last weeks telegraph (forgive me it might have been the week before) where an article was headed 'They're not laughing at Trump now' or something to that affect.

To everyone on this thread my intention has not been to cause offence or hurt anyone's feelings.

This is just the honest views of a white, born here, uni educated, professional job till I retired early fifties woman. I don't fly flags. I don't go to Marches.

If people like me are feeling like this (previously always voted Tory, not labour) then you can call me wrong/racist/cruel or whatever but the fact is people like me ARE feeling like this.

Based on the number of likes my posts are getting clearly others have the same views.

We should all be concerned. We had high hopes for labour but with our debt increasing hugely this last year, next to no growth, inflation going up and god knows what rabbits they will pull out of the hat in the budget.

The country can wait till the baliffs are at the door to evict them (okay you get the drift) or we can try and face up to the problems and feel the pain as we begin to sort them.

The more I read these threads, the more I worry. With so many people having the attitude of 'keep giving us our benefits while Rome burns'. The longer this goes on the harder it will be to fix and at some point it will all just stop.

It wasn't that long ago (80 years) we didn't have an NHS or a welfare state.
It's just not that unthinkable.

I'm actually now seriously thinking i will have to vote reform in the next election to bring forth the shake up we need. Quite a jump from Tory voter to Reform and yet here we are. These threads are making it more likely that I bother to vote next time round not less.