What can an individual do to keep Reform out?

[Thepoliticsofchaos]

I have a young friend (a university student) who is getting depressed about the prospect of Reform getting in next election. He thinks that the UK is fucked, basically. He's left-leaning, I assume a Labour voter. I've advised him to get politically engaged (so that in the future he'll at least be able to feel that he did what he could). He's not the most outgoing of people, though is interested in politics. Can anyone suggest how he could become usefully politically engaged to try to reduce the Reform vote? Not just joining a party and turning up to meetings, but actually doing something?

That isn’t very helpful given that most of it’s behind a firewall.

"But an analysis from the Nuffield Trust and the Health Foundation concluded that the statistics “do not necessarily mean that more need is being met.”2 Instead, the drop was driven by “unreported removals” rather than the number of patients being treated exceeding new additions to the list"

You’re welcome to Google to find out more. The general vibe is that government are not being entirely honest in their reporting of the figures.

Exactly. Then only subscribers can read any more, ie the reasons for their removal which could include private treatment or death.

Removals are not the same thing as treatment so your point is not correct.

Yes, but it's not their democracy, is it? That's what the OP is concerned about. Reform threatens progressive ideologies and that's not allowed.

depends how you look at progressive ideologies, letting the gap between rich and poor widen? We already have complaints about cost of living and the policies that Reform are suggesting will widen that gap. They have come out this week and stated the £20k PA allowance wouldn't actually happen as although it was in their "contact" the equivalent to a manifesto - it was only a suggestion

Because we are 4 years away from a GE. No party has a set in stone manifesto at this stage, it would be ridiculous to do so. This the time when all opposition parties decide their policies so will chop and change right up to producing the manifestos.
Reform have sensibly said that the books need balancing before tax cuts. If only Labour would attempt to balance the books ie cut spending before tax rises considering we already have a historic tax burden

Reform have sensibly said that the books need balancing before tax cuts.

it was in their manifesto for the last election in 2024, it was one of the min pledges they won votes at the last election, they would have still had to balance the books if they got into power

None of the parties have released a manifesto for the next GE though? The last one was for 2024 GE

Indeed, and when questioned on the last manifesto and how NF would make the figures work he finally admitted it wouldn't have happened it was a suggestion - yet people thought when they voted reform that it was something that would actually happen and save them £1500 per year

I've only had time for a quick fact check of one of these - I chose your statement that the UK is the only country in the world to charge VAT on private school fees (note - free school tuition is available in British state schools). Apparently, both Turkey and New Zealand charge VAT on private school fees. It's a low level of VAT in Turkey, but the rate charged on school fees in New Zealand is the same as in the UK. Also note that a considerable number of countries charge parents for the provision of state education for their child - so if you don't pay, your child can't get an education.

Charging for state is fairer as more people use it.

New Zealand offer tax incentives to use independent schools.
The VAT rate in Turkey is 1%

Am I meant to be saving £300 with Labour and have ‘more money in my pocket’?

You say that charging for your child to attend state school would be fairer than charging VAT on private school fees, because more people use state schools. I'm afraid I fail to understand your logic there. If VAT makes it too expensive for someone to send their child to private school, they will still get an education - a free state education, like the other 90% of the population. If the poorest people in the UK stopped sending their children to school because charges were introduced, it would cause untold problems to those children, their families and society as a whole. The Covid lockdowns didn't work out too well, did they, and they were short term. I certainly have sympathy for parents whose children have special needs which are not addressed in the state system, but that's not the point you seem to be addressing.

FYI there is available evidence to "fact check" it all.

Reform put forward the manifesto before the 2024 election and people voted on that manifesto, believing that reform if in power would raise the tax allowence from 12,500 by £7,500 to £20,000,
they have now said it’s a pipe dream, a wish. It’s what people voted on, so had they got into power - it wouldn’t have happened

people vote reform as they are different to the other two main stream lying parties aka Tory and Labour

but reform are now outing themselves as exactly the same as the two major parties

Agree completely. What warped ‘logic’ some people have.

Reform aren't in government, Labour are. Reform could say they would paint the sky pink, it's irrelevant. Labour are fucking things up now!
I realise Reform are dictating a lot of Labour policy however we all still have to survive the current bunch!

@twistyizzy I have a job, unfortunately. The one allegation I have checked is false. I'll send your list through to my friend. Feel free to add to it. I think that, like me, he's also still waiting to read a list of all the ways in which the UK has benefited from Brexit. I seem to remember Farage having a bit of involvement there.

Will you say you got the list from mn after posting about him?

Splitting the left wing vote might not be the best way to keep reform out.

It's not irrelevant when a party is promising to do something if you vote for them. It means they got 5 MPs on the promises they made in their manifesto/contract as they are a business not a party. They lied, to get votes and lied to get 5 MPs in government, which is apparently according to their fans - what other parties do and why reform are different

Many feel this about Labour who are in power now.

I mean by means testing.
There are many hugely wealthy, and wealthy, parents who use state schools. They could afford to contribute and those parents earning under a certain amount wouldn't have to pay.

State schools are underfunded and in crisis, the problem is that people aren't willing to pay more tax in general. So to make it "fair", introduce a contributions system whereby the money goes directly to schools.

Many enlightened countries use a voucher system whereby the state gives you a voucher for the amount of funding per pupil in state. You can then top up that voucher to chose independent/alternative/home school. That's the system I would like to see