What I would like to ask Reform supporters what are the specific Reform policies they support?

[CurlewKate]

Just that really. I am a Labour voter, and I know what Labour policies I support. I think I know what Conservative and Lib Dem policies their supporters like. I don't know about Reform.

Given that 85% of rapes and assaults on women in the UK are carried out by British men, the vast majority of them white, 90% are carried out by someone known to the victim and over 50% are carried out by a partner or ex-partner with one in 3 taking place in the vitctim’s home, with the statistics even higher for children, can you articulate why you think it’s important to focus on the tiny fraction committed by immigrants and not on the huge male violence towards women issue that is currently endemic in the UK?

Also, can you please explain how you think a party led by a man who is friends with known rapists like Trump and Andrew Tate, and who are happy to put forward reform candidates who celebrate rape on social media, are convicted paedophiles, and celebrate the crimes of rapists like Jimmy Saville are the party to reduce rape offences towards women and children?

The only Reform voter I know well is pretty much housebound with ill health.
She has GB News on all day which constantly says the country is going down the pan and immigrants are everywhere doing bad things. She loathes Starmer (bcz of what GBN says). She seems confused that I go out & about and enjoy our city & doing stuff in UK & don't have constant problems with bad people & bad govt & bad else on the streets and in life. That I'm not constantly dismayed and outraged. I have considered getting peeved that She can afford to take taxis to hospital but opts for free hospital transport instead, and then moans about how the free transport means waiting around for hours (which it does).

The only immigrants she ever encounters are the health professionals (who may come into her home), or the pharmacy delivery drivers, and a few volunteers (like me).

I only got as far reading on Reform website as their policies about making HMGov accept cryptocurrency as payment and having a Bitcoin Reserve Fund, which are Fking insanity. Crytocurrencies are corrupt volatile environmental disaster nonsense.

"HMRC must build systems to accept Bitcoin (and other approved crypto) for tax liabilities, using HMRC published GBP exchange rates at the time of payment. •

Crypto collected can be converted into sterling or added to the Bitcoin Reserve Fund."

How about some of the unemployed people are employed processing immigrants so they can work. Win/win.

if Scotland had less renewables they’d probably have been higher bills. The reason bills are higher are again really complicated and not down to one factor. They pay a higher standing charge for one.

There is some university in New Zealand running a test farm growing crops in the same fields as solar panels which sounds interesting. I understand the concerns around solar panels on land but I just don’t think that Reform, who want to scrap renewables and look to oil, gas and a return to coal mines, are the answer here.

Bang. On.

I am far less worried about foreign nationals than I am about Terry, or Bob, or in the past my own father and ex partners.

There was a murder here last week. A former Afghan special ops soldier who supported the UK armed forces. A young man, recently married with a baby on the way.

Murdered by a gang of white Reform supporting thugs.

I am ashamed by people who fall for the lies that it is immigrants that are the problem.

One attack by an immigrant is one attack too many. Are you saying immigrants aren’t a problem, when it’s clear some are most definitely predatory?
Re your comment about the young man being killed. No indiscriminate attacks are legitimate attacks and there should always be serious consequences.

We can, but as Reform seems to have done particularly well in areas that voted Leave ten years ago I'm not hopeful that all voters are going to look at the facts rather than the rhetoric. Going back to Brexit, making it harder for businesses to export and import was obviously going to cause huge problems, affect profitability and therefore the prices they charged in the UK. A lot of UK citizens were benefiting from freedom of movement across the EU for work, study and holidays, which they were going to lose. There were clearly going to be tricky issues because of the UK border with Ireland in Northern Ireland. A lot of what the Leave campaigners said would happen didn't happen and couldn't have happened. All of this was obvious before the referendum and it made no difference.

One attack by anyone is too many. Of course some people who come to live in this country will turn out to be violent, just as unfortunately some people who grow up here do. I say 'people' but of course the vast majority of violent offenders are male. Something goes wrong in the way many men and boys are brought up to make them think that violence is the answer. That's what needs to be addressed. For the safety of the rest of us, violent offenders should be locked up and if they are here illegally deported. Unfortunately the vast majority were born here so we are stuck with them.

No. I don't see immigrants as the problem. That is what the uber wealthy want you to believe so you keep punching down and don't look at them. It is populist nonsense. Before Brexit, they were pointing at Bulgarians and Romanians. Now it is Muslims.

Most sexual violence and attacks on women and girls are by people known to them.

Net immigration to the UK is down by around 70% year on year. More British people are dying than being born. We need and rely on immigrants to keep this country going.

"I only got as far reading on Reform website as their policies about making HMGov accept cryptocurrency as payment and having a Bitcoin Reserve Fund, which are Fking insanity. Crytocurrencies are corrupt volatile environmental disaster nonsense.
"HMRC must build systems to accept Bitcoin (and other approved crypto) for tax liabilities, using HMRC published GBP exchange rates at the time of payment. •
Crypto collected can be converted into sterling or added to the Bitcoin Reserve Fund."

Interesting that Farage and Reform receive millions of pounds from the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne. Over £20 million pounds in fact. All from this guy who lives in Thailand and whose company is registered in El Salvador.

It was a £5 million pound 'gift' from him that persuaded Farage back into politics.

Harborne, who doesn't even live in this country and who has a vested interest in Crypto is literally bankrolling Reform. Nothing dodgy there at all?

The 9 million include
Carers
Students
SAHM
Early retirees who fund themselves
People on long term sick leave because they are waiting for/unable to get the help they need to get well enough to work again.

Nobody is writing these people off as unemployable but they aren't seeking work because they have good reasons not to.

The actual figure for people looking for and able to work is much lower than 9 million.

My hidden reply was about how Reform is funded by a cryptocurrency billionaire.

Their crypto currency pollicy proposal isn't surprising.

Cryptocurrency? Who is funding Reform?

Define ‘British men’ and the time frame for the statistics you are referencing please.

@WildGarden

This is a great opportunity for "intelligent, educated, and well-informed people" to explain why they voted how they did today.

Where in law does it state people have to explain how and why they voted?

Immigration benefits the rich more than anybody. It keeps wages down, house prices and rental up, while they (rich people) live in their affluent bubbles.

But you’re right in that it’s a double benefit to them as they can also distract the ‘little people’ by having them blame the immigrants themselves rather than the system.

Immigration has increased since Brexit as we have no controls in place since leaving the EU to send them elsewhere.
Who had a foothold in Brexit with lofty promises? Nigel Farage.
So basically, people have just voted for this bloke to sort out the problems he created in the first place. Loons.

We rarely did send them elsewhere though.

They’ve increased because the smuggling operations for small boat crossings have become an industry in itself. Less than 10 years ago there were hardly any crossings like this, illegal crossings were done via lorry. They could get less people in these Lorries and it was dangerous (with people dying en-route). It was easier for border control in France to catch them too.

I also think word has spread globally about how to cross to Europe / UK, how to claim asylum, what’s on offer etc due to the internet, social media and smartphones. 10+ years ago it was harder for people to be aware of this and get information about how to do it or find a smuggler etc.

@Letmehaveabloodyusernameplease

Immigration has increased since Brexit as we have no controls in place since leaving the EU to send them elsewhere.

UK ranks fifth in terms of immigration. The list is:

1 Germany
2 France
3 Spain
4 Italy
5 UK.

As the numbers of people entering the EU via the Mediterranean Sea and Eastern Europe border increases, the greater the number of people will end up in Calais.

Is the UK responsible for the EU failure to control migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea and Eastern European border? No they are not.

No, of course we're not but we DID have better controls in place in this country before Brexit.

Under the Dublin Agreement, more entered the UK than were returned. Also, the number were measured in the hundreds. Nowhere near the 100s of thousands that are experienced now.

Living with your parents in your 20s is nothing to feel asked of @alexandrasm and you never need to lie about it!

I was responding to @DreamyScroller who said "Very few people are interested in understanding why people may have chosen to vote Reform".

My point was that I am interested and would love to know if people want to explain. I'm always interested in what motivates people on lots of levels.

Law had nothing to do with it.

@WildGarden

My point was that I am interested and would love to know if people want to explain

People don’t have to explain how or why they voted. This is just another anti Brexit/Farage thread in disguise.

Watch the BBC question time special last night which was meant to discuss the local elections, but almost immediately focussed on the gift of £5 million to Nigel Farage.