Is Reform done for?

[anotherside]

The last several recent national polls indicate that the election of Burnham as leader has seen Labour retake the lead and would probably form a minority government (or better) if an election was held tomorrow. Reform meanwhile is in the low 20s, while they’re were averaging low 30s just six months ago. Do you think it’s game over for Reform in terms of the next election? Is Burnham enough to secure the next election for Labour? Or could Reform claw it back still?

I certainly hope this bunch of grifters are on the way out

Polish builders were fantastic. I paid them the same as British builders but their quality of work was high.

I have recently moved and had more experience with british builders and without exception they have been lazy, late with shoddy workmanship.

maybe i just had bad luck 🤷‍♀️

Everyone wanting stuff "cheap" is partly why the country is in decline. Whether it's "cheap" tradesmen from abroad, or "cheap" goods made in China. We need to change things so that we aren't over-reliant on cheap foreign labour which, in part, has caused our decline, and fuelled the benefit culture of unemployment and disability benefits, not to mention the balance of trade deficit which politicians don't talk about anymore.

Of course it was legal. You can do whatever you like with your own money - set fire to tenners if you want.

Totally agree . Myself and a guy upstairs bought flats to renovate a few years ago . I went British and had a lazy barely there bunch of grifters and it was 7 months before I could move in . Upstairs bought in a team of 4 polish guys who worked around the clock 7 days a week and 6 weeks later he moved in . Cost him less aswell .

I always thought Blair was swayed by Harry Enfield's Loadsamoney character and decided to let the Polish builders in early. He could have made them wait 5 years to come here.

Well Labour have the same problem with the Greens? Also think people will be so fed of Labour by the GE they will be voted out.

Yet you support Burnham and his rouges gallery?

Yes, genuinely think anything is better than this Labour Government!

Don’t think Reform and Restore will form an alliance, too many egos involved.

I can assure you I do not follow any social media trends, posts or whatever. As I think most reasonable people will be lead by what suits them.

Don’t forget Labour are the only political party to be found by the EHCR to have been found responsible for unlawful acts of antisemitism. Was this also a massive error of judgement?

Not correct.

Lots of people were concerned about mass immigration from Eastern Europe because, among other things:

Services were not increased in line with the sudden additional number of people in the country, meaning that services were reduced for those already here.

Houses were not built to accommodate the sudden increase in numbers and rents rose as a result.

An influx of skilled people prepared to work for less money resulted in skilled wage stagnation.

An influx of skilled people who were already trained resulted in a reduction of apprentice and training places for young people already here.

There was a measurable increase in organised crime by groups from Romania in particular, including slavery, using children under the age of criminal responsibility to steal, mass scale benefit fraud and other gang organised crime.

There was a LOT of discontent about the mass migration from Eastern Europe in the early years of this century.

Do you? Who will they vote for? One of the Re parties? The Tories who are moving in the same direction and are so popular they keep losing their deposits? Where do you envisage all those votes going?

New leaders of any party always get a bounce. Until Burnham has actually done something other than talk lot about unfunded ideas, , no one knows how they feel.

The balance of trade has not been a talking point since the Tory client media decided it wasnt important way back in the 80s.

If I were Kemi Badenoch, this Joshua guy is not the hill I’d die on but if a fair society is about redemption and accepting that people can serve their time and re-enter society, why shouldn’t he run for public office? He’s accepted his crimes, he’s not still spouting horrific anti-Semitic bile, he’s trying to turn things around. Is he never to be allowed to do that?

Im sure if it were an ex Muslim extremist who had turned their lives around and were teaching against violence and extremism (of which there are many and I applaud them), you can sure the Guardian wouldn’t be quite so agitated.

It’s not just The Guardian.

It may well not be, and I can understand why there are conflicting views on this. His past actions were absolutely terrible.

On balance, I'm not sure he should have run for public office but am pleased to see he is trying to turn his life around and through his work with the Home Office, hopefully he can prevent future anti-semitic extremism which is an absolute stain on our society.

Regarding the Guardian, it's a shame their record on anti-semitism in recent years has not been glowing. Clearly a story about a Tory candidate met their threshold.

It’s everywhere and the views aren’t conflicted.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/08/05/former-neo-nazi-withdraws-as-tory-council-candidate/

I'm afraid I can't see that article as I don't have a subscription - what does it say?

Latest poll showed Reform UK back on top. If Burnham allows cop killer to be released early Labour will drop in polls.

If Burnham called an election this summer, he might have won. A lot of people have a lot of hope for him. But I don't think he will be able to achieve anything noteworthy. And people have the attention span of gnats so if he hasn't achieved something pretty amazing in the next couple of years (and he won't have done because it's impossible) people will want a Nigel/Rupert change.

Have no comment on NF as I don’t like him but don’t hate him either. However, polls LP positivity was more about Keir going than Andy being great. I also think LP won’t get re-elected.

The thing is, crimes like his change lives. There are people who suffered trauma, were made ill, frightened to leave home, lost work, and who may well have lost their feelings of security for ever.
It doesn't seem unreasonable then surely, that the perpetrators life may also be changed by his crime? And that while he re-enters society, it can't be the same as it would have been if the crime hadn't been committed.
Because his crime left a mark that can't be erased and he and his victims have to live with the consequences of that.
He's actually very fortunate that for him that means just not distressing them by taking certain roles. He has by far the better deal.