Those research results tie in very well to conversations I've had with known RefUK voters.
But I suspect the disastrous failings in RefUK councils will come a close third... Given that they really couldn't run a piss up in a brewery (the owners of a brewery don't allow political meetings on the premises), that one's a gift that will go on & on.
I got into a conversation with a fellow woman passenger on the train. I enjoyed our chat right up to the moment she suggested Farage should be PM. I informed her about his wish to privatise the NHS which really shocked her but when I told her Farage believes Tate is a good role model for young men she nearly fell in the aisle with shock.
Surprising. One might have thought his views on NHS would matter more to the general public. ImHO he would be a disaster and, for all the bluster, he won't be able to stop the boats. Meanwhile, our rights under ECHR will be stripped away.
We have a similar problem in Aotearoa NZ, Matt. ACT here is our far-right party, underpinned by think-tanks and big money and 9% of last election vote, and yet their leader is currently our (divisive) Deputy PM (in our 3-party coalition). And some people (and the mainstream press) still believe the bilge he dishes out. Any one-thing that would knock him off his perch would be very welcome. We need to find the petard! Good luck with your one for Reform, which I watch with angst. Why do people believe the clowns (thinking Batman's Joker type)?
It's everywhere. I starting to feel disappointed in my fellow citizens. Are they really so self-destructive they'll vote for these charlatans just to prove how pissed off they are? Do they really think deporting some poor sod will make everything better?
In the UK, Farage was responsible in a large part for Brexit. Now over 60% of the population would vote to reverse it ... but they'd still vote for the man who sold it to them 9 years ago.
I think people are increasingly desperate for a credible alternative. That’s why Keir Starmer got in last year, after years of crap from the Conservatives - not because he stood out as a bright light. He’s now properly gone and self-immolated as of yesterday with his suspension of “rebel” MPs (I mean, how could they stand up for their constituents rather than toe a confused and inconsiderate party line?!), so really we have a choice between Reform and LibDems.
Everything needs a reset. Corporate interests, media, etc. The leader who can confront these issues across the spectrum will harvest the votes. The Farage Phallacy is only a thing because he’s the only untested politician who might offer a glimmer of hope. Apart from for genuine racists etc, but I don’t think there are as many of those as we might think.
I can't disagree with you that we need a reset. And as the music stops, Farage might be the one holding the parcel, but that's no guarantee of quality.
TBF, their record of bluster,failure and lies means I'd personally look to someone else - anyone else even. Greens? LibDems?
You might think the fact Reform UK is itself a private company,in which members have no power or say on policy or leadership, with little transparency on finances, and thus high risk of authoritarian capture by the rich and powerful elite, might give them pause for thought (if Deform UK supporters are capable of thought)
Hi, Sam. I have been following Farage and Reform for a while. The links they have with Christian Nationalists is alarming, let alone Farage being one of Trump’s lapdogs. He says he is a “man of the people” but I was listening to a podcast a week or two ago and there was a vox pop. “Ooh, I like Nigel Farage, he’s one of us”. Commentator: “He was privately educated”. The people: “I did not know that, maybe he isn’t the best person for us”. Hmm 🤔
The basic problem with UK politics at the moment is that all of them are equally awful. The only ones worth anything are a small number of independents.
I'd like to respectfully disagree. Farage and co are selling a complete fantasy (again) of a debt-free white Britain with happy exploited manual workers. Whereas the current govt are at just trying (if failing) to deal with the world as it is, rather than as they wish it to be.
I'd like to respectfully disagree that the current govt is just trying to deal with the world as it is. It still has choices whether to sell/ sell out the country completely to the finance sector, private equity, overseas buyers of our companies and workers ('investors), to strengthen ties with American big tech and fossil fuel industries, to abandon citizens who can't be monetised for profit, fuel racism, dismantle the regulation and disempower the regulators who protect ordinary people and the environment from wholesale exploitation and asset-stripping, to accurately inform its citizens (it is spinning yarns too), undermine soveriegnty with freeports, and whether to promote values of human rights over profit, kindness and compassion over sadistic cruelty. And it's making exactly the wrong choices on every count - not just 'dealing with' the world as it is but surrendering all and thereby making it even worse.
I really didn't comment on the wisdom of the choices, or whether they've ignored the right ones. But I think they at least see some of the problems for what they really are.
But they're not promising ones that are obviously false. "Stopping the boats" won't improve public services, fix the deficit, or improve schools. Blaming minorities isn't a path to a better future. It's about obtaining power through division.
How anyone could think their lives could be improved by Farage & co, given their record of fantasy politics is beyond me.
My point here is they are not "all equally awful". Some of them are considerably more awful than others. Reform UK in particular will make things much worse
Interesting that "Farage is funded by fossil fuel money" is a far more effective attack line than "Farage denies climate change": I'd have seen those 2 messages as very closely related!
The U.K. consists of London with a few similar islands dotted around, and hunger games people. They are segregated and rarely see each other. Problem is that the numbers aren’t at all favourable for the first demographic, especially now the cat is out the bag re. legacy political parties, who have pretty much burnt all bridges. Is there a Labour MP who has actually done any ‘Labour’..at all, they look like an hour or twos labour would literally kill them. Middle class and higher lawyers , all of them. Reform are manufactured to offer a popular ‘none of the above choice’…. They will cruise it. You know I’m right . Nothing you can do except cry about racism/climate denial / Brexit gammons, whatever irrelevant confection the BBC , Owen Jones, fills your heads with. They’re are just too many really screwed hunger games people with voting rights. Sorry to break it to you.
You can avoid reality as long as you like but not the consequences of avoiding reality.
One thing for sure, Labour’s recent attempt to “out Reform” Reform is the polar opposite of an effective anti Reform strategy!
We have to hope Labour’s leadership is listening to this!
He’s also been seen visiting 55 Tufton Street. Probably visiting the friends of Liz Truss!
Fascinating.... so the phrase 'they're all as bad each other' pushes through....except Farage is probably worse than all of the others combined
Those research results tie in very well to conversations I've had with known RefUK voters.
But I suspect the disastrous failings in RefUK councils will come a close third... Given that they really couldn't run a piss up in a brewery (the owners of a brewery don't allow political meetings on the premises), that one's a gift that will go on & on.
I got into a conversation with a fellow woman passenger on the train. I enjoyed our chat right up to the moment she suggested Farage should be PM. I informed her about his wish to privatise the NHS which really shocked her but when I told her Farage believes Tate is a good role model for young men she nearly fell in the aisle with shock.
Surprising. One might have thought his views on NHS would matter more to the general public. ImHO he would be a disaster and, for all the bluster, he won't be able to stop the boats. Meanwhile, our rights under ECHR will be stripped away.
I thought that stopping the boats would be easy if (and only if) you're willing to kill the people _in_ the boats?
"was the only message to significantly reduce willingness to vote for Reform”.
.... that's the most depressing thing I've read in weeks.
We have a similar problem in Aotearoa NZ, Matt. ACT here is our far-right party, underpinned by think-tanks and big money and 9% of last election vote, and yet their leader is currently our (divisive) Deputy PM (in our 3-party coalition). And some people (and the mainstream press) still believe the bilge he dishes out. Any one-thing that would knock him off his perch would be very welcome. We need to find the petard! Good luck with your one for Reform, which I watch with angst. Why do people believe the clowns (thinking Batman's Joker type)?
It's everywhere. I starting to feel disappointed in my fellow citizens. Are they really so self-destructive they'll vote for these charlatans just to prove how pissed off they are? Do they really think deporting some poor sod will make everything better?
In the UK, Farage was responsible in a large part for Brexit. Now over 60% of the population would vote to reverse it ... but they'd still vote for the man who sold it to them 9 years ago.
Are people really that stupid?
Unfortunately, they do appear to be. It's easy to be 'against' things...
I think people are increasingly desperate for a credible alternative. That’s why Keir Starmer got in last year, after years of crap from the Conservatives - not because he stood out as a bright light. He’s now properly gone and self-immolated as of yesterday with his suspension of “rebel” MPs (I mean, how could they stand up for their constituents rather than toe a confused and inconsiderate party line?!), so really we have a choice between Reform and LibDems.
Everything needs a reset. Corporate interests, media, etc. The leader who can confront these issues across the spectrum will harvest the votes. The Farage Phallacy is only a thing because he’s the only untested politician who might offer a glimmer of hope. Apart from for genuine racists etc, but I don’t think there are as many of those as we might think.
I can't disagree with you that we need a reset. And as the music stops, Farage might be the one holding the parcel, but that's no guarantee of quality.
TBF, their record of bluster,failure and lies means I'd personally look to someone else - anyone else even. Greens? LibDems?
Well, so would I. But optimism about alternatives is the only way to defeat this rot.
Quite simply, yes.
You might think the fact Reform UK is itself a private company,in which members have no power or say on policy or leadership, with little transparency on finances, and thus high risk of authoritarian capture by the rich and powerful elite, might give them pause for thought (if Deform UK supporters are capable of thought)
I will use this approach to critique Farage and reform at every turn.
Putin's man.
Hi, Sam. I have been following Farage and Reform for a while. The links they have with Christian Nationalists is alarming, let alone Farage being one of Trump’s lapdogs. He says he is a “man of the people” but I was listening to a podcast a week or two ago and there was a vox pop. “Ooh, I like Nigel Farage, he’s one of us”. Commentator: “He was privately educated”. The people: “I did not know that, maybe he isn’t the best person for us”. Hmm 🤔
The basic problem with UK politics at the moment is that all of them are equally awful. The only ones worth anything are a small number of independents.
I'd like to respectfully disagree. Farage and co are selling a complete fantasy (again) of a debt-free white Britain with happy exploited manual workers. Whereas the current govt are at just trying (if failing) to deal with the world as it is, rather than as they wish it to be.
This is a huge difference
I'd like to respectfully disagree that the current govt is just trying to deal with the world as it is. It still has choices whether to sell/ sell out the country completely to the finance sector, private equity, overseas buyers of our companies and workers ('investors), to strengthen ties with American big tech and fossil fuel industries, to abandon citizens who can't be monetised for profit, fuel racism, dismantle the regulation and disempower the regulators who protect ordinary people and the environment from wholesale exploitation and asset-stripping, to accurately inform its citizens (it is spinning yarns too), undermine soveriegnty with freeports, and whether to promote values of human rights over profit, kindness and compassion over sadistic cruelty. And it's making exactly the wrong choices on every count - not just 'dealing with' the world as it is but surrendering all and thereby making it even worse.
I really didn't comment on the wisdom of the choices, or whether they've ignored the right ones. But I think they at least see some of the problems for what they really are.
But they're not promising ones that are obviously false. "Stopping the boats" won't improve public services, fix the deficit, or improve schools. Blaming minorities isn't a path to a better future. It's about obtaining power through division.
How anyone could think their lives could be improved by Farage & co, given their record of fantasy politics is beyond me.
Now there we 100% agree!
My point here is they are not "all equally awful". Some of them are considerably more awful than others. Reform UK in particular will make things much worse
Interesting that "Farage is funded by fossil fuel money" is a far more effective attack line than "Farage denies climate change": I'd have seen those 2 messages as very closely related!
The U.K. consists of London with a few similar islands dotted around, and hunger games people. They are segregated and rarely see each other. Problem is that the numbers aren’t at all favourable for the first demographic, especially now the cat is out the bag re. legacy political parties, who have pretty much burnt all bridges. Is there a Labour MP who has actually done any ‘Labour’..at all, they look like an hour or twos labour would literally kill them. Middle class and higher lawyers , all of them. Reform are manufactured to offer a popular ‘none of the above choice’…. They will cruise it. You know I’m right . Nothing you can do except cry about racism/climate denial / Brexit gammons, whatever irrelevant confection the BBC , Owen Jones, fills your heads with. They’re are just too many really screwed hunger games people with voting rights. Sorry to break it to you.
You can avoid reality as long as you like but not the consequences of avoiding reality.
This should be all over the press
Can't we just arrest the russian bastard?