The reform party has agreed to continue the triple lock

Absolutely not. I wouldn’t vote Reform
for all sorts of reasons but what is top of mind at the moment, is that most potential Reform voters are still firmly against strengthening our ties with Europe.

LaCrepescule

Absolutely not. I wouldn’t vote Reform
for all sorts of reasons but what is top of mind at the moment, is that most potential Reform voters are still firmly against strengthening our ties with Europe.

Reform are bonkers, our ties to the US are struggling, they want to cut Europe loose to defend ourselves. Yet are suggesting we distance ourselves from our neighbours, who are filling in gaps in our own Navy because so few of our ships are operational.
We can do a lot to make life easier by getting closer to Europe

Magenta8

Do they really think that all pensioners care about is their pensions? While it is important to have enough money to be able to eat and heat, there are other issues.

Yes l think a lot of people in this country really care about their pensions. Especially when they only have a State Pension to live on and very meagre savings.

Plus rising food prices and increasing fuel bills.

You know the essentials of everyday life you need to live on to stay healthy and survive.

LemonJam

Basgetti 13.44: "Leninism
. LOL if you've paid more than me you are super rich, I havnt got back what I paid in either, Ive always played by the rules, if they change the rules I might not like it but it's not going to break my heart if I don't get 175 quid a week. But it is going to make a difference the those that are struggling"

I don’t know what your circumstances are but we have paid millions in tax and insurance between us over the years. Very fortunate we were to be able to do so.
I wasn’t complaining, either. Was simply pointing out to David that his statement was incorrect"

Who is Lenisim Basgetti?

No idea! 😁think I typed Lemonjam (badly, it would seem) and was corrected to that.

Cynical vote catching. I wouldn't believe anything they say about their future policies.

I wouldn’t believe anything that political parties say about what they’ll do if they’re voted into power.

Oreo

I wouldn’t believe anything that political parties say about what they’ll do if they’re voted into power.

Yes, quite 🤔

Full Fact are tracking the pledges made in Labour’s 2024 election manifesto.

They made 92 key pledges.

Not yet two years in office, this is the status:

• 20 achieved
• 18 on track
• 23 in progress
• 6 off track
• 6 not kept
• 4 unclear
• 15 wait and see

In challenging times, that seems to me far more positive than negative.

People who get their information through the media and hearsay often don’t know what is actually happening. I applaud FullFact for keeping track of what is and is not being achieved, and I hope they do this for all governments, it’s a good form of accountability.

I do wish their comms team would push this information though. Most people get information through the media - where else will they get it? As much of the press is anti-Labour they need to brief politicians to say this in interviews, put it on posters, use SM more, say it in parliament, leaflet houses - whatever it takes to make people aware.

Forget changing the Leadership. Focus on finding an effective Comms Team!

Graphite

Full Fact are tracking the pledges made in Labour’s 2024 election manifesto.

They made 92 key pledges.

Not yet two years in office, this is the status:

• 20 achieved
• 18 on track
• 23 in progress
• 6 off track
• 6 not kept
• 4 unclear
• 15 wait and see

In challenging times, that seems to me far more positive than negative.

I make that 30% negative score, nobody expects instant results, with a massive majority he should be doing better but keeps finding banana skins to setback any plan.
It just seems to me he is a poor leader that inspires few to follow him.

The achievements against the manifesto will stand after Starmer is gone though David49, there is a long time to go until the next election, and if the momentum can be continued the Labour government will be a successful one. I tend to ignore a lot of the noise.

Maremia

Forget changing the Leadership. Focus on finding an effective Comms Team!

That would be my advice. they should have had one in place before the GE.

Thank you for all your replies, come the local elections on Thursday 7th May 2026,
I will vote reform,not because they are better than any of the others.
I will be voting reform to send a message to the established outfits that they can't take the British public for granted.
Although I won't be voting for reform when the general election comes round.

Didn't folk in the USA vote for Trump, to 'send a message'?
How did that work out for them?

infoman

Thank you for all your replies, come the local elections on Thursday 7th May 2026,
I will vote reform,not because they are better than any of the others.
I will be voting reform to send a message to the established outfits that they can't take the British public for granted.
Although I won't be voting for reform when the general election comes round.

So youre voting Reform as a protest when a really bad result for Labour is likely to result in a leadership challenge for Starmer and a move to the left for government.

Is that what you are trying to achieve??

It’s a dangerous game, IMO. The message is clear - a lot of people are fed up with the main parties. Trying to reinforce that by using council elections to vote in a party who is manifestly incapable of running councils effectively is only going to make things worse. The main parties obviously have different ways of dealing with the challenges faced by the UK, but neither the Greens nor Reform have experience of government, and when the ruling party is at odds with the tier below it just causes more problems than we already have.

OP. Why would you to want your council run by the same kinds of people that have been managing the councils Reform took control of last May?

The FT on a chaotic year at Staffordshire Council after racist Reform took control:

archive.is/20260501071258/https://www.ft.com/content/3c059192-9a75-485e-b7cd-541ba2fae729

Here’s an extract and a sample of the kind of people you get when you vote Reform.

NOVEMBER 2025
Cabinet member Peter Mason apologises for “disgusting” social media posts about a statue of a black woman.

DECEMBER 2025
Council leader Ian Cooper quits over accusations of online racism. Finance lead Chris Large also accused of online racism.

(This is Ian Cooper. hopenothate.org.uk/2025/12/03/revealed-the-online-activity-of-staffordshire-council-leader-ian-cooper/)

JANUARY 2026
Reform chooses Large to replace Cooper as council leader

FEBRUARY 2025
Large quits as leader before being sworn in, citing bereavement, before also leaving Reform. Budget for 2026/27 includes a 3.9 per cent council tax rise

MARCH 2026
Reform’s third council leader, Martin Murray, is sworn in. The party suspends backbencher Lynn Dean over accusations of online racism. (She's a very vocal supporter of Tommy Robinson.)

In Kent, ten Reform councillors have left since last May, most of them now with Restore who are even more racist.

Read Hope Not Hate: Restore Britain: A new home for old fascists, about all the old BNP and National Front members resurfacing.

hopenothate.org.uk/2026/04/27/restore-britain-a-new-home-for-old-fascists/

hopenothate.org.uk/2026/04/30/restore-britain-a-new-home-for-old-fascists-pt-2/

On a daily basis, Reform Party Exposed are exposing the kinds of candidates Reform are lining up, if elected, to take control of budgets for adult social care and children with SEND. They include active members of the the neo-fascist Britain First and Homeland parties. Is that really what you want? Neo-fascists making decisions about the care of our most vulnerable people?

In less than two years, Labour has achieved or is on track to achieve 61 of its 95 key manifesto pledges. What it is that you want that you think a bunch of fascists can make better for you?

Maremia is absolutely right.

Basgetti

LemonJam

Basgetti 13.44: "Leninism
. LOL if you've paid more than me you are super rich, I havnt got back what I paid in either, Ive always played by the rules, if they change the rules I might not like it but it's not going to break my heart if I don't get 175 quid a week. But it is going to make a difference the those that are struggling"

I don’t know what your circumstances are but we have paid millions in tax and insurance between us over the years. Very fortunate we were to be able to do so.
I wasn’t complaining, either. Was simply pointing out to David that his statement was incorrect"

Who is Lenisim Basgetti?

No idea! 😁think I typed Lemonjam (badly, it would seem) and was corrected to that.

However I didn't write any of the comments in your post Basgetti 🤷‍♀️

The big day has arrived,
if you have the chance to vote in the local elections.
Before you vote just consider how long you have to wait for an appointment to see your doctor especially when you are in this forums age group.

The silent majority have spoken over the vocal minority.

The "silent" majority? That's really funny.
And this 'forum's age group" are very well treated in my area. Our GP service is excellent for all age groups. If you think Reform will improve the country's GP service that's even funnier.
I love a laugh on a Saturday morning.

infoman if I have an urgent medical problem I can phone my GP surgery for an appointment that day. For a routine appointment I can have a face to face or telephone appointment within two to five days depending upon which GP I want to see. Nothing would ever persuade me to vote Reform.

Suki70

infoman if I have an urgent medical problem I can phone my GP surgery for an appointment that day. For a routine appointment I can have a face to face or telephone appointment within two to five days depending upon which GP I want to see. Nothing would ever persuade me to vote Reform.

We may or may not get an urgent appointment on the same day.
Routine appointments are six to seven weeks.