Inside the Reform Party

Yes, agreed Ilovecheese, but it would not be not huge numbers in the greater scheme of things, because LAs and the NHS would have to remain local, so it would only be central government and allied services that could move, and some of the are already devolved, like the DVLA.

That is innovative, Ilovecheese.
And definitely worth thinking about.

We have newly built apartments locally which were featured on television in somewhere like Singapore or Hong Kong for investors. Outrageous. It should stop.

The fact is Reform Party began as a limited company with Farage aa a co founder and shareholder and "president".
If most people looked into the policies of Reform it will turn them cold. Policies include destroying the NHS by having an insurance based system like in the USA. Reform agrees with loads of non-stop fracking. They want to scrap Net Zero and the Employments Rights act.

Casdon

It’s going to leave the Tories with a real dilemma if those who have defected to Reform decide it isn’t for them, and want to return to the Tory fold. There are rumours about Danny Kruger wanting to go back too - but once somebody has been disloyal I can’t see them being welcomed back with open arms. Particularly people who were disrupters.

No party would surely welcome the likes of Danny Kruger especially given his rather forthright views on women. Or rather, backward views on women.

Wonder what his mum, Prue Leith, privately thinks.

Your points are are very pertinent, ronib, but I honestly don't believe that either Reform or Restore would resolve those for you.
If there are 'ginger' groups in your area, is there also someone emerging as an Independent candidate.
Some Reform politicians are now deserting Farage and thinking for themselves as Independents.

Why would anyone think that Reform or Restore have any hope of sorting out planning policy out? I think the LibDems could if they woke up. Maremia Feels as if we’re living under a government that can’t look after its own people?

ronib

We have newly built apartments locally which were featured on television in somewhere like Singapore or Hong Kong for investors. Outrageous. It should stop.

Problem is that this is how a capitalist society works. It's about making profits and if the developers can get the best prices for their properties in foreign markets that's where they will sell them. The housing needs of UK citizens are irrelevant to them.

As Casdon says

All politicians are people we, the public, have elected, and yet we never deem ourselves accountable.

I thin we have to decide what sort of society we want and vote for the party whose policies most fit our model. Do we want a capitalist market based society where all resources go to the wealthiest, do we want one which tries to ensure that all citizens are adequately fed and housed or do we want one where all non white British inhabitants are deported... ? (these 'examples' are for illustrative purposes only; other choices could be available)

(I have spent 47 years congratulating myself for not having voted for Thatcher, the destroyer of the post WW2 mixed economy )

Padstow13

Casdon

It’s going to leave the Tories with a real dilemma if those who have defected to Reform decide it isn’t for them, and want to return to the Tory fold. There are rumours about Danny Kruger wanting to go back too - but once somebody has been disloyal I can’t see them being welcomed back with open arms. Particularly people who were disrupters.

No party would surely welcome the likes of Danny Kruger especially given his rather forthright views on women. Or rather, backward views on women.

Wonder what his mum, Prue Leith, privately thinks.

I don’t know, for all his faults I think he’s probably the least contentious of the defected MPs, and in a way it’s a coup if he does walk the floor in the Commons back to the Tories, but it is the loyalty issue that would be forever questioned. I guess the Tories could let it be known that they had been asked, and turned down the request, which would be a victory for them.

The Lib Dems get close, but never seem to get over the line.

CatsWhiskas

Mr Blobby or Count Binface?

Why not give one of them a chance? They're both "a change" from what's gone before, which seems to be the essential requirement. What on earth could go wrong?

Totally agree with this.

I just do not understand the "let's give 'em a go" line of thought when it comes to running the country. I've seen local news coverage in the Midlands where people are prepared to vote for Reform because Starmer is "boring". I would rather have boring than a man who cannot be honest about a £5 million gift/bribe/donation/investment or whatever explanation he can come up with on the spur of the moment.

Agreed MollyNew.

The ‘let’s give ‘em a go’ attitude is very dangerous. Giving Reform ‘a go’ could bring about the ruin of our wonderful country.

The damage they would do in a 5 year term is immeasurable, and the country may never recover.

So let’s not ‘give ‘em a go’ eh!

I still like the Tories with Kemi at the Helm. If reform ever get in I’d rather it be as a coalition government with the Tories.

AGAA4

Farage and his ilk are disrupters. That's what they are being paid to do by Russia and others. They have no viable policies.
Why some people believe they are the answer I've no idea. Nobody gives a reason why they would vote for them apart from they are different.
They are certainly that and not in a good way .

Paid by Russia? How do you know that?

We know that Nathan Gill, the Reform leader in Wales was paid by Russia when he was an MEP. He’s now in prison.

Casdon

We know that Nathan Gill, the Reform leader in Wales was paid by Russia when he was an MEP. He’s now in prison.

I wasn’t aware of that Casdon

Have also heard in favour of voting Reform, rather than saying ‘we just want to give ‘em a go’ or ‘I voted reform because Starmer is boring’, people saying ‘Reform say what others are too afraid to say’ or ‘they represent the silent majority’.
Both those statements are bogus.
Since the whole Brexit circus rolled into town people have not been afraid to say anything when it comes to illegal immigration or even immigration period. Indeed it seems that this is all people talk about including mainstream politicians with an eye on the main chance. If their voices were any louder or more shrill I dare say glasses would shatter. Nobody is afraid.
And who are the silent majority? Firstly as already stated, people are hardly silent and secondly nobody can calculate a majority until the next election.

That's the problem though isn't it? Too many people who might vote for Reform have no idea of why so many other people are so concerned about them getting into power. The Nathan Gill conviction should have been headline news in every media source but it wasn't. Farage's slush money is something that every voter should know about but they don't. It seems people don't know about Farage appearing on Russian TV and visiting Putin and Putin sympathisers in other countries. How many of the "Unite" marchers are aware that Tommy Robinson is funded by Russians and was in Russia whilst encouraging others to riot on the streets in NI. Sadly most people now get their information from social media that is highly selective in what it chooses to promote and discuss and that's because it's not subject to the same legislation as news channels and newspapers.

LizzieDrip

ronib I often wonder why the Lib Dems don’t do better nationally. It’s a conundrum to me.

Even as a Labour Party member, I frequently agree with statements the Lib Dems make in the HoC etc.

IMO the media doesn’t give them nearly enough air time in relation to their number of democratically elected MPs.

Lib Dems have 72 elected MPs in contrast to Reform’s 8 (and half of them are defectors from the Tories, so not actually democratically elected as Reform) yet Reform’s views are constantly amplified by the media.

Currently I couldn’t see myself voting Lib Dem but, if something utterly outrageous happened within the Labour Party, they’d possibly be my next port of call.

Wouldn’t ever vote for Reform or Restore - my values are a million miles away from theirs.

I do nearly always agree with Ed Davey's points at PMQs & he is very statesmanlike (if that's a word) in making them.
I think tactical voting does work against Lib Dems in GEs in a lot of constituencies - but media should give them more airtime, it's a scandal how much Reform have got in the last few years.

foxie48 The other problem with getting information from social media is that the alogrithms probably guide people to what they agree with or want to hear so they never get to listen to an alternative viewpoint.

*MT62 …

“Nathan Gill, the former leader of Reform UK in Wales and a former Member of the European Parliament, was convicted and sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison on November 21, 2025.

He pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery under the Bribery Act 2010 for accepting approximately £40,000 in payments in exchange for delivering pro-Russian speeches and participating in interviews.

The judge condemned his actions as a grave betrayal of public trust.

Gill's offending took place between 2018 and 2019 while he was serving as an MEP, receiving funds funneled from a pro-Russian Ukrainian politician linked to close associates of Vladimir Putin. His crimes were uncovered after Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism officers stopped and searched him at Manchester Airport in 2021.”

LizzieDrip

*MT62 …

“Nathan Gill, the former leader of Reform UK in Wales and a former Member of the European Parliament, was convicted and sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison on November 21, 2025.

He pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery under the Bribery Act 2010 for accepting approximately £40,000 in payments in exchange for delivering pro-Russian speeches and participating in interviews.

The judge condemned his actions as a grave betrayal of public trust.

Gill's offending took place between 2018 and 2019 while he was serving as an MEP, receiving funds funneled from a pro-Russian Ukrainian politician linked to close associates of Vladimir Putin. His crimes were uncovered after Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism officers stopped and searched him at Manchester Airport in 2021.”

I don’t know much about reform or any of their members, apart from some of the Tories that slithered over to reform.

Still though, I won’t be giving labour the time of day. I can’t stand them!

Well we are for interesting times as today is election day!

AGAA4

Farage and his ilk are disrupters. That's what they are being paid to do by Russia and others. They have no viable policies.
Why some people believe they are the answer I've no idea. Nobody gives a reason why they would vote for them apart from they are different.
They are certainly that and not in a good way .

Spot on. That’s exactly what I think. Farage has done nothing but agitate and can’t even do his job as MP in Clacton.