Inside the Reform Party

^ I’m surprised that anybody would dismiss this, surely whatever the truth is it needs to be out.6

it does.

But one swallow does not make a summer, or whatever the expression is.

I assumed the "problem" was rife, going by on this forum.
It may be. Or it may not be.
Or it may be rife in all Parties.

fancythat

AGAA4

Christopher Harborne Reform's main contributor has links to Russia. He's giving funds to Reform and Farage to have a major influence on them.

This is a known fact?

I have become dubious about all the posts saying about Farage and Russia now.

Reported today: Nigel Farage has been trying to block a Bank of England cryptocurrency plan that could be costly for the billionaire bankrolling his party. The Reform UK leader has said Christopher Harborne wants nothing in exchange for the millions he has donated to the party and the undeclared £5m personal gift to Farage.

But Farage used a private meeting at the Bank of England to urge the governor to drop plans for a state-run alternative to the digital currency that has made his Thailand-based benefactor one of the richest people in the world.

Farage’s opposition to the proposal for a “Britcoin” is so strong that, after the meeting last September, he told an audience of crypto enthusiasts he would be “prepared to go to prison” to stop it, footage of the event shows.

Harborne’s £25m in donations to Farage’s Reform UK, ( plus £5m personal payment to Frage directly) account for about two-thirds of its funding. He is one of a handful of tech figures who own Tether the company that issues the world’s most widely traded cryptocurrency. Tether’s digital cash, known as stablecoins, is pegged in value to government-issued currencies, allowing users to exchange their money easily between the two. Registered in El Salvador with a small staff, Tether’s reported profits have surpassed those of Netflix and Coca-Cola.

If Harborne’s share of the profits is equal to his 12% stake, that would give him about £1bn a year. Those profits could fall, however, if the Bank’s governor, Andrew Bailey, proceeds with the Britcoin plan, which could cut demand for stablecoins such as Tether’s, according to a submission to the central bank by an industry body that represents the company.

TETHER’s recent history in Russia. Less than a year ago, Tether froze $28 million worth of USDT on the Russian crypto exchange Garantex.

The National Crime Agency has spent four years trying to crack a multibillion-dollar scheme that exchanges cash from drug and gun sales in the UK for crypto, digital tokens that are designed to hide their users’ identities.

The scheme has enabled sanctions evasions and the highest levels of organised crime, including providing money-laundering services to the Russian state the agency says.
Of the $24m (£18.3m) in crypto that the NCA and its counterparts abroad have so far been able to seize, the “vast majority” was issued by Tether .

A private company headquartered in El Salvador Tether has grown so popular that it declared profits of $13bn for 2024, one-and-a-half times those of McDonald’s. Tether’s shares are reportedly owned by a small group, among them Christopher Harborne one of the UK’s biggest political donors and has donated £25m to Reform UK. Harborne took a 12% stake around 2016, court papers say, although it is unclear what share of Tether’s profits he has received.

That's a very big 'swallow'.
Thanks for those details LemonJam.

Crikey LemonJam.

fancythat

But the problem is, many are now fed up of the two previous main parties.

It may not be the answer, but what is?
That is how many now feel.

That's exactly how I felt when I felt I could no longer vote for the Tories in 2024 and would never vote for a Labour government due to past experiences. I do think that the Tories are regaining some ground under Kemi Badenoch's leadership but with the new parties dividing the vote it may be too late.

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Continue to pat yourself on the back -
but you obviously don't understand history or economics.

(f.i. MrsT closed 119 mines but prior to her becoming MP, 750 were closed. Harold Wilson closed 253)
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Greenywitch...

The majority of what you list seems to be a jolly good idea.
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Over the past (c) century, Britain has NEVER been a success under a Labour government.
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But .....

...... if you can t afford them then don't have them. Simple.

And frankly, unless they're a millionaire+, no-one can afford to feed
clothe, entertain, educate and take holidays for more than two children.
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No-one ever mentions the £150MILLION that the Unions have given to the Labour Party since 2001 when they started keeping records.
Goodness knows how many hundreds of millions they were given before 2001
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Well no Barbadosbelle, because it has all been declared in a completely upfront way? That is the whole issue here.

fancythat

But the problem is, many are now fed up of the two previous main parties.

It may not be the answer, but what is?
That is how many now feel.

There are other parties, LibDem, Green, there are other choices.

Personally, and it pains me to say this, if Reform and Restore were the only two parties (limited companies!) available I’d abstain.

LizzieDrip

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!

“Give ‘em a go” with who??

Farage aside, they have 7 defected Tories as MPs, and actually Farage started life as a Tory.

We do not have a GE for three more years.

Let’s just concentrate on the here and now.

We have the Makerfield results to be declared, then a leadership challenge IF Burnham wins the seat.

Let’s not worry too much ar this moment about a small but very visible, loud party, when we have so much more to be thinking about.

It has been made pretty clear that some on here support Farage and fewer Lowe, but it’s pointless asking them why, as we’ve asked this for months without any tangible replies. Yes, they are “different”.

Tea is different from arsenic! I won’t be drinking that anytime soon.

Positive and fruitful change is good.

Let’s give those elected two years ago more of a chance to make the change they feel we need after 14 years of Tories.

Give them than chance to actually finish the job they started, then, in three years time, the voters get their chance to vote them out.

Barbadosbelle

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But .....

...... if you can t afford them then don't have them. Simple.

And frankly, unless they're a millionaire+, no-one can afford to feed
clothe, entertain, educate and take holidays for more than two children.
.

We have 5 children! (Between us and with four living here all the time and one in shared custody)

We both worked full time and managed to pay a mortgage, feed and clothe our children, they all went on school holiday trips, some more than once, they all had after school activities and leisure activities. We have a very modest five bedroom, 1904 mid terraced house. We ran one car, we had most of our holidays in this country, but also managed two USA holidays, a couple of French and Spanish holidays and one big family holiday to Jamaica.

We are not, nor have we ever been anywhere close to millionaires.

https://signal-corridor.live/uploads/talk/202606/medium-dw5162-screenshot-2026-06-18-at-20-42-51.png%3C/span%3E https://signal-corridor.live/uploads/talk/202606/medium-8tzvfj-screenshot-2026-06-18-at-20-43-02.png%3C/span%3E

Interview with Lord Heseltine:

We Must Not Have Reform Or Restore Anywhere Near The Corridors Of Power

www.politicshome.com/news/article/lord-heseltine-we-reform-restore-anywhere-near-corridors-power

Even if the formal mechanisms for one haven’t yet been triggered, a Labour leadership contest is effectively underway. Would Burnham or Wes Streeting make a better PM than Keir Starmer?

“I actually like Keir Starmer,” the peer replies. “I think he’s a nice guy and a good guy – and he’s got a terrible job.”

Starmer is struggling, he points out, amid problems caused by Donald Trump’s US administration, the war in Ukraine, conflict in the Middle East and the impacts of Brexit.

While the PM is “undoubtedly culpable” for the effects of his government’s tax policies, Heseltine argues there is “very little he can do” about those other four issues, calling it an “absolutely non-win” situation.

“In many ways, any prime minister would be in this present situation, because the underlying malaise affecting this government is the one that always affects governments: living standards are falling and people want change. It’s as simple as that.”

He will not be drawn further on the question of Labour’s leadership, but adds: “My preoccupation with the Makerfield by-election is very simple. We must not have Reform or Restore or anything like it anywhere near the corridors of power in this country. I’ve seen it all before. [Oswald] Mosley in the 30s, Enoch Powell in the 60s.”

He claims that “the Reform and the Restore generation” are making “the most sinister, antisemitic, extremist appeal to a very nasty side of the human character”.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has always admired Thatcher, saying after her death that she was a “great inspiration” to him. What might the Iron Lady have made of Farage, had she been alive to see the rise of his political project?

“She’d have hated him,” Heseltine replies without hesitation. “Nigel Farage will assimilate himself with anyone he thinks has got a resonance in public opinion. He is Donald Trump’s vicar in Britain…

“But the origins of ‘Nigel Trump’ are a guy with a beer tankard and a fag. Then the farmers get into trouble, and he turns up looking like a farmer – and this is all a communications process.

Successful, but based on opportunism, based on a degree of prejudices which I find abhorrent. She would have had nothing to do with him.”

Speaking of beer - the photos are from Farage on X. One from last night and one from 2024 when England were playing Slovenia in the Euros. Does this malarkey really fool people?

Do the thoughts of Heseltine really fool people? He I am afraid appears to has very little understanding of the issues that have led to the rise of reform.
I am enjoying this rolling out of people who not so long ago were the bad guys ( see also Alistair Campbell) and who now we are expected to take moral guidance from.

I suspect people, particularly the old school Tories, whoever they vote for now, are more likely to pay heed to Heseltine’s thoughts than to yours or mine Galaxy, as he has at least worn the t shirt and gained their respect?

Possibly but I am not sure why those of us who aren't old school tories should be guided by him. His barely concealed contempt for voters and his trotting out of every cliche possible are unlikely to help matters.

I don’t suppose the rest of us will be, but I guess he is primarily speaking to them, because their votes will make the difference.

Hestletine is so long ago I can barely remember him.
And cant remember where he sat politically, without looking him up.

He was a great supporter of the people’s vote campaign. Margaret Beckett said she never thought she’d be sharing a platform with him but she did and he was warmly received. As with a lot of elder states people he talks a lot of Sence and he’s incensed by what Farage is trying to do to the country. Politics these days leads to strange alliegances.

You must be young fancythat? He was in Thatcher and Major’s governments, and he’s in the House of Lords, he’s one of the heavyweights, he often comments on current politics.

MayBee70

He was a great supporter of the people’s vote campaign. Margaret Beckett said she never thought she’d be sharing a platform with him but she did and he was warmly received. As with a lot of elder states people he talks a lot of Sence and he’s incensed by what Farage is trying to do to the country. Politics these days leads to strange alliegances.

I agree.

Casdon

You must be young fancythat? He was in Thatcher and Major’s governments, and he’s in the House of Lords, he’s one of the heavyweights, he often comments on current politics.

I’m 67 and I remember him well.

Wasn’t he depicted as, or called, Tarzan on Spitting Image?