Inside the Reform Party

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 am younger than a lot of people on this forum.
But my memory is also poor!

One of my DDs became a mum at a comparatively young age for nowadays.
She was youngest mum at the playground for about 5 years.

I did join this site about 8 years ago, but left again, as I felt too young at the time!

Really,it is a case of my memory. As I remember Thatcher.

I sometimes feel, I am a younger generation to some posters on here.

I take notice of people such as Heseltine who can see the historical parallels of what Reform (and Restore) stand for and who also recognise the problems a Prime Minister of any stripe has and would have to manage … Donald Trump’s US administration, the war in Ukraine, conflict in the Middle East and the impacts of Brexit. Those problems will still be there whether Burnham or Farage were in Number 10.

The point of Lammas’s piece was to highlight the chaos and factionalism within Reform which is true in many parties but, as he says, Reform … they don’t like each other and are united by grievance alone.

Last time I looked, Nadhim Zahawi was the Reform spokesperson on Foreign Affairs. According to Lammas:

The factions deeply distrust each other and perform shadow operations within Reform to undermine each other, in order to avoid one faction getting too powerful. For example, when … Nadhim Zahawi defected, I was delighted. I was then surprised to be told of high level discussions to encourage branch chairs to write into HQ in a unified protest, in a hope to expel him.

He says of the former Tories:

… they privately admit how much they miss their former Party and how concerned they are with the dysfunction within Reform. They say ‘focus on what you can get out of it’ and ‘just go with the flow’. Many share my concerns but unlike me they are afraid to admit they made a mistake.

It isn’t a promising blueprint for a party that, were there to be a snap election, could find themselves in power or, with no overall majority, would need to forge an alliance with the Tories.

If there were to win an overall majority, they would be barely be able to function, again as Lammas says:

For all of you political nerds reading this that have sat in one too many meetings with the oldies repeating themselves – cherish them. For when there is no institutional experience, it is alarming.

We have witnessed that in the chaos in local government since 2025 and most recently in Kirkless where they have a new Reform councillor wishing to lead the council saying: “I don’t understand the Constitution… I don’t understand standing orders… I don’t understand what an amendment is … ” These people did no homework whatsoever before standing for office and when elected have no clue what they are doing.

Reform has little in the way of institutional experience. A leader who treats Parliament and Parliamentary process with contempt and MPs who are regularly exposed for lack of knowledge. Lindsey Hoyle called them a shambles when they were trying to introduce a bill to prohibition Quantitative Easing. Six months into the job and they still didn’t know how to introduce a Bill. This week, witness Luke Pollard Minister of State for Defence had reprimand to Sarah Pochin over Special Forces security.

I echo what Maizie said: This really isn't a party to seriously consider for government.

They probably didn’t understand Quantitative Easing, either…

CatsWhiskas

Shinamae

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.

Peter Mandelson? 🤔

I didn't know Mandelson received Russian money.

Did I say he did?…🤔

Barbadosbelle, and, of course, Mrs Thatcher sold off water to asset strippers, and that has worked out splendidly for the people of Britain, hasn't it?

I echo what Maizie said: This really isn't a party to seriously consider for government.

It is a matter of "says who" isnt it?

The Andy by election[I should imagine votes were skewed in allsorts of ways], Reform gets 34% of the vote, and conservatives 2%.

fancythat

I sometimes feel, I am a younger generation to some posters on here.

Perhaps I should qualify some of the above, so as not to get misquoted in the future
[tbh wish I hadnt written some of the above, but wont ask for it to be gone]
my mum and mil are still alive and fine.
Part of what makes me feel a different generation.
But I am not that young nowadays, and not that much younger than some on this forum.

Inside the Reform Party today? Not as good place to be- avoid Frage at all costs he will be fuming.

Excellent post Graphite. Thanks for putting in the work and posting it.

Yes, thanks Graphite.
Lots of interesting info.
The regret of defecting Tories is intriguing.
I suppose coming from an established, properly constructed senior party into the chaos of Reform will be unsettling.
Tough.

In a second defeat for Reform today, the Good Law Project has just won a case against Reform, to do with data collection of voters' information.

Lee Anderson has made a bit of a pillock of himself too. He tweeted that the Jimmy Savile banner some Reform councillors were photographed showing was definitely an AI fake, which it wasn’t, as the councillors involved have confirmed. A bad day at the office.

Are you kidding? That was an actual genuine photo, of Reform with a Saville banner?
🤢

trib.al/CmIDNEN
Yes.
Here is her apology in Wigan Today.

I think there will come a point soon, when Farage has either got to get serious with the Party. Or quit.

Good grief: " I'd rather vote for Jimmy Savile than Labour"?
How low can people go?

Chocolatelovinggran

Good grief: " I'd rather vote for Jimmy Savile than Labour"?
How low can people go?

😲

Gobsmacked

Every time I read upthread, and come across your comment MazieD, it makes me giggle.
The one about quantitive easing.
😃

Casdon

trib.al/CmIDNEN
Yes.
Here is her apology in Wigan Today.

Good grief- Reform poor judgement never ceases to go low.....

The Russian connection

Nigel Farage's Putin Problem was the front page headline in November's Byline Times, with seven pages debunking Farage's claim to not be close to convicted criminal Nathan Gill.

I have some tar and feathers going cheap if anyone’s interested….😁

Chocolatelovinggran

Good grief: " I'd rather vote for Jimmy Savile than Labour"?
How low can people go?

Imagine having the intellect that believes such a comparison makes a valid point...