Clacton by-election

If that were true, FriedGreenTomatoes2, why is support for Reform dropping in all the polls? I think the party rose as the Tories ran out of steam in power, but that steam is slowly rebuilding, and at the same time, support for Reform is reducing.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

^I think the salient point here is, if Me Farage genuinely cares about his constituency, would he really leave them totally without representation and cause this media circus?^

As in Makerfield Cossy?
Same difference different players.

Where are you getting the idea that Burnham has abandoned his Makerfield constituents from, FGT. Are you one of them? Do you monitor his every move?

foxie with respect this opinion you posit mist definitely is not the whole picture. A part of it, granted, but it’s so much more than that now.

Some voters are crying out for the change that Starmer promised. And failed to deliver. Which is why people are becoming even more desperate to give Reform a chance.

I think the salient point here is, if Me Farage genuinely cares about his constituency, would he really leave them totally without representation and cause this media circus?

As in Makerfield Cossy?
Same difference different players.

Sunshine girls
My MP is in her constituency every weekend and has answered every email I have sent to her in her two years in post, unlike her predecessor. She even Marshalls at our local park run on many Saturdays.
Mr Farage does not hold constituency surgeries, does not attend Parliament on a regular basis as people on here have stated. He is paid to serve his constituents, not swan around the world cosying up to his billionaire mates. If he had some policies and planning in place I would take him, plus Reform , more seriously. The other parties are not standing at this by-election because in all honesty they don’t actually need to . They recognise a tantrum when they see it so have no need to subscribe to it.

They don't want immigration on the scale it has been Cossy. Sorry if it upsets people ( my father is an immigrant and I to be honest don't have particular strong feelings either way) but for many that is a belief they hold. They don't want to be told they are bigots for waving a flag, they don't want to have to nod along with the latest insane belief ( men are women being one example). They don't believe multiculturalism has worked ( I would probably agree with them) , they would also like decent housing, schools, etc. I am aware i am dividing people into groups and making very broad brush statements about groups of people but I am doing that because I do think we are very divided.
Also ( this was the case with Trump as well) some just want to say get stuffed, what the result is, well that is almost by the by.

foxie48

The AFD in Germany, FdI in Italy, the FPO in Austria, the PVV in the Netherlands and of course, Reform in the UK demonstrate one thing to me. ie In most countries there is a significant core of people who will listen to people that tell them that immigrants or a particular minority group are the cause of their problems. It's not a new phenomenon, the Nazis used the same tactics in the 30's and early 40's and we had Moseley attempting to do the same in the UK. However, I believe that the majority of people do not accept this sort of stereotyping and will prevent a party like Reform or Restore gaining enough seats to form a government.

I agree and pray we are both right!

It’s funny though isn’t it how these supporters of all of these groups vehemently deny their own discriminative beliefs?

Sunshinegirls

NEW: Piers Corbyn, brother of Jeremy Corbyn, has announced he will stand in the Clacton by-election

Wow they are alp coming out of the woodwork 😀

Good grief, again thanks for the update! Lots of “interesting” people popping up!

It’s going to be an “interesting” few weeks. I would imagine Farage is feeling uber
confident and that his confidence will inspire his supporters.

He won with a good majority last time, I see no reason why he won’t win a resounding victory again.

What this will all achieve is clearly a very closely kept secret between Farage and his supporters! 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

The AFD in Germany, FdI in Italy, the FPO in Austria, the PVV in the Netherlands and of course, Reform in the UK demonstrate one thing to me. ie In most countries there is a significant core of people who will listen to people that tell them that immigrants or a particular minority group are the cause of their problems. It's not a new phenomenon, the Nazis used the same tactics in the 30's and early 40's and we had Moseley attempting to do the same in the UK. However, I believe that the majority of people do not accept this sort of stereotyping and will prevent a party like Reform or Restore gaining enough seats to form a government.

NEW: Piers Corbyn, brother of Jeremy Corbyn, has announced he will stand in the Clacton by-election

Wow they are alp coming out of the woodwork 😀

Clacton was chosen very carefully, not only has pockets of deprivation, but had Douglas Carswell:

Defected to UKIP in August 2014 and won the subsequent Clacton by-election in October 2014.

They also had one the biggest leave votes in Brexit referendum. Whatever else he is, Farage is not stupid.

Sunshinegirls

Nigel Farage - Reform UK
Count Binface
Monster Raving Loony Party
Laurence Fox - Reclaim Party
Rejoin EU Party
Adham Alkhatip - Forward Party
Ollie Granger - Independent
Kai Stephens - British Democrats
Luke Worley - Independent

Candidates so far standing in the by election

Thank you.

I actually think Count Binface doesn’t represent the MRL Party, but was an independent and now represents the The Count Binface Party, but I may be wrong.

The rise and fall of the right is not a new phenomenon in British politics, it goes back at least 100 years, and so far each successive movement has ultimately imploded

The fact that many people want to vote Reform shows how very badly the last few Conservative governments and the present Labour government are doing.
Reform wouldn’t exist and do well if it wasn’t the case.

Immigration used by Farage is has always been euphemism for race.

You can see it frequently in posts on this site.

Am I allowed to post this?
Too good to miss!

Nigel Farage - Reform UK
Count Binface
Monster Raving Loony Party
Laurence Fox - Reclaim Party
Rejoin EU Party
Adham Alkhatip - Forward Party
Ollie Granger - Independent
Kai Stephens - British Democrats
Luke Worley - Independent

Candidates so far standing in the by election

Galaxy

Because he is reflecting the beliefs that many hold, people might not like that but it is true. It isn't all about money I don't think - Reforms rise wouldn't have been so swift in a more prosperous time, but it isnt just that. It is the divide between the two groups, their beliefs, their language, what is important to them. I honestly don't really see how it can be overcome.
The 'working man' doesn't want to be told that diversity is our strength, that men are women, that the union jack is bad, that they benefit from white privilege, and on and on. Maizie will say I am again projecting what groups of people think, and maybe she is right. But you know when people choose farage or Trump ( and they are completely different whatever people say) it is worth looking at what people had to choose from.
Say I was in a competition for top feminist and the public unanimously voted for Jim Davison ahead of me, I might for one second think perhaps my form of feminism isn't what people want.

But Galaxy, I’m probably being completely dense, what exactly do the people of Clacton and others who support Reform actually want?

What is it they are being promised?

What is their desired paradise or personal utopia? I truly genuinely don’t understand?

I also started a thread but don't mind others doing one as I always think no one looks at every post and every answer , lets not brush this despicable man and his party to one side, Keep his name and wrongdoings out there. There was a video on FB the other day showing a lady , Susan, from Clacton, saying that he is never in the consistency and he has 12 jobs beside being an MP , commentator, brand Ambassador, speaking engagement, some like Sky News Australia , Happy Birthday Videos for a company called Cameo, in total since his Election to becoming their MP he has pocketed and extra
£1, 182,498, I doubt very much He has paid tax on the most of that as another of the companies advises people on how to avoid paying it!

The 'working man' doesn't want to be told that diversity is our strength, that men are women, that the union jack is bad, that they benefit from white privilege, and on and on.

I would say that many of the beliefs your examples violate are beliefs which have been drummed into generations of the British population by a ruling elite who used them to cement their wealth and their privilege'. Nobody is born believing or disbelieving these things. They are now being exploited by much the same people who want to hold on to their power and wealth.

Was the Labour movement, fighting for improved pay and conditions for workers and a say in the government of the nation, funded by extremely wealthy men who, for some unfathomable reason, wanted to support this movement to destroy their position in the hierarchy? History tells me that they were far more likely to fight them than support them.

Moves towards greater equality, better working conditions, protection of rights, better distribution of wealth etc. are not usually initiated and backed by billionaires...

MissAdventure

Why doesn't the Oxford graduate stand as he is?
Surely he'd be more likely to get votes as himself, with his own merit.

Great question, because he only stands as a comedic character with amusing (some feel) policies. He has stood in a good number of elections.

The fact that we have had two dominant parties is down to the fptp system - don't blame the voters - its our antiquated electoral system that means we always seem to get governments that the majority did NOT vote for. Meanwhile, Farage is totally to blame for throwing his toys out of the pram and standing for THE SAME JOB he isn’t doing now and pretending its giving the poor folk of Clacton some sort of referendum( we all know how that pans out).. meanwhile the more I hear from Binface the more I like him maybe those who say its time for a change - how about a real change?

I would stress, once again, no one is “laughing” at the people of Clacton.

Some might wonder why they want to hang onto Farage, some might wonder why they’ve not questioned why Farage is creating this fiasco, some us dislike Farage for his dramatic stunts.

Not one person in here has “laughed” at the people of Clacton.

Some have raised the point that Farage may (or may not) have raised some of the issues in certain wards in Clacton, but this isn’t only Clacton, or Essex but countrywide.

I ask again, what is it that these people actually want? What do they think Farage can do (& only Farage it seems) to improve their lives and their community? More importantly, what has he done thus far?

I’ve seen so much criticism of Starmer, what has Farage done in the same last two years that directly benefits the people of Clacton?

Why doesn't the Oxford graduate stand as he is?
Surely he'd be more likely to get votes as himself, with his own merit.

The only thing lamentable MaizieD is that Farage has used the people of Clacton for his own ends. He has done nothing for them and has put them through another by election. If he doesn't want to do.the work as their MP he should not only have stepped down but stepped away and allowed someone else to be their MP.