The biggest surprise in the by elections is that Reform UK trounced the Lib Dem’s!

Imo the word toxic applies far more to the Reform party than it does to anything about the LibDems. We were, at one time members of the LibDems and everyone we knew in the party were thoroughly decent people unlike the local UKIP supporters who all seem to have all been BNP supporters in their previous political life.

Oh and just remind me how many times Farage has stood for election and won….

Urmstongran

The Lib Dems were 4th place in both by elections yesterday. Unless they input Ed Davey’s lib dem votes into a Horizon computer? Not seen much of him these days have we? I think he’s toxic for the party.

Moving on. Tory say if you vote Reform UK we are handing the keys to No.10 to Keir Starmer. Well as far as I can see that’s a given now anyway so I’m happy to vote Reform UK at the GE.

They need a boost though. More membership money or donations. Farage joining in some centre stage capacity would definitely boost their ratings.

Meanwhile the Lib Dems must be in turmoil. “We need to talk about Ed” …

Excellent result for Reform.

Yep people need not to minimise what is happening with reform. Sometimes these parties implode but sometimes they dont. Its played out in other countries in Europe. I am not the slightest bit interested in what is happening with the lib dems to be honest, labour will win the next election, it's what happens following that which will be interesting.

True, Galaxy as I say a Labour victory is a given now. I was just delighted to see how well Reform UK are doing. And beginning think Lib Dems (like the Greens) are a wasted vote in our first-past-the-post system. Almost a ‘protest vote’ of sorts.

You just keep on voting for flag waving grifters, funded by dubious overseas donors.....then we will get rid of the Tories. Thank you 😊

Reform’s real triumph - they scored three times more than the LibDems. Now there is a truly independent party for those who choose “none of the above”. Excellent news.

HousePlantQueen

You just keep on voting for flag waving grifters, funded by dubious overseas donors.....then we will get rid of the Tories. Thank you 😊

Oh dear me. No argument, just abuse.

HousePlantQueen

You just keep on voting for flag waving grifters, funded by dubious overseas donors.....then we will get rid of the Tories. Thank you 😊

Get Farage (and his Little Boat friends) in the bin where they belong and get the Tories out. What a fantastic vision.

FWIW I'm no Starmer fan either, but the alternatives are a gazillion times worse.

The Reform Party are taking votes from the Tories but are unlikely to take any seats, (unless a well known Tory switches allegiance). It would be more useful to vote LD at least there is some chance of more MPs .

I’m sure Starmer is smiling today, together with falling into recession it doesn’t look good for Sunak.

HousePlantQueen

You just keep on voting for flag waving grifters, funded by dubious overseas donors.....then we will get rid of the Tories. Thank you 😊

Jeremy Hoskin, businesses large and small, local donors,. No overseas involvement that I can find. Do you have insider information. By the way, small elections do not a GE make.

Voters haven’t changed their minds. The Conservatives have simply failed them with their 80 seat majority. What a waste!

I hadn't looked at the results so was shocked when I saw the heading Urmstongran, thinking surely Reform haven't won!

Bit of a change from "Labour trounced Tories in Kingswood" 😄

Reform voters are disaffected Conservatives.
Lib Dems are losing their 'supporters' who have been tactical voters since the Labour defeat in 2010 and are now showing, literally, their true colours,
I agree with you, Urmstongran, about the waste of the 80 seat majority which encouraged the mavericks to go their own way and allowed the schemers to plot and disrupt their way to power.

Early flights to Rwanda perhaps?

Farage isn’t interested in Reform these days. He’s set his sights on the Conservative Party leadership. And to think that Cameron only held the referendum because he was scared of UKIP.

What the results show is a number of things.

Labours huge win was as a result of a number of factors.

Traditional Tories will almost certainly vote LIB Dem - if there is a chance of them winning, but in the absence of a possible win for the Libs (jolly decent folk - as MB70 said) traditional Tories are voting Labour - they are NOT voting Reform - that vote is characterised by the right wing, anti immigrant Liz Truss types.

Well the best of luck to them.

Traditional Tories would not touch Reform with a barge pole - Reform represents the sort of politics that you see in LePen, Trump and such like.

Middle England, which includes the centre left and centre right - Labour Lib Dem’s and Tory, reject wholeheartedly the type of divisional, hate filled politics that they see in Reform.

Grantanow

Early flights to Rwanda perhaps?

Yes playing politics with people’s living.

What charmers they are.

The Lib Dems came 5th in Kingswood!

Less than 40% turnout is what upsets me.

Actually, if you sit and think about it. As far as I could tell Habib and the reform party threw everything they had in this bye-election and achieved 13% of the vote - and yet as the Brexit/ukip party in 2019? came second with 20% and so have actually done far worse.

The point is that the U.K. is simply not prepared or ready to vote for a populist far right party.

I suspect, that the Lib Dem’s with the resources they have will be conserving them for the election, and then focus on seats that they stand a good chance of winning.

Is the Reform party a break off party from the Conservatives? I hadn’t heard of it. Not sure what they believe in. I assume they were connected with Farage ?

Fantastic results for The Reform Party since they have only been going since 2020, Lib Dems are finished in my opinion. The usual bitter Labour supporters 🤔 why your party won what are you worried about, obviously the success and rise of the Reform Party 😊

nanna8

Is the Reform party a break off party from the Conservatives? I hadn’t heard of it. Not sure what they believe in. I assume they were connected with Farage ?

They are UKIP/Brexit party with a changed name.

Farage is on the Honorary President (😄) Tice is the frontman along with his girl friend - whose name escapes me - long blond hair.