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

Urmstongran

Yet if the young don’t vote they blame us oldies for ‘ruining their future’ Vizgirl! Same over Brexit referendum/Glasto!

But you literally did for the ones who weren't quite old enough to vote. Like my kids. Not all young people are apathetic when it comes to politics & voting 🙄

Thanks Whitewavemark2

Where is Ed??

Liberal Democrats lose their deposits in both by-elections
Party’s share of vote plummets on 2019 election result as it receives less than five per cent of votes cast and forfeits the £500 payment(Daily Telegraph)

Bet Ed's not a happy bunny today😊

Yet if the young don’t vote they blame us oldies for ‘ruining their future’ Vizgirl! Same over Brexit referendum/Glasto!

Isabelle Oakeshott.

The same will happen with the GE.. It will be a very low turn out.
Labour will win but not with a massive majority, I know quite a few under 35 Yr old who have never voted and are not interested.
Such a shame as its their future.

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.

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 😊

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 ?

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.

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.

The Lib Dems came 5th in Kingswood!

Less than 40% turnout is what upsets me.

Grantanow

Early flights to Rwanda perhaps?

Yes playing politics with people’s living.

What charmers they are.

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.

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.

Early flights to Rwanda perhaps?

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.

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" 😄

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

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.

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 😊

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.

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.

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.