What is it that attracts racists, Islamaphobes, homophobes and general bigots to Nigel Farage?

^ living where I do means that I am surrounded by medics - so average in the sense of commonplace.^

Commonplace for you, perhaps, ronib, but not for everyone. There are certainly few, if any, doctors living in my area. It's mostly former mining villages... not even 'pretty' ones that professional would particularly want to move to... But probably far more representative of the over all UK population.

!! yes. It's just one of the things the BBC does really well as it verifies as it goes along.

Sounds like Georgie David, after actually meeting other candidates and no doubt supporters has seen the reality behind Farage's vacuous promises.

I found the transcript facility and what struck me is how yet again all the problems we face are listed, but instead of saying what Reform will actually do about them (literally nothing at all in the speech) we get the "vote for us we'll put it all right".

How will Farage deliver "turn back the boats" "Zero waiting lists

Reform chairman Richard Tice accuses the Conservatives of "dirty tricks", saying they are offering candidates "jobs and safe seats" to defect.

That's ridiculous. Tories can't offer 'safe seats' to anyone, it's far too late for new candidates to be registered. Ballot papers will have been printed by now with David on the paper as standing for Reform.

Tice is either very ignorant or is just intent on whipping up some more resentment in Reform followers.

I'm willing to bet that once the results come in on Friday Farage & Tice will be shrieking about 'Establishment stitch ups' if (as is probable) they get very few seats...

Dickens

Thank you for another thoughtful and informative post Merion.

Absolutely! This guy is an absolute gift to Reform. Wonder whats in it for him?

For all the fine talk about values, Reform is essentially undemocratic. It's a registered company, and Farage has not been elected, in anyway, to his position.

MaizieD

^Reform chairman Richard Tice accuses the Conservatives of "dirty tricks", saying they are offering candidates "jobs and safe seats" to defect.^

That's ridiculous. Tories can't offer 'safe seats' to anyone, it's far too late for new candidates to be registered. Ballot papers will have been printed by now with David on the paper as standing for Reform.

Tice is either very ignorant or is just intent on whipping up some more resentment in Reform followers.

I'm willing to bet that once the results come in on Friday Farage & Tice will be shrieking about 'Establishment stitch ups' if (as is probable) they get very few seats...

What else would you expect from the "Victims are us" party?

Wyllow3

!! yes. It's just one of the things the BBC does really well as it verifies as it goes along.

Sounds like Georgie David, after actually meeting other candidates and no doubt supporters has seen the reality behind Farage's vacuous promises.

I found the transcript facility and what struck me is how yet again all the problems we face are listed, but instead of saying what Reform will actually do about them (literally nothing at all in the speech) we get the "vote for us we'll put it all right".

*How will Farage deliver "turn back the boats" "Zero waiting lists*

Exactly! It's not difficult to go through the headlines and list all the issues people are unhappy about, but finding solutions is another matter.

Wyllow3

For all the fine talk about values, Reform is essentially undemocratic. It's a registered company, and Farage has not been elected, in anyway, to his position.

And yet look how much publicity they’re getting. I can’t quite get my head around it. I bet so much focus as the results come through will be about them

Just came across this post 2019 election comment that someone had written. I thought I'd throw it into the arena for consideration. It gives a different viewpoint from someone who recognises Farage as a person of political influence. That applies whether you like him or loathe him.

In all the post-election threads there has been no mention of Nigel Farage so I thought I would remedy that. If nothing else, it will give the remainers a chance to vent some more bile as I know they love to hate him. But before they start tearing him to shreds just consider this.
There were many pre-election comments accusing him of self-glorification and putting himself before the country. I can’t think of anyone less deserving of that allegation. Here we have a man who worked tirelessly for 25 years towards one goal, and who effectively fell on his sword for the sake of achieving that goal. In handing his voters to the Tories on a plate he sacrificed his political career, hardly the actions of a self-serving career politician. Over the last few years, other parties have consistently stolen his policies when they realized it was what voters wanted. Consequently, he has influenced the political landscape more than anyone else and without even entering Parliament. That is an amazing achievement. I heard someone describe him as ‘the most influential politician of the post-Blair era’.

Whether you love him or hate him, that is a factual description, and I think history books of the future will probably recognize his achievements far more than we do.

I don’t think that anyone has ever doubted his influence. But just because he has influence it doesn’t mean he uses it in a good way. He supports Trump for one thing. What does that say about the man and his vision for our country?

And yet another Reform Candidate shows true colours

www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2024/07/02/reform-candidate-linked-with-offensive-social-media-posts

"Reform’s candidate for Orkney and Shetland allegedly suggested former first minister Nicola Sturgeon should be shot and used a homophobic slur to describe people who took Covid vaccines, it has been reported"

" “Since the great David Attenborough legitimised calls for political leaders to be shot, why not start with this bitch?”"

Robert Smith is also accused, in a reference to the Royal family, of saying he would “prefer Fred and Rose [West] to any of these c***s”.

Reform has yet to react. tbh, sounds like he is totally off his trolley.

Wyllow3- love your clear analysis “totally off his trolley”

Chestnut

Just came across this post 2019 election comment that someone had written. I thought I'd throw it into the arena for consideration. It gives a different viewpoint from someone who recognises Farage as a person of political influence. That applies whether you like him or loathe him.

In all the post-election threads there has been no mention of Nigel Farage so I thought I would remedy that. If nothing else, it will give the remainers a chance to vent some more bile as I know they love to hate him. But before they start tearing him to shreds just consider this.
There were many pre-election comments accusing him of self-glorification and putting himself before the country. I can’t think of anyone less deserving of that allegation. Here we have a man who worked tirelessly for 25 years towards one goal, and who effectively fell on his sword for the sake of achieving that goal. In handing his voters to the Tories on a plate he sacrificed his political career, hardly the actions of a self-serving career politician. Over the last few years, other parties have consistently stolen his policies when they realized it was what voters wanted. Consequently, he has influenced the political landscape more than anyone else and without even entering Parliament. That is an amazing achievement. I heard someone describe him as ‘the most influential politician of the post-Blair era’.

^Whether you love him or hate him, that is a factual description, and I think history books of the future will probably recognize his achievements far more than we do.^

It may make him very influential, but surely history will judge him upon whether its been influential in a good way?

Farage has been persistent, I'll give him that, but over the years there have been plenty of other Eurosceptics, from both the major parties. However, neither they, nor Farage, energised the electorate enough to take a great interest in the EU. There was a peak at the time of Masstricht and the Lisbon Treaty, when IpsosMori found that nearly 30% of people thought the EU was ,the most important issue facing Britain today, but the interest soon declined to less than 10%.

During the period prior to the referendum Ukip failed to attract more than 17% of the vote at a General 1election and Farage failed 7 times to become elected as an MP. All this time the regular polling registered fewer than 10% of people thinking that the EU was the most important issue facing Britain. Interest only soared once the referendum was announced.

But, by the time it came to campaigning for a Leave vote we had Big Dog Johnson, with his sidekick, Gove, joining the fray an the Leave side; a far more universally recognised figure with his regular TV appearances, regular Telegraph columns from Brussels and his high profile antics as London Mayor. I am still of the opinion that if anyone swung the referendum it was Johnson, not Farage. Though Farage did make a significant contribution with his infamous 'immigrants' poster.

It's interesting that Dr Richard North, a staunch anti EU campaigner and a founder member of UKIP. whose intelligent analysis and well thought out plan for actually leaving the EU was worth considering, had no time at all for Farage as being basically ignorant of the processes involved and being merely a determined self publicist.

For that is the one thing that the most prominent Brexiters, Johnson and Farage ignored. The very real complexity of what leaving the EU would involve. They were fine whipping up populist hate of the EU, but they had no plan for leaving. They denounced the experts who were all pointing out the complexities, yet, as was recently pointed out by a blogger, those who most supported Brexit had no idea how to undertake it, and it fell mainly to those who had opposed it to deliver it. That is, the Brexiters were dependent upon the very people they despised as the educated, professional elite, and at the very moment they were most vociferously denouncing them as such, to deliver the thing they most wanted.

And so it continues with Reform. They're fine at pointing out what they think is wrong with the UK (and are certainly not alone in doing so, all the other parties apart from the tories do it too) but they have no credible plan for rectifying it.

Just seen this which will be a surprise and disappointment for lefties.

Labour are trying to get votes for 16 year olds, but a polling of 16-17 year olds has just revealed that a quarter of them would vote Reform. So when Farage says he is attracting young voters it seems he is correct. Labour is their first choice but Reform is the choice of 25% of them. Unsurprisingly they are not keen on Tories.

Will you please stop referring to many of us so sneeringly as lefties. It’s getting a bit tiresome now and I’m afraid I don’t intend to listen to your pro Farage comments because of it.

MayBee70

Will you please stop referring to many of us so sneeringly as lefties. It’s getting a bit tiresome now and I’m afraid I don’t intend to listen to your pro Farage comments because of it.

What would you like to be called? I've never used the word 'leftie' before so maybe you are mixing me up with other people. I am just putting a few facts out there for people to consider as I like to get a balance.

I prefer to be called by my name. Or you can shorten it , if its too onerous.

"Leftie" is so silly . Along with woke, snowflake and other daft names.

Just because I see right through Farage and his rabble rousing racism doesn't make me part of any tribe.

Chestnut

MayBee70

Will you please stop referring to many of us so sneeringly as lefties. It’s getting a bit tiresome now and I’m afraid I don’t intend to listen to your pro Farage comments because of it.

What would you like to be called? I've never used the word 'leftie' before so maybe you are mixing me up with other people. I am just putting a few facts out there for people to consider as I like to get a balance.

Well, don’t lower yourself to their level then as I always make a point of listening to what you say and try to understand your point of view. Including the fact that you are genuinely scared of the thought of a Labour government, something that I don’t understand myself but want to understand why you feel that way as imo you have nothing to be worried about.

Chestnut

Just seen this which will be a surprise and disappointment for lefties.

Labour are trying to get votes for 16 year olds, but a polling of 16-17 year olds has just revealed that a quarter of them would vote Reform. So when Farage says he is attracting young voters it seems he is correct. Labour is their first choice but Reform is the choice of 25% of them. Unsurprisingly they are not keen on Tories.

Just seen this which will be a surprise and disappointment for lefties.

It might well be a bit of both.

... but you do know that among those who dislike Farage there are a number who don't vote Labour and who would be a tad irritated at being called a leftie, especially those who intend to vote Conservative?

It's a bit like Brexit - pro-Leavers frequently assume that Remainers are all lefties. They're not.

Chestnut

Just seen this which will be a surprise and disappointment for lefties.

Labour are trying to get votes for 16 year olds, but a polling of 16-17 year olds has just revealed that a quarter of them would vote Reform. So when Farage says he is attracting young voters it seems he is correct. Labour is their first choice but Reform is the choice of 25% of them. Unsurprisingly they are not keen on Tories.

The polling, by JL Partners, according to reports in some of the media, said that 23% of 16 and 17 year olds would vote Reform if they could vote on Thursday.

And that very nearly twice as many (39%) would vote Labour. 18% would vote Green, and 9% LibDem. I don’t think a 66% share of the vote for progressive parties is likely to worry any of us who lean that way.

I have some doubts that the polling results will be anything like the real results, as all who are canvassing say there is a big difference on the doorstep.So when doing the GN sweepstake on Thursday think I’ll go with my own guess, tho am hoping to win as I really need that virtual holiday.😃

No I’m not surprised. Because I assume that 16 year olds can see that the country is in a mess politically and, without having a great knowledge of politics still see that it needs reform of some kind. Sadly they obviously don’t understand the sort of reforms Reform plan but, by the next election will have a greater understanding of it.

Interesting that the thread has now disintegrated into the handful of people who hate Reform, hate Farage and hate anybody who doesn’t agree with them.

You few enjoy talking amongst yourselves. 😴😴😴😴

Primrose53

Interesting that the thread has now disintegrated into the handful of people who hate Reform, hate Farage and hate anybody who doesn’t agree with them.

You few enjoy talking amongst yourselves. 😴😴😴😴

I think 'hate' is rather too strong a word to use, Primrose, but it fits in well with the Reform feeling that the whole world is out to get them...