Ben Habib has left Reform Party Ltd.

I dont think Reform has any viable policies on irregular migrants either. They still rely, as far as I can see, on a "pushback" policy.

They question the UN International Maritime Law agreement as rendering pushback illegal. Ie, does "pushback" allow for turning boats around at sea into French territorial waters.

Reform say it doesn't break Maritime Law to do this at sea.

*However, even if they somehow pushed this through by using the Navy or coastguards (safely without capsizing boats)

what they don't answer is that one country actually landing people onto French soil without permission internationally is illegal.

Yet this is what people are taken in by.

Cossy well Reform has a huge way to go- it’s not even a party. I think Ben Habib made the right move when he stepped away. Doesn’t matter much if Reform lacks policies, there’s no way they might be enacted at the moment.

Chocolatelovinggran

Well, if Elon Musk hates Kier Starmer, that's just lifted Mr Starmer's standing in my eyes.
Any friend of Mr Musk is no friend of mine.
Reform doesn't really have too many thought- through- and- costed- policies, as far as I could see when I read their manifesto prior to the election.
Maybe they don't need any?

As far as I can tell, other than stopping immigration in its tracks and increasing the personal allowance tax levels, they have no policies.

Well, if Elon Musk hates Kier Starmer, that's just lifted Mr Starmer's standing in my eyes.
Any friend of Mr Musk is no friend of mine.
Reform doesn't really have too many thought- through- and- costed- policies, as far as I could see when I read their manifesto prior to the election.
Maybe they don't need any?

Just lets say jump the philosophical "means and ends"debate

and 👏 the sooner the better with legislation as regards foreign interference with our political system Casdon.

I think FGT is winding people up here.

Loss of 'sovereignty' is a 'means to an end'?

Selling your soul for a handful of gold...

I cannot under any circumstances see, as a Brexiteer and all the "sovereignty' that goes with it, why you support or condone this interference?

I think I can Wyllow. It’s the means to an end. Providing its legal of course, why not?

I cannot under any circumstances see, as a Brexiteer and all the "sovereignty' that goes with it, why you support or condone this interference?
Precisely, not exactly taking back control is it?

Casdon is talking about influence by foreign nationals and governments FGT

" Let’s hope that happens very quickly, because whatever your politics you must surely agree that it’s wrong for other countries to be involved in any way in the democratic processes of the UK.
👏👏

The debate about FPTP however is a valid one but different from banning foreign nationals like Musk funding our own politics.

I cannot under any circumstances see, as a Brexiteer and all the "sovereignty' that goes with it, why you support or condone this interference?

Possibly I’m naive Casdon but don’t the unions bankroll Labour? Vested interests and Starmer straight away rewards the union backed public services. (Not that I’m against that per se you understand). Just following the money. Reform came second in 98 constituencies. There’s already a huge amount of support out there for them, FPTP distorts it if support is evenly spread rather in deep pockets, as with the Lib Dems.

Sadly, as we have seen on a previous thread suggesting that everyone of the 2.5 million people who signed a petition calling for another General Election, rumours, myths and sheer lies will not only be believed, but will be spread. So yes, I am concerned about what Musk's influence can do.

These are the current rules.
ukandeu.ac.uk/the-facts/when-is-a-political-donation-permissible/
The government is already proposing further changes to prevent interference by foreign nationals in UK elections. Let’s hope that happens very quickly, because whatever your politics you must surely agree that it’s wrong for other countries to be involved in any way in the democratic processes of the UK.

Crumbs, sounds like the Second coming of a Messiah!

He's not respectful as an MP at all! He gives virtually no time to his constituents spending it swanning abroad and picking up nice amounts like £40.000 from a speech to the very rich promoting tax havens and dodges at NOMAD. where is the space of care for Jaywick?

Influence by having friends in high places abroad might seem good to you, but to me it seems like the old boy network writ large, dangerous, and something I'd hoped we'd leave behind.

By buying existing databases from credit companies Reform would be able to build a demographic map of the UK. They could then commission polls to build up a picture of what issues matter most to people from different demographics, and then cross reference the two in order to work out that people living in area X care most about issue Y

The next stage would be to test out dozens of different messages on target audiences to find out which ones hit home most effectively. Advertising and messaging can then be directed very specifically to appeal to the right audience in the right area.“

this is exactly what Cambridge Analytica did during the Brexit referendum. I don;t know who wrote this article for the rapidly losing its credibility Telegraph, but I don't see much condemnation or even concern about this potential manipulation of the electorate.

That whole approach of "marketing" a party US style just appalls me. The excesses it resulted in, in the USA, where like a ghastly futuristic novel with Musk handing out millions "Game show" style to win votes, bombardment of TV ads, and telling different groups of people different things on policy...

Well we have to agree to differ on this forum as I know I’m in a minority on here (but not Uk-wide 😁). The way that Nigel Farage's fortunes have changed over the past year is nothing short of phenomenal. It started I think with his appearance on I’m a Celebrity which allowed viewers to see the real man (and I don’t just mean his muscular bottom). Now as an elected MP he’s respectable, and has friends in very high places indeed. Cometh the hour, cometh the man, and this country badly needs Reform.

What, though, would Reform do with an injection of funds from Musk?

Continue with its' racist agenda? Scapegoat refugees? Play on the fears and worries of the indiginous white population?
Not come up with any meaningful solutions to issues?

From today’s Telegraph:

“The bad news for Labour and the Tories is that he could be about to take his career to the next level if, as has been rumoured, Reform UK is given the biggest ever donation to any UK political party.

Elon Musk is reportedly considering giving Reform up to $100 million, or around £79 million, after cementing a friendship with Farage at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.

It goes without saying that any donation even approaching that size would be transformative for Reform, which remains a fledgling party lacking the manpower and apparatus of the established players.

It was the great good fortune of the Conservative Party, and to a lesser extent Labour, that Reform’s 4.1 million votes were spread too evenly to translate into many parliamentary seats in this year’s general election. Reform averaged just one seat in Parliament for every 823,000 people who voted for them, after an inevitably broad brush approach to campaigning, whereas the Lib Dems, with their vast knowledge of electioneering tricks of the trade, bagged a seat for every 49,000 votes and the Tories one seat for every 56,000 votes.

The nightmare scenario for all three mainstream parties is that Reform gets its act together before the next election, builds a nationwide party machine, beefs up and professionalises its full-time staff and has the sort of money to equal or even outdo the other parties’ advertising spend.

What, though, would Reform do with an injection of funds from Musk?

Veterans of previous UK elections say that data – something Musk knows more than a little about – is the key weapon in 21st-century campaigning, and this is where Reform could make up the most ground on the other parties.

By buying existing databases from credit companies Reform would be able to build a demographic map of the UK. They could then commission polls to build up a picture of what issues matter most to people from different demographics, and then cross reference the two in order to work out that people living in area X care most about issue Y.

The next stage would be to test out dozens of different messages on target audiences to find out which ones hit home most effectively. Advertising and messaging can then be directed very specifically to appeal to the right audience in the right area.“

Galaxy as the law stands Musk, as a foreign national can't make a donation but he might be able to via a UK based company. He did nothing wrong in supporting Trump, I might question his reasons but that's a different matter altogether. The issue for me is should a foreign national like Musk be able to fund our political parties? I don't think they should as I think their motive will always be questionable.

I suppose Ben must have been quite a coup for Reform. Articulate and in some ways normalising their racism.

The avengers intervention was particularly hilarious

Er the Democrats as far as I am aware recieved more money than the trump campaign and were backed by some very influential figures. I dont particularly like the way America does politics but most of Hollywood supported the Democrats, I am not sure we can complain that musk supported trump.
I am not a reform supporter but the words if and believe seem to be doing some heavy lifting in that article.

MayBee70

I’d be interested to hear what Reform supporters think of this.

I think it’s appalling! Musk has already allowed Trump to post utter rubbish on his X site.

Extremely wealthy men are alway dangerous!

I do remember however the furore around donations of far less to the LP and members thereof, during the last election. Many GNs were utterly outraged.

Where are they now ?

MB70 I would be interested too, I posted to FGT earlier, I hope she reads what I asked her but perhaps other Reform supporters would like to reply to it.