Bring it on Elon!

Musk putting money into Reform is nothing compared to the data he will bring that will help Reform
I do not think Musk bought twitter for free speech but it has enabled his AI engine to learn so much about people. He will know where at the like minded people live and where Reform need to target.

I think with Musks help the next election will be a bad time for Labour and the Tories.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

^Out of interest; did you vote for Brexit, ie to remove foreign interference in UK politics. ?^

Nope.
I voted Brexit because the EU were against having their accounts audited for several years, their protectionist attitude for years (remember the Butter Mountain and the Wine Lakes in the ‘80s?), The leaders of the European Union guide democracy in name only. In practice, they constantly override it and violate fundamental democratic norms on a grand scale. The anti-democratic practices in the Council of the EU, also known as the Council of Ministers, are a real scandal.

I resented the fact that the UK weee net contributors, always. Yet the EU funded projects with their little blue and yellow circles as though we ought to be grateful somehow for their largesse!

It’s a bureaucratic nightmare. A gravy train of the highest order. Brussels & Strasbourg. Shifting across one to the other. I could go on but I’d bore the pants off you all.

From what I’ve seen on my travels, the EU used to fund projects in parts of the country that central government chose to forget existed.

I wonder what farages constituents in Clacton think of their new MP. Dont think they have seen neither hide nor hair of him.

Four and a half years before the next election. I don’t believe any polls that far in advance of the election Louella12. I honestly don’t know if Farage is pm material? Social media is a strange beast.

Nigel Farage is favourite to become next Prime Minister, according to polls.

Younger generations are becoming more interested in politics due to social media

Anyone writing off Reform is a little behind the times.

I don’t believe that Reform is or will be any more caring or uncaring than those governments who preceded it… Thinking of the Waspi women particularly. Some OAPs etc However Reform is very unlikely to form a government so it’s very academic. MaizieD

FriedGreenTomatoes2

^Out of interest; did you vote for Brexit, ie to remove foreign interference in UK politics. ?^

Nope.
I voted Brexit because the EU were against having their accounts audited for several years, their protectionist attitude for years (remember the Butter Mountain and the Wine Lakes in the ‘80s?), The leaders of the European Union guide democracy in name only. In practice, they constantly override it and violate fundamental democratic norms on a grand scale. The anti-democratic practices in the Council of the EU, also known as the Council of Ministers, are a real scandal.

I resented the fact that the UK weee net contributors, always. Yet the EU funded projects with their little blue and yellow circles as though we ought to be grateful somehow for their largesse!

It’s a bureaucratic nightmare. A gravy train of the highest order. Brussels & Strasbourg. Shifting across one to the other. I could go on but I’d bore the pants off you all.

Absolutely agree with everything you have said.

Saving money within the UK isn’t a bad aim MaizieD. Wastage in one area could enable that money to be put to good use elsewhere!

I can’t wait for the day when Pride rainbows disappear from staff lanyards for example. I bet Musk will empower Reform to become more professional and target areas where change (not you Starmer) can be made. This country is crying out for it and Labour’s not delivering it.

At the last election it was a protest vote. “Anyone but Tory” so Starmer (with his 20% majority) won by default. Not because everyone liked Labour (they didn’t, some had long memories too as to why not) but just because they wanted Change. Starmer tapped into that zeitgeist. Lucky him. Or not, now.

However come the next GE the voters will have a real choice. Not the One Nation ‘Broad church Tories’, not the Labour Party (I won’t say why - it’s early days and Starmer has plenty of time - with Lammy, Reeves - to makes our situation even much worse in the months to come) but with a slick, targeted, professional, patriotic (nope, not a dirty word keep up at the back) Reform Party UK. I just hope I’m still around to see it happen.

Rant over.
I’m off out for a curry night with Himself and friends.

Thanks again everyone for joining in this discussion. It’s good to exchange viewpoints.

Out of interest; did you vote for Brexit, ie to remove foreign interference in UK politics. ?

Nope.
I voted Brexit because the EU were against having their accounts audited for several years, their protectionist attitude for years (remember the Butter Mountain and the Wine Lakes in the ‘80s?), The leaders of the European Union guide democracy in name only. In practice, they constantly override it and violate fundamental democratic norms on a grand scale. The anti-democratic practices in the Council of the EU, also known as the Council of Ministers, are a real scandal.

I resented the fact that the UK weee net contributors, always. Yet the EU funded projects with their little blue and yellow circles as though we ought to be grateful somehow for their largesse!

It’s a bureaucratic nightmare. A gravy train of the highest order. Brussels & Strasbourg. Shifting across one to the other. I could go on but I’d bore the pants off you all.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

If you can't hablar or parler you pay for your own interpreter.
Simple.

Plus of course we are fortunate any of us going abroad as English is spoken in most countries as a second language - as Wyllow mentions.

Aaaahhh. Making a profit. That's all that counts, isn't it?

So basically, Reform is the party for rich individuals who want to get rid of the state so that they can make even more money.

It's a party for the uncaring.

I trust all its voters will be rich enough to buy their way through Reform World...

Thank goodness we have at least one U.K. politician with enough between his ears to keep talking to the future leaders of America!

I suspect Musk’s donation of finance to the Reform cause will be of greater value than Starmer’s donation of 100 people to the Democrat cause.

But then no one ever accused Starmer of being overly savvy.
All in all, closer ties with the Free World is good. The days of woke socialism are ending.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Sir John Curtice is about to be proved right. We are seeing a once in a hundred years seismic shift in our politics.

Me? I would rather have donations from someone in another country who loves Britain, than from someone in Britain whose loyalties lie elsewhere.

Out of interest; did you vote for Brexit, ie to remove foreign interference in UK politics. ?

FriedGreenTomatoes2

I think everyone might be quite surprised quite how well Reform do at the next election… 3 more years of stagflation, flat lining growth and unnecessarily high interest rates coupled with a limp foreign policy and crass ineptitude that make the last Tory administration look vaguely professional and Nigel is sure to be on to a winner….

Reform were second in over 80 seats in the last GE according to breakfast news this morning.

I agree that the next GE will be interesting…

I think everyone might be quite surprised quite how well Reform do at the next election… 3 more years of stagflation, flat lining growth and unnecessarily high interest rates coupled with a limp foreign policy and crass ineptitude that make the last Tory administration look vaguely professional and Nigel is sure to be on to a winner….

Now tell me what will happen to all those wage earning jobs and all those businesses if the state cut out its translation services?

Technology probably MaizieD will negate these jobs anyway. Heard of Google Translate? Costs nothing … on a smartphone near you.

I vaguely remember from my history lessons something called the Wiemar Republic.

If you can't hablar or parler you pay for your own interpreter.
Simple.

Plus of course we are fortunate any of us going abroad as English is spoken in most countries as a second language - as Wyllow mentions.

In October, Reform MP Rupert Lowe (I really like him) tabled a Parliamentary question to uncover the cost of translation and interpretation to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) over the last five years. From £2.7 million in 2019-20, it had jumped up to £6.9 million in 2023-24.

So Rupert Lowe MP has no idea how money flows in an economy?

That £6.9million in 23/24 directly paid for lots of peoples salaries. It also paid for paper, printing and distribution costs. All the latter done by private companies (because the State has no production facilities). Indirectly it paid the wages of the people who worked for the private companies and it boosted local economies as the government an private company employees spent their wages on food, hospitality, clothes etc. etc. some of it probably went on rental or mortgage costs. Ultimately a considerable amount of it came back to the state's coffers through taxation of one kind or another.

Now tell me what will happen to all those wage earning jobs and all those businesses if the state cut out its translation services?

MayBee70

I was always under the impression that Brits abroad expected everything to be in English ( and it usually is).

Oh well, having lived and worked abroad as did my parents, my sister was educated (both primary and secondary) abroad our experience was that if you wanted to assimilate and be excepted you spoke the language of the people you worked and lived with.

The every Brit abroad expects English to be spoken along with an all day breakfast is extremely stereotypical.

MayBee70

I was always under the impression that Brits abroad expected everything to be in English ( and it usually is).

Well, there is that too, we are spoilt in that English is the most spoken second language especially in holiday locations.

I suggest review of services not cutting all. Some areas cant be covered by a family member or friend.

DH tells me ( apologies but don’t know where he read or heard it) that Musk wants to manipulate the market in the UK in favour of his vehicles.

I was always under the impression that Brits abroad expected everything to be in English ( and it usually is).

My family home was in Spain, if we went to the Doctor, Dentist or local hospital we had to speak Spanish. At the bank, Municipalities, Entidades Locales we had to be able to read/speak Spanish.

On holiday in Italy when I was a teenager my mother was taken seriously ill and hospitalised, no translators, it was scary for all of us. Fortunately someone who worked in our hotel translated for us.

If anyone comes to live in the U.K. they should have to pass a language test when their right to remain or citizenship is issued.

P.S. we are repeatedly told that the reason so many seek asylum /refugee status here in the U.K. is because they speak English 🤷‍♀️

Nope. I disagree Wyllow. Totally. When in Málaga and we went to the local health centre for Himself to be seen we didn’t expect English to be spoken. Even modern smartphones can speak or translate text into different languages and for free! Besides which, we were only on holiday. Those who LIVE in the UK ought not to be provided with this service. Stop it and people will find ways to sort themselves out, trust me.