Reform. 140,748 members and counting. The Tories are well and truly in trouble!

It's a company, not a political party. There is momentum atm, but will it still be going in years?
However I think Labour needs to be more wary than the Tories, as Reform came second to Labour in several seats.

Bixiboo

It’s interesting the number of young people who Farage said are joining Reform. I wonder if it’s because they are disillusioned with Labour and Conservatives.

I have seen it said that Reform makes good use of TikTok, which is favoured by younger people.

Kemi Badenoch is 44 years old but I find her presentation often seems like that of a much younger woman. She shouts and blusters and reacts, rather than responds.
Picking an unnecessary fight with Farage doesn’t seem the act of a confident mature party leader.

Bixiboo

It’s interesting the number of young people who Farage said are joining Reform. I wonder if it’s because they are disillusioned with Labour and Conservatives.

Weimar Rebublic plus Racism plus Social Media.

You have to look at the marginality Visgirl. There were only 9 seats at the election where a swing of 5% or less would give the seat to Reform instead of Labour. At the other end of the scale were seats where Reform were second, but a swing of over 50% would be required. With 98 seats in total where Reform were second to either major party, in reality they have a huge mountain to climb.

I was saddened to hear that Keir Starmer’s brother died on Boxing Day aged just 60 years. For some reason, this news makes the spat between Farage and Badenoch appear very inconsequential! I am beginning to hope that neither Farage nor Badenoch will lead their parties into the next election.

I don't understand Allira's figures:
Reform UK141,750
Conservatives132,000

But Conservatives had 6.8 million votes & Reform had 4.2 million votes. Maybe Allira's figures were for something else & I misread your post.

ronib

I was saddened to hear that Keir Starmer’s brother died on Boxing Day aged just 60 years. For some reason, this news makes the spat between Farage and Badenoch appear very inconsequential! I am beginning to hope that neither Farage nor Badenoch will lead their parties into the next election.

Well said, ronib. Keirs father had said that, given his health problems Keir’s brother had, in his way, achieved as much as Keir had.

ronib

I was saddened to hear that Keir Starmer’s brother died on Boxing Day aged just 60 years. For some reason, this news makes the spat between Farage and Badenoch appear very inconsequential! I am beginning to hope that neither Farage nor Badenoch will lead their parties into the next election.

I thought that too when I read the news.

Bixiboo

It’s interesting the number of young people who Farage said are joining Reform. I wonder if it’s because they are disillusioned with Labour and Conservatives.

As Galaxy said upthread, it did trigger memories of the huge numbers who joined the L Party under Corbyn. I think the attraction of easy/idealistic political solutions attracts the young.

That doesn't make those politics actually realistic ones.

Farage today in the Telegraph:

“What role will Elon Musk play in all this? “I’m hoping he gives us the blueprint, and the blueprint is how to cut the administrative state.” The rumour that he was planning to donate £100 million to Reform was “complete nonsense… We did go to Mar-a-Lago” - Trump’s home in Florida – “he will give a donation, a reasonable sized donation, but it will need to be legal or above board.” However: “everyone’s missing the point. What matters with Elon isn’t just the money, it’s the kudos with the young people. He’s a bloody hero.”

The tech entrepreneur has star power and reach. Most of all, as head of a new non-cabinet department, he’ll be spearheading the president-elect’s war on the administrative state, which Farage defines as “the organisation that destroys the lives of everybody in free enterprise, right? What’s so interesting, is, you lift the [Trump administration’s] plan for America, it is to reduce the size of the public sector, increase the size of the private sector. Labour plans the opposite. And get closer to Brussels again.” Reform will “absolutely” take Elon’s war on waste as its model for what it would do in office.

While Starmer flirts with European socialism, the world is moving in a Republican direction – because “nothing actually works”. We’re “living in a state that gets bigger taxes, that gets higher public services that are failing [while] communities are breaking down through irresponsible immigration on a scale that has never even been contemplated. Good ordinary folk across the western world are saying: ‘What the hell is going on and how’s this benefiting us?’”

Nearly 13,000 have joined Reform today. I’m not a stupid person and I believe in my country. At the moment the other parties have failed me and I’m ready for a new start. So I’m for Nigel and Reform because more of the same is not working.

valdali

I don't understand Allira's figures:
Reform UK141,750
Conservatives132,000

But Conservatives had 6.8 million votes & Reform had 4.2 million votes. Maybe Allira's figures were for something else & I misread your post.

That’s membership!!!!!

You don’t have to be a member of a party to vote for them.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Nearly 13,000 have joined Reform today. I’m not a stupid person and I believe in my country. At the moment the other parties have failed me and I’m ready for a new start. So I’m for Nigel and Reform because more of the same is not working.

So what in your life isn’t working for you that Reform can improve? Do you not have a home? Health care? Education for the children in your family? What do you think Reform can do that will improve your life and mine? Oh and, by the way, I love and believe in my country too. I’m sick and tired of Brexiters and UKIP/Reform supporters assuming that they are the only ones that are patriotic.

valdali

I don't understand Allira's figures:
Reform UK141,750
Conservatives132,000

But Conservatives had 6.8 million votes & Reform had 4.2 million votes. Maybe Allira's figures were for something else & I misread your post.

Members of parties or, in Reform's case, I presume they are shareholders as it is a company, not a political party.

Jeanathome

Bixiboo

It’s interesting the number of young people who Farage said are joining Reform. I wonder if it’s because they are disillusioned with Labour and Conservatives.

Weimar Rebublic plus Racism plus Social Media.

Weimar Rebublic

I'm not sure I understand

The Weimar Republic was centre right, democratic not extreme right wing. It was the economic problems of the 1920s that caused dissatisfaction and saw the Nazis rise to power.

FriedGreenToms - we’ve had 14 years of reducing the public sector and increasing the private sector and what a fine mess it’s left us in.
Our criminal justice system, essential and support services for children and adults destroyed, drug/alcohol/mental health services destroyed and over stretched. Our education system is focussed on sats and exam results in an increasingly narrow curriculum. That combines with lack of services to have the UK leading the world for depressed / anxious children.
These services should be public not private sector. It’s just wrong to expect profits to be the focus.

NotSpaghetti

Of course you had to join if you wanted to hear him speak.
I understand it's £10

25 pounds to join the Conservatives. I believe unions give people no choice as to were their donations go, so supporting the Labour Party. Can you opt out of that?

Iam64

Kemi Badenoch is 44 years old but I find her presentation often seems like that of a much younger woman. She shouts and blusters and reacts, rather than responds.
Picking an unnecessary fight with Farage doesn’t seem the act of a confident mature party leader.

She was totally the wrong choice for Conservative leader, because of the reasons you state. Opens mouth before brain gets into gear.

Iam64

FriedGreenToms - we’ve had 14 years of reducing the public sector and increasing the private sector and what a fine mess it’s left us in.
Our criminal justice system, essential and support services for children and adults destroyed, drug/alcohol/mental health services destroyed and over stretched. Our education system is focussed on sats and exam results in an increasingly narrow curriculum. That combines with lack of services to have the UK leading the world for depressed / anxious children.
These services should be public not private sector. It’s just wrong to expect profits to be the focus.

From what I've seen of FGT's past comments it seems that s/he thinks that cutting the civil service would go a long way to improving these problems 🤔

Don't ask how that is supposed to work...

Freya5

NotSpaghetti

Of course you had to join if you wanted to hear him speak.
I understand it's £10

25 pounds to join the Conservatives. I believe unions give people no choice as to were their donations go, so supporting the Labour Party. Can you opt out of that?

You believe completely wrongly,Freya and this wrong belief has been corrected time and time again on this forum. In fact, I've seen it corrected somewhere within the last week☹️
It has been decades since union membership fees included an automatic donation to the Labour Party. IIRC Thatcher put a stop to that.
Union members have to opt in to the LP levy.

So what in your life isn’t working for you that Brexit has spoiled? Do you not have a home? Health care? Education for the children in your family? What do you think rejoining the EU can do that will improve your life and mine? Oh and, by the way, I love and believe in my country too

There you go MayBee
Fixed it for you.
😁

Media storm over the holidays.

It doesn't matter about what the other parties (companies) are doing.

Labour has a massive majority and will continue to pass legislation for another five years.

Just live with that reality and stop getting wound up about people who are nobodies, except to the media who are the only winners in this.

I've had a quick look through the posts (very quick!) And I can't see whose poll is being quoted. Could someone update me please?

PoliticsNerd

I've had a quick look through the posts (very quick!) And I can't see whose poll is being quoted. Could someone update me please?

I assume the Reform membership figure originated from their live tracker on their website
www.reformparty.uk/counter