Current talk is that the Tories should join with Reform

I think young people are less inclined to vote than older folk is that they don't remember the war and the aftermath of the war when having the right leaders and right policy was a pressing matter of life or death.

M0nica

In most democracies, the young tend to vote less.

Sophie Hale, Principal Economist at the Resolution Foundation, said:

“The Conservatives have increasingly become the party of the old rather than the rich, while Labour have become the party of the young, rather than the poor.

“But a new age divide is emerging in Britain. Young non-graduates and non-homeowners, who tend to be poorer than the average millennial, are bucking the national swing towards Labour and are instead less likely to vote at all.

“The continuing fall in turnout among less well-off millennials is worrying because not voting in elections can become readily embedded in people’s behaviour. It also risks causing further neglect of their needs, as politicians focus their efforts on those who do turn out to vote.”

That last sentence - politicians focusing their efforts on those who are likely to vote; doesn't this mean that 'one-nation' type political thinking is or would be more effective than ostensibly single-issue, 'populist' politics?

Immigration, whether via regular channels or small boats, is important, but while all parties are being forced to focus on it - does it matter as much to young graduates (for example) unable to find work, or those entering the job-market for the first time only to discover that their paltry wages won't allow them to afford the high rents being charged?

So young people are doubly disadvantaging themselves by not voting.

I am not totally in agreement. The reason being I was very annoyed that they did not join forces before the election. If they had we would not be run by the idiotic Labour party now. I feel they had their chance and did not take it.

David49

A “week” is a long time in politics , speculating what the issues will be in 4 yrs is pointless, the voters wanted change and they got Starmer who most dont like either. Farage is very divisive, he doesn’t act as a party leader, it’s all about him personally, Reform with a credible leader and appealing policies would be a threat.

I’m sure most that voted Reform didn’t have a clue about policies other than stopping migrants, I doubt that the migrant issue will have disappeared in 4 yrs time.

I agree, but then again, with a different order and credible policies it would be an entirely different party 😂😂😂😂

David49

Too early to tell just what will happen to Reform, no real leader, Farage is only interested in his own personal agenda, they could be a force in the next election or just a damp squib.

Reading about their donors, someone is certainly going to have access to shedloads of cash! Not quite as much as Trump, but still worryingly high!

A “week” is a long time in politics , speculating what the issues will be in 4 yrs is pointless, the voters wanted change and they got Starmer who most dont like either. Farage is very divisive, he doesn’t act as a party leader, it’s all about him personally, Reform with a credible leader and appealing policies would be a threat.

I’m sure most that voted Reform didn’t have a clue about policies other than stopping migrants, I doubt that the migrant issue will have disappeared in 4 yrs time.

Forget about all tis moving the 'deckchairs on the Titanic talk' about which party will be where. The big worry for the next election is whether many people will turn out to vote.

Election turnout at most election, until 1992was 75% or over. Since then turnout has fallen to 59-60% in the last two elections and I suspect it will be even lower at the next election.

When do all these party shenanigans become entirely irrelevant to the majoirty of the electorate because they will simply say ' a plague on all your parties' and not bother to vote.

What would have been the government if the 15-20% more voters had turned out at the election to make the turnout equal to the turnout in 1992.

As I said all these party rows/negotiations etc etc, are utterly irrelevant if all parties do not stop arguing about deckchairs and start acting like adults and working out how to stop the electorate greeting the whole bang lot with contempt and leaving them to run their silly old elections with fewer and fewer voters, until turnout drops to under 50% - and then where lies our democracy?

I think it would be a bad thing.
Why taint Reform with the very unpopular Tories? Their 14 years hasn’t been good. In fact t Labour got the bounce as the electorate were voting for Anyone But Tory so we got Starmer.

gangy5

Why should Reform save the Tories. Whatever we think of Reform -- the one good thing they can aim to do is to annihilate them.

"Current talk is that the Tories should join with Reform"

Although there have been discussions and calls for a merger or alliance from some individuals within both parties, there has been no formal agreement or announcement so I wonder who you feel is making such comments.

Is there a credible argument for the destruction of the Conservative Party? Presumably this would be on on the basis that a small proportion of voters may see such an outcome as positive.

Arguments for the destruction of any political party typically depends on the individual perspectives and values of the person suggesting it. Perhaps you could enlighten us as to why this would be a "good thing".

I think some labour voters are closet reform voters

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Why would Reform want the One Nation wets? No thanks. This ‘broadchurch’ Tory appeals to neither man nor beast.

Anyway Reform have done so well in Wales taken a Labour council. First time NOT Labour in 107 years apparently!

Why would Reform want the One Nation wets?

They wouldn't - that's the point.

Do you think every Tory-voter is a closet Reform voter?

Well yes that's what is happening, I am disagreeing with you, you are disagreeing with me. It's fine.

It’s opinion Galaxy. I gave mine, you gave yours. neither of us is right or wrong, and we won’t know for four and a half years what other people decide is the best party, in their opinion, to vote for.

But I am not sure that in 4 years time people are going to think oh let's vote for 'centrist' tories. I mean they could also decide that in four years time they want a socialist revolution but there isnt much evidence for that currently either.

I don’t know if you’re being deliberately obtuse Galaxy, but you’re talking about now, whilst all my posts refer to how voters will feel in four and a half years time, not now.

Enough voters are currently putting reform ahead in the polls.

The Tories will want to get enough votes to be elected. That does not mean they will have to move to the right. The majority of UK voters are not likely to be supportive of the Trump regime style of government being translated to the UK in four and a half years time, in my opinion.

Well, the level of power he has atm, 2 years, because the mid terms could take away his small majorities in Congress.

No but he will have had 4 years of power which is I assume is what the Tories would like.

As I said, I’m talking about in four and a half years time, not now. Perhaps you think Trump’s economic policies will bring domestic bliss by the end of his four years in post and everybody in the USA will be happy, but I don’t believe that will be the case.

But if they are learning from what is happening in the states, they wouldnt go to the centre.

I’m talking about the UK in four and a half years time Galaxy, not the USA last November? My thoughts are just an opinion, as are yours.

Well unless you think Trump is the centre, the majority in the states voted for him after all.

Honestly, I don’t think the Torfaen result proves anything other than that Reform mobilised supporters, as there was a 24% turnout, and less than 1000 votes were cast in total.

There’s no doubt that the Tories are in the doldrums at the moment, but they still have some decent MPs, and when Badenoch has gone I think their fortunes will revive. A lot is going to be learned from what’s happening in USA, and I think the Tories will move back nearer the centre, because that’s where the votes of the majority are, and there will be more there when Trump’s economic policies fail to deliver - bearing in mind his term will be up before our next general election.

Apologies Casdon of course you’re right. I’ve not been in long.
Even better!