Ben Habib is launching a new political party ‘Integrity’ in 2 months.

David49

We do not want a large number of small parties to distort election results, as for Integrity, you can’t have that and follow any party policy that I know, if you want to be an MP you sell your soul.

Who exactly is "We"?

argymargy

David49

We do not want a large number of small parties to distort election results, as for Integrity, you can’t have that and follow any party policy that I know, if you want to be an MP you sell your soul.

Who exactly is "We"?

It is not in any countries interest to have an unstable government caused by a small number of delegates from an extreme party holding the balance of power, we see this in Israel today, many other countries using PR voting get this and never have stable government.

But we don't have PR here David - so if someone wants to set up a new party it's not going to destabilise anything.

I think PR probably encourages the development of a lot of small parties, as they are more likely to get some influence with a small number of reps under those systems, & for that reason less likely to be the victims of tactical voting & lose their deposits.
I'm all for "Integrity" splitting the far right vote - bring it on!

argymargy

But we don't have PR here David - so if someone wants to set up a new party it's not going to destabilise anything.

I think it’s quite likely that Reform will hold the balance of power at the next election, I don’t see that as a desirable outcome.

David49

argymargy

But we don't have PR here David - so if someone wants to set up a new party it's not going to destabilise anything.

I think it’s quite likely that Reform will hold the balance of power at the next election, I don’t see that as a desirable outcome.

If Habib’s new ‘party’ makes it through to the next GE it is entirely possible that it could split the Reform vote… making the possibility of them holding the balance of power more unlikely.

The tories will have to buck their ideas up a bit, though…Get rid of Badenoch for a start…

A new party to the right of Reform? Makes you shiver.

Given the mercurial nature of Reform and Farage's inability to remain on good terms with anyone or achieve anything material for his constituents I wonder if the party will even exist by the next election. I'd put money on it not, at least in the form we know it now.

I still have no idea who Ben Habib is. Shouldn't a party have a leader who is capable of grabbing public interest.

I thought that Farage was hoovering up a lot of Labour voters ,more than the Conservative ones. Perhaps that information is wrong ?

nanna8

I thought that Farage was hoovering up a lot of Labour voters ,more than the Conservative ones. Perhaps that information is wrong ?

Yes, it’s wrong, at least based on the election result.

Reform won two seats in the East Midlands (Ashfield, and Boston and Skegness) and three seats in the East of England (Clacton, Great Yarmouth, and South Basildon and East Thurrock). All Reform gains were from Conservative seats. All Reform gains were from seats the Conservative would have won in 2019 on the current boundaries. Lee Anderson won Ashfield for Reform, he was elected for the Conservatives in Ashfield in 2019, but defected to Reform UK in March 2024.

I mean recently,though, not last year. A week is a long time in politics, as they say and in 4 years time he will most likely not be around anyway so it doesn’t really matter.

It’s whether it translates into seats that will matter though, personally I think Reform will do very well in the local elections next week, but that will be their zenith.
The predictions all seem to be that the likely outcome of the next election, based on current voting intention, is a hung parliament.

Reform is very much a regional party, with the exception of Lee Anderson in East Nottinghamshire, all their MPs are in what I would describe as Eastern East Anglia.

To have any chance of increasing the number of MPs they have, let alone get enough to form a government, they will have to win many many more seats outsside their core area, and I cannot see them doing that. They will get some votes in most constituencies, but then so does The Monster Raving Loonies party and the Green party.

Valdavi...you got in there before me.