Uk Elections today

Reform spokesman said this morning he supports a NHS where some pay something!

I say, I'd like Conservatives to be the opposition, because underlying Reform policies, ideologically, lie a great deal of similarities to Trump policies. and watching what's happening over there is alarming - never mind their attempts to manipulate the UK.

Policy wise Reform point to the USA not our nearest trading partners the EU. Reform isnt democratically constituted so at top levels Farage's enduring commitment to everything USA is significant.

But foreign policy except for migration isnt generally discussed on the doorstep.

Anniebach

Reform spokesman said this morning he supports a NHS where some pay something!

Just mentioning it now, hey?

"Reform UK had said it is committed to keeping the NHS free at the point of delivery, as stated in its 2024 election manifesto, and has said it will “never” charge people to use the NHS"

Well what a surprise, mention it after the election........

woodenspoon

It’d be interesting to know where David49 lives to see exactly why unfettered immigration isn’t of concern to this poster.

I don’t live in Lincolnshire or Kent and have no idea whether Runcorn has a high migrant population. We have migrants locally, maybe more maybe less than other places, it’s a problem all of us have to face, personally I would house them in barrack accommodation and they would cook and clean for themselves. That probably wouldn’t stop them coming, until a solution is found we cope as best we can, maybe that solution satisfies the human rights lawyers, maybe not.

The solution to migration is not elect Reform, of maybe voters do want Trump style policies.

Seems that many voters are disappointed with the 10 months of Labour and don’t trust the Conservatives. What’s new? The answer is, this time there is a political alternative. It’s a protest vote. Whether or not it shapes a GE (in 4 years, a long time!) is anyone’s guess!

Listening to a phone in, a woman who voted for Reform being
asked what do she think they would do about immigration reply - ‘they care about the English’ . Asked what have they said
they will do ‘ silence !

What would you suggest voters do David. They have consistently in election after election shown that immigration is an issue for them. Of course they are going to turn to Reform. They are not going to turn to people who describe them as stupid.

Why will Reform not say what they will/would do re immigration?

Carlotta

Breaking news!!! Farage is arrogant!! All true David49. But you're spectacularly missing the point that their are areas of the UK (mainly the north of England) that have taken more than their fair share of migrants, their already poor and impoverished communities have become even poorer and impoverished; with no investment in the infrastructure that supports those migrants. They're angry that no one is listening to their concerns; just like the voters concerned about migration (and other things) voted for Brexit. So you'd think that you very intelligent, wise and well educated people who know about these things would have learnt a thing or two after Brexit, but they didn't. They continued to place the burden of immigration onto the poorest areas, stropped investing in their communities and stopped listening to the very people affected by it and then they sneer that they haven't a clue when they vote for someone who promises to listen to them. It's not those voters who haven't a clue *David49. *

I agree Carlotta, I think there's a perception, as with the Democrats in the US, when left leaning parties are not supporting their working class/poorer voting base, not understanding the crucial issues affecting their lives, leaning too much towards identity politics which don't resonate with that core base. It's hardly surprising therefore they continue to hemorrhage the people who feel abandoned. I don't even think that those defectors have a whole hearted support for the right wing factions they're turning to, more of a desperation thing, they want to be acknowledged, they want to matter, they want their voices to he heard.

I was reading in the "I" this morning the proposal to put asylum seekers in houses, and I can quite see the economic sense in that, a proposed difference of around £145 in a hotel as opposed to £14 something a night in housing allegedly, but ........ whilst of course it makes financial sense but what does it say about fairness to be a citizen of this country, to have been on a housing list for God knows how long, to may be in some squalid bed and breakfast place and you are simply passed over, to know you can't afford to rent in the private sector, It's a tinder box for all sorts of reasons, community cohesion for one. Sometimes settled immigrant communities are the ones who resent it the most when other ethnic groups who they have little in common with are foisted upon them. A while ago I read there was much discontent amongst the settled Asian community in an area of Sheffield, Page Hall and for a gamut of reasons were not getting along well at all with the Roma community who had been given housing there, it's not always white communities who have such reservations.

It is also linked to the labour party becoming the party of the middle class, who struggle greatly to cope with people who hold different sensibilities to themselves.

Tell that to Spain and Portugal.

Wow!

Well done Reform 👏

Galaxy

What would you suggest voters do David. They have consistently in election after election shown that immigration is an issue for them. Of course they are going to turn to Reform. They are not going to turn to people who describe them as stupid.

Even if they stupidly vote for a party purely because they are blatantly racist and don’t seem to have any policies other than stopping the boats but not knowing how they’re going to do it. I mean, they gave us Brexit and that hasn’t actually been a roaring success has it?

Galaxy

It is also linked to the labour party becoming the party of the middle class, who struggle greatly to cope with people who hold different sensibilities to themselves.

That does beg an awful lot of questions as to what "classes" are as compared with say 30 years ago. Membership of the local CLP has a great variety of backgrounds and sensibilities, but of course the "working class" of the big local manufacturing industries don't exist in the same way as a definable group.

nanna8

Bye for now, concentrating on our own elections for now. I want our Labor Party to get in. They will, it is a shoo in. Pity your lot aren’t like ours.

Not all Australians want Labour to get in, my DD certainly doesn’t.

And she cannot stand your (and hers) PM.

This morning, the DT announced a seismic shift in British Politics.
For me it would have been more impressive if Labour’s figures had gone up. The government in power always loses votes just after being elected.
As for Farage- he talks an even better talk than Starmer, pre general election. Whether he can really do anything remains to be seen.

Anyone know what the overall turn out for Council Elections was?

David49

woodenspoon

It’d be interesting to know where David49 lives to see exactly why unfettered immigration isn’t of concern to this poster.

I don’t live in Lincolnshire or Kent and have no idea whether Runcorn has a high migrant population. We have migrants locally, maybe more maybe less than other places, it’s a problem all of us have to face, personally I would house them in barrack accommodation and they would cook and clean for themselves. That probably wouldn’t stop them coming, until a solution is found we cope as best we can, maybe that solution satisfies the human rights lawyers, maybe not.

The solution to migration is not elect Reform, of maybe voters do want Trump style policies.

Halton, which is what the Runcorn seat used to be called, has a 3% non-white, immigrant population. It's one of the most ethnically British areas of the UK.

It also has higher unemployment than the average for the North West and seven areas which are in the most deprived 3% in the country.

Immigration might be the scapegoat for dissatisfaction, but the real reasons are something else.

I've been looking at several local election results and it's so patchy. Not sure what this "seismic shift" is really. Is it a protest vote based on one major issue plus general disaffection or the beginnings of a MAGA?

Have to see how things work out I practice. It looks like, for example (tho most votes not in yet) that say Durham city Council (not mine) may get a Reform council. Now, the idea of a completely new council filled with people with no experience of running a council whatsoever does set alarm bells off for me.

What are Reform local policies? Faced with a less than adequate budget as all councils, the practicalities are keeping care, education, housing, waste collection and so on running are not greatly party political - or are they?

For example, Farage has many times spoken that there are far too many children on SEND lists in schools - does that mean a local council is going to act and cut SEND budgets for parents and children in the area?

This is a random comment on Reddit about Runcorn:

"Grew up in Runcorn so I do have a soft spot for it.

I wouldn’t say it’s a s* hole, there are certainly some parts which have been more neglected than others.

I think it’s a similar situation with a lot of northern towns in that they’ve been chronically underfunded, there’s no investment in the community and so people start to become disenfranchised.

Compare it to Widnes which has so much development on the leisure front with the cinema and bowling etc. Runcorn had its swimming baths closed down and has the shopping city which is half empty."

I think that comment says a lot about why people are looking for an alternative and is probably typical of many towns. I don't know what Reform is promising them.

Again, on housing policy - this is quoting from the Reform 2024 manifesto

"The party said that within 100 days of being elected it would change social housing laws to “Prioritise local people and those who have paid into the system”.

It said: “Foreign nationals must go to the back of the queue, not the front”.

But - The manifesto does not say how Reform UK intends to achieve this

Wyllow That's already the policy in this area - and has been for a number of years.

David49

woodenspoon

It’d be interesting to know where David49 lives to see exactly why unfettered immigration isn’t of concern to this poster.

I don’t live in Lincolnshire or Kent and have no idea whether Runcorn has a high migrant population. We have migrants locally, maybe more maybe less than other places, it’s a problem all of us have to face, personally I would house them in barrack accommodation and they would cook and clean for themselves. That probably wouldn’t stop them coming, until a solution is found we cope as best we can, maybe that solution satisfies the human rights lawyers, maybe not.

The solution to migration is not elect Reform, of maybe voters do want Trump style policies.

That’s a bit vague David49. What county do you live in? Are you affected by unfettered immigration in your area? Why are you happy to support parties that do nothing about it? Why so eager to criticise Reform voters who see no solution? Come on now, let’s hear where you are from exactly so we can all get a bigger picture.

The leafy shires of middle England, to me Reform represent the racist discontent we saw in the Brexit vote which did a great deal of damage, I definitely don’t want a debacle like that repeated.
They dont seem to have plausible solutions to the issues in the UK, they just want to change to a right wing system like the US, is that what voters really want. If this sort of voter frenzy continues we could easily have a a right wing Tory/Reform government at the next GE.