Is the country ready for a Farage government?

People of all ages can be tired? My AC look weary sometimes.

Can't be bothered to argue. So much sadness and dischord.
Sick of it all.

A Farage Government - no thanks, especially one that includes Nadine Dorris. I had hoped that she has sloped off back to the jungle, but it seems not. Her interview with Kathy Newman on the channel 4 news last night was hilarious - they so obviously loathed each other.

And while I’m here, please can I be on the naughty step with StripeyGran? I wouldn’t want any one, family or not, to have to fight for an administrative border. No flag waving either.

lixy

A Farage Government - no thanks, especially one that includes Nadine Dorris. I had hoped that she has sloped off back to the jungle, but it seems not. Her interview with Kathy Newman on the channel 4 news last night was hilarious - they so obviously loathed each other.

I was told that she spent most of her time in parliament in her office writing her books. Surely she isn’t in love with Farage the way she was with Johnson ? Then again how can anyone not be impressed by a party consisting of Dorries Widdecombe and Lee Anderson…

lixy

And while I’m here, please can I be on the naughty step with StripeyGran? I wouldn’t want any one, family or not, to have to fight for an administrative border. No flag waving either.

Why no flag waving Lixy?

StripeyGran

People of all ages can be tired? My AC look weary sometimes.

Can't be bothered to argue. So much sadness and dischord.
Sick of it all.

Oh dear.

However, I made a comment and you disagreed.

Primrose53

www.spectator.co.uk/article/starmer-officially-most-unpopular-pm-ever/

DaisyAnneReturns

Thank you for the link.

The Spectator was founded in 1828 and has always been considered the “house journal” of the Conservative Party. The magazine was sold to UK hedge-fund investor Sir Paul Marshall for £100 million, a staggering sum for a publication that, in 2023, turned a profit of just £2.6 million. It's purchase makes Marshall one of the most influential media magnates in the UK, potentially second only to Rupert Murdoch. In 2017, after a successful career in the City of London, Marshall purchased the right-wing news and opinion website UnHerd. However, his role played in the launch of Britain’s first politically opinionated news channel – GB News – brought him to real prominence on the British media scene’s far right.

So I think we can guess the bias of the article you flagged.

None of this changes the facts. The, no doubt accurate at the time, poll was posted 10 days before the conference. I don't doubt Labour is doing badly at the moment. But why am I or others supposed to be worried about that. Sit back and see what's happen by the time they take October's poll.

Teazel2

lixy

And while I’m here, please can I be on the naughty step with StripeyGran? I wouldn’t want any one, family or not, to have to fight for an administrative border. No flag waving either.

Why no flag waving Lixy?

Because it makes other people feel uncomfortable and excluded at the moment.

Because, and I am devastated to say it, I am not proud of this country, either as it is now or how colonizing people behaved in the past.

Because people go on and on about how tolerant and inclusive the UK is but it is just so much hot air. Both my AC married people from a different background so all my Gchn are in the any other ethnicity background group when filling in forms.

My British Asian SiL has ‘chinky’ shouted at him from passing cars but then people are pleased to get an appointment with him when he is in his GP role. Ironic really.

I do usually put out GB bunting during the Olympics to support athletes for that particular sporting event but no flag flying as a general rule.

Gosh - think you touched a nerve there Teazel!

DaisyAnneReturns

Primrose53

www.spectator.co.uk/article/starmer-officially-most-unpopular-pm-ever/

DaisyAnneReturns

Thank you for the link.

The Spectator was founded in 1828 and has always been considered the “house journal” of the Conservative Party. The magazine was sold to UK hedge-fund investor Sir Paul Marshall for £100 million, a staggering sum for a publication that, in 2023, turned a profit of just £2.6 million. It's purchase makes Marshall one of the most influential media magnates in the UK, potentially second only to Rupert Murdoch. In 2017, after a successful career in the City of London, Marshall purchased the right-wing news and opinion website UnHerd. However, his role played in the launch of Britain’s first politically opinionated news channel – GB News – brought him to real prominence on the British media scene’s far right.

So I think we can guess the bias of the article you flagged.

None of this changes the facts. The, no doubt accurate at the time, poll was posted 10 days before the conference. I don't doubt Labour is doing badly at the moment. But why am I or others supposed to be worried about that. Sit back and see what's happen by the time they take October's poll.

I don’t know if anybody else has watched A Different Bias today, but it really made me think. Crikey.

The Spectator has some excellent articles, I read it a lot.

lixy

Teazel2

lixy

And while I’m here, please can I be on the naughty step with StripeyGran? I wouldn’t want any one, family or not, to have to fight for an administrative border. No flag waving either.

Why no flag waving Lixy?

Because it makes other people feel uncomfortable and excluded at the moment.

Because, and I am devastated to say it, I am not proud of this country, either as it is now or how colonizing people behaved in the past.

Because people go on and on about how tolerant and inclusive the UK is but it is just so much hot air. Both my AC married people from a different background so all my Gchn are in the any other ethnicity background group when filling in forms.

My British Asian SiL has ‘chinky’ shouted at him from passing cars but then people are pleased to get an appointment with him when he is in his GP role. Ironic really.

I do usually put out GB bunting during the Olympics to support athletes for that particular sporting event but no flag flying as a general rule.

Gosh - think you touched a nerve there Teazel!

That is fair enough, we are all entitled to our views although we cannot feel guilty for our colonising past as we are not ourselves responsible! By the way, .i am on holiday in Turkey at the moment and their flag is flying everywhere, they are certainly, not ashamed of their flag nor of making others feel uncomfortable by flying it.

Lots of countries have colonising pasts, but it doesn’t stop them flying their flags and they don’t wear hair shirts either.France and Belgium are particularly proud of their countries and culture and so should we be too.
It’s not obligatory to wave a flag but it would be silly not to for the reason we used to have an empire.

westendgirl

Heaven help us if it does happen. You can't run a country on soundbites. Look at the post Brexit mess.That should. be a lesson. Farage is all mouth, lots of words but no definite planning.

Labour appear to “running the country on soundbites” is exactly what Labour keep doing and then change their minds. They had years to work out some solid acceptable policies yet they preferred to spend time choosing and buying themselves new wardrobes courtesy of Lord Ali. Even down to Mrs Starmer’s undies!

Galaxy

The Spectator has some excellent articles, I read it a lot.

It does Galaxy. But you will have chosen an article according to your bias and they will have written according to theirs.

I'll make you an offer. If you watch this video www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCV2-qT9N5M&list=PL36GQAccexbyXC4mFlfMGHdQekQsHx2nS and then give a brief summary - not of what you agree with or disagree with but of what he is saying - then I will read the Spectator article.

lixy

Teazel2

lixy

And while I’m here, please can I be on the naughty step with StripeyGran? I wouldn’t want any one, family or not, to have to fight for an administrative border. No flag waving either.

Why no flag waving Lixy?

Because it makes other people feel uncomfortable and excluded at the moment.

Because, and I am devastated to say it, I am not proud of this country, either as it is now or how colonizing people behaved in the past.

Because people go on and on about how tolerant and inclusive the UK is but it is just so much hot air. Both my AC married people from a different background so all my Gchn are in the any other ethnicity background group when filling in forms.

My British Asian SiL has ‘chinky’ shouted at him from passing cars but then people are pleased to get an appointment with him when he is in his GP role. Ironic really.

I do usually put out GB bunting during the Olympics to support athletes for that particular sporting event but no flag flying as a general rule.

Gosh - think you touched a nerve there Teazel!

Neither country is more tolerant than the UK either, lixy.

As I pointed out on another thread, the police in many European countries use water cannons and tear gas on protestors; here we wring our hands and plead with them not to march just after murders in a synagogue.

Do you know which language is most spoken in the Southern Hemisphere? No, it's not English - it is Portuguese from the days of colonialism.

Sorry, I meant to quote this from Oreo's post in my post above, lixy, otherwise mine does not make sense:

Lots of countries have colonising pasts, but it doesn’t stop them flying their flags and they don’t wear hair shirts either.France and Belgium are particularly proud of their countries and culture and so should we be too.

France and Belgium use tear gas and water cannons on protestors, as do other European countries.

We have far more liberty here.

Is it liberty though?

Casdon Thu 02-Oct-25 19:16:09

Casdon which Different Bias did thst refer to?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT4HEKP3wZo
This one

I bet Farage is as secretly as scared of wining as those of us who wouldn’t support reform are.
It would be a disaster in my ever so humble.

Farage doesn’t have to be appointed PM does he? Isn’t Kruger lined up for that role?
And will Reform last the distance to the next election…. But useful tools to reign in Starmer?

If Reform win the GE then yes, unless Fragage resigns immediately, he does.

Of course he could resign now and save everyone a bit of headspace...

Who is Kruger?

No, Reform will not last the distance because all they can do is complain- when it is up to them to make decisions they resign, as we have seen since the local elections recently.

If they are in charge they will know what it is like to be on the receiving end, a bit like Starmer is going through now?

Their newly elected councillors seem to be is disarray all over the country but it doesn’t seem to be getting a lot of publicity.

OP- Is the country ready for a Farage government? We don't need to be ready now as we're 4 years away from a general election (GE).

Poll ratings come with considerable uncertainty in this context. Reform is currently capitalising on current unpopularity for the Labour government and Conservative Party under Badenoch's leadership. It's very common for new governments to lose popularity in first year of term and come back to win re-election. Reform is in new territory - its challenge is to maintain current poll share for 4 long years until GE nears. Voters then will focus on on what they want in government and each party will then set out its manifestos. A week is a long time in politics let alone 4 years!

Polls also traditionally go mad in party conference season. In 1981 Margaret Thatcher's Blackpool conference took place 2 years into her first term. With 11% inflation, Brixton Riots etc she also had low poll ratings as did Labour in opposition. She did not fair well in her conference or the newspaper headlines. The new Social Democratic Party SDP, in alliance with the Liberals was polling at 50% and was dominating the news ( sounds familiar?). Conference talk was that Thatcher would be gone by Christmas ( sounds familiar?) and lots of rivals manoeuvred to replace her. All bets were on SDP leader Roy Jenkins becoming PM (sounds familiar?). Reform has 27% share in recent Yougov poll, not SDP 50%.

Thatcher went on to turn things round, totally command her party won a further 2 GEs.

Even with such dominating poll share in 1981, SDP did not go on to establish a substantive hierarchy or presence, dwindled in the polls and never became a lasting electoral force. Farage has got his work cut out to avoid the same outcome in 4 years- only time will tell....

Great post LemonJam!