Various reviewers have pondered why this book was rushed to press, positing that it was done to capitalise on what Reform expected would be a win for Goodwin in Gorton & Denton just as they assumed they would win Caerphilly.
It was all a bit of a set up, wasn’t it? One day they were advertising for candidates for G&D charging them £125 for vetting and the next ... Goodwin was parachuted in.
As far as I am aware, other parties don’t charge for vetting. Reform is awash with billionaire donations so why do they need to do this?
Some commentators have suggested it’s to prevent poor people from applying; that Reform is a party for rich people who like to pretend they’re working class or at least stand for the working classes … and they don’t.
Going off topic but connected, look at Jenrick at the moment, banging on about how terrible it is that families who need to claim UC can take their children to museums and other cultural attractions on concessionary tickets and how Reform will put a stop to that.
One would think that they would want poor families, especially those from other cultures, to learn about the country’s history.
Not that Reform could stop this as most cultural attractions are charitable trusts. It's up to a charity’s trustees and management which concessions are offered. I co-run a charity which has regular ticketed events. We offer concessionary tickets to people on low incomes. I’d like to see Jenrick try to tell us what we can and can’t do. We would tell him just where Reform can stick their fabricated culture wars - which is all Goodwin is trying to stir with his lie-strewn book.
Incidentally, the concessionary tickets that Jenrick is moaning about are also available to people in recipe of Pension Credit. So do we assume Reform also want to put a stop to poorer pensioners taking their grandchildren for a day out?
A drop in the ocean in the great schemes of things....but replicated by how many more
