What would an ideal far right country look right to those who would vote Reform?

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It was a question which has been asked many times before (and never answered). Perhaps this time is was triggered by what we’ve seen happening in Dover and Portsmouth over the last few days with Reform (and Restore) support for it and the shambolic Reform conference in Birmingham. Was it?

Anyway, latest polling numbers in the race to 326 shows Reform going backwards and the likelihood of a Labour/Lib-Dem coalition if we did have a snap election.

More importantly perhaps, and ties to what Tim Montgomerie has been saying, Reform is now the party most people would vote tactically against. (Source Merlin Strategy).

Perhaps a different or sub-question could be, if Reform is serious about forming a government, what policies should they develop to appeal to the centre ground?

I wouldnt mind any answer

I like two of their policies by Braverman taking the cap off how many British people can go to uni to study to become a doctor I've always thought it unfair it should be British first for places then whatever is left students from other countries can fill them. Also no fees for student nurses.

Whitewavemark2

I wouldnt mind any answer

I for one would have answered eventually, if the whole thread had been dealt with quite differently.
No way would I answer on a thread formed like this one.

Out of roughly 9,500 total medical school places available annually in the UK, only about 500 to 700 seats are officially designated for overseas fee-paying students. Government and Home Office regulations traditionally cap international medical students at approximately 7.5% of each medical school’s total cohort.

www.theukcatpeople.co.uk/application-guide/ucas/study-medicine-in-uk-an-international-students-guide

The government introduced the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill, which became the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 on 5 March 2026. It prioritises UK medical graduates and priority groups for foundation and speciality training places.

England: Nursing students must pay tuition fees upfront using standard Student Finance loans. To offset costs, the government offers the NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF), which provides a non-repayable £5,000 annual grant, plus extra for specific fields (like mental health) or childcare.

Scotland: Eligible Scottish students can train completely free of tuition fees through the Nursing and Midwifery Student Allowance Scheme (NMSAS), which also includes a non-repayable bursary.

Wales & Northern Ireland: Both nations utilise NHS bursary schemes that cover tuition fees completely, provided graduates commit to working in their respective home nation’s health service for a set period after qualifying.

Peacelilydilly

I like two of their policies by Braverman taking the cap off how many British people can go to uni to study to become a doctor I've always thought it unfair it should be British first for places then whatever is left students from other countries can fill them. Also no fees for student nurses.

I think this is more likely to be about the shortage of specialist training places after graduation and the F1 F2 years. These places are frequently taken by more experienced doctors from abroad. The UK is the only country that does not prioritise its own students.

Crossed posts Graphite.
My medical student granddaughter has almost £10k of student loans every year and another £10k in accommodation costs.
Then there is the huge uncertainty that follows.

Whitewavemark2

I wouldnt mind any answer

Blimy 🙂

As is so often the case with Reform policy, costing is inaccurate of non-existent and based on falsehoods and prejudice.

Braverman says:

We will lift the cap on medical school places while maintaining high standards for entry. Our over-reliance on foreign trained doctors is a disgrace. We cannot continue in good conscience to turn away bright young British students from medical courses while we import thousands of doctors from overseas.

We will improve the offer to aspiring nurses, with 0% interest tuition and maintenance loans for domestic students.

She claims that doctors trained overseas are referred to regulators with serious complaints at almost three times the rates of British peers. The footnote she adds does not lead to anything about this but it doesn’t take very long to find out from the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) and GMC that the claim is false.

Underpinning all this is Reform’s opinion that some degrees are “useless” and that savings to pay for pledges will come from restricting what can be studied.

When Farage was heckled at conference he shouted out:

That’s a university education folks… I bet she studied… tell us love… is it sociology? I bet it is.

That’s the contempt Reform has for a degree that can lead to work in welfare, education, social research, and local and central government.

Jobs directly related to a sociology degree include:

• Advice worker
• Community development worker
• Equality, diversity and inclusion officer
• Further education teacher
• Higher education lecturer
• Housing manager/officer
• Market researcher
• Policy officer
• Secondary school teacher
• Social researcher

Jobs where a sociology degree would be useful include:

• Barrister
• Charity officer
• Civil Service administrator
• Civil Service Fast Track
• Counsellor
• Health service manager
• International aid/development worker
• Learning mentor
• Local government officer
• Marketing executive
• Newspaper journalist
• Police officer
• Probation officer
• Social worker
• Youth worker

(Source: Prospect Careers Advice)

We know that Reform has contempt for some of these roles notably DEI but how short sighted they are to denigrate a qualification that underpins jobs which are vital to some of their policies. For example, when they start evicting people from social housing and reallocating it to their chosen people they are going to need a few housing managers.

I believe that Mr Farage is not a graduate of any university in any subject.

Schools will fly the flag and sing the national anthem apparently! Which bosom do they clasp while doing so?

For GNs who are not happy with this Thread, easy enough to start one more suited to you.

I have read this, also, Luckygirl. It was proposed by Suella Braverman.
Interestingly, several subsequent Facebook posts by people of my age refer to this being a memory of their schooldays.
I left school in 1970, then returned in 1974 to teach for the following forty years, in several different places.
I have no recollection of a flagpole in any school, nor of singing the National Anthem.

Good to see you back Luckygirl3

Chocolatelovinggran

I have read this, also, Luckygirl. It was proposed by Suella Braverman.
Interestingly, several subsequent Facebook posts by people of my age refer to this being a memory of their schooldays.
I left school in 1970, then returned in 1974 to teach for the following forty years, in several different places.
I have no recollection of a flagpole in any school, nor of singing the National Anthem.

The primary school I attended in the late 50s and early 60s always had the Union Jack (as we called it then) flying as did the nearby Church. On Ascension Day we were taken to the top of the Church tower to raise the flag. We also had framed photos of the Queen with Union Jack background on the wall in the corridor. As far as I remember most village halls and community centres in our area also had the photos.

Certainly, I recall churches with flags. I have one near me now.
Perhaps it's a geographical matter. I was at school in Kent. I have taught, also in Lancashire.
Where was your primary school, Primrose? Did you sing the National Anthem, also?