As a news & current affairs junkie I think it's a shame that the HoC remains closed and firmly believe that a targeted strike on only a handful of attention seekers, trolls and bad faith posters would have sufficed. But that's just my opinion and I'm not the one who would have to spend their time cleaning up the mess. So I do get it.
Whilst this one is still running, I thought this was interesting. It appears multiple candidates of Reform are literally just names on a piece of paper submitted to the council and made no attempt to engage with the process - no hustings, personalised leafleting, statement to local media, canvassing nor even attended the count, where they came 2nd! I believe a Reform candidate in this area lives 200 miles away, for example, and has admitted to visiting Dorset...once. For a holiday. Would explain why she never attended the hustings, yet she still gathered 8000+ votes somehow.
Think the biggest surprise could be Tories getting over 100 seats!!
And Reform getting as many as 13. I'm not convinced that these are completely accurate .
Thankfully I was right to be sceptical of that 13 seats prediction.
But 4.5 million votes isn't too shabby for 4 seats! I find it ironic that a newly put together right wing party like Reform can shaft a right wing Tory party.
Reform really isn't a "newly put together right wing party" given that it's the exact same people and platform as The Brexit Party, and before that UKIP.
UKIP secured nigh on 4M votes ten years back before they started cutting deals with the Tories and standing down candidates. In contrast, Le Pen has just secured 9M votes and finished third, and that's without absentee candidates who have no presence on the ground.
In addition the public now knows that Reform wishes to install an insurance based private health system, as well as pull out of the ECHR and admires Putin / wants Ukraine to give up and submit to a ceasefire.
There are reasons they've attracted 4m votes, mainly in areas across the East Coast, pushing the Tories out of 2nd place. They are also strong in the 55-64 demographic but weak with U45s, and weak with those better educated. Ultimately it's a reaction to failed Government policies and the application of austerity. We will see whether this new Labour Government turn the tide. We will also see how the Tory Party navigate this new era and whether they cave to Farage and Tice?
In addition they have received unprecedented coverage with very little insight / accountability, compared to the Greens and Liberals.
As a result, many have abandoned the BBC with their uncritical craven approach to Right and Far Right politics in this country - one wonders whether Starmer, Gray and Nandy (as new minister for Culture & Sport) might take a look at the BBC management?
Comments
UKIP secured nigh on 4M votes ten years back before they started cutting deals with the Tories and standing down candidates. In contrast, Le Pen has just secured 9M votes and finished third, and that's without absentee candidates who have no presence on the ground.
In addition the public now knows that Reform wishes to install an insurance based private health system, as well as pull out of the ECHR and admires Putin / wants Ukraine to give up and submit to a ceasefire.
There are reasons they've attracted 4m votes, mainly in areas across the East Coast, pushing the Tories out of 2nd place. They are also strong in the 55-64 demographic but weak with U45s, and weak with those better educated. Ultimately it's a reaction to failed Government policies and the application of austerity. We will see whether this new Labour Government turn the tide. We will also see how the Tory Party navigate this new era and whether they cave to Farage and Tice?
In addition they have received unprecedented coverage with very little insight / accountability, compared to the Greens and Liberals.
As a result, many have abandoned the BBC with their uncritical craven approach to Right and Far Right politics in this country - one wonders whether Starmer, Gray and Nandy (as new minister for Culture & Sport) might take a look at the BBC management?