I agree. I know a lot of people that voted reform as well. To get 6 or 7 million votes is pretty big.Millions are voting for them and they could grow a fair bit more.
Being realistic, a lot of the labour votes were just a vote against the tories because it was a shitshow. If Labour don't show clear improvement from the tories, then I wouldn't be too surprised to see another rise in support for Reform.
I know plenty of people who voted Reform, people who I'd never imagine would be voting for a party spearheaded by Farage. And we're not just talking "gammons" as some like to say, I know a pretty diverse mix of people that voted them.
I voted Labour personally, not with a great deal of confidence though, and i think that's the case for many.
Millions are voting for them and they could grow a fair bit more.
Being realistic, a lot of the labour votes were just a vote against the tories because it was a shitshow. If Labour don't show clear improvement from the tories, then I wouldn't be too surprised to see another rise in support for Reform.
I know plenty of people who voted Reform, people who I'd never imagine would be voting for a party spearheaded by Farage. And we're not just talking "gammons" as some like to say, I know a pretty diverse mix of people that voted them.
I voted Labour personally, not with a great deal of confidence though, and i think that's the case for many.
Fair point. The same was true with UKIP.Reform UK 4,051,969 Total Votes 4 MPs up to yet
Liberal Democrat’s 3,451,969 Total Votes and 70 MPs
Is this democracy?
Fair point. The same was true with UKIP.
However, my prediction is Farage's ownership of that party will be a disaster. Political donations for the party will get mixed up in the personal and there will be a scandal around misuse of party funds.
You may be right about Reform and it would be lazy to say that only racists voted for them. What I would add is that it’s easy to promise all kinds of unrealistic shit when you know you’ve no chance of winning a GE. Labour and the Tories don’t have that luxury as they’re always the main parties fighting it out to run the country so their manifestos have to be at least semi-sensible.Millions are voting for them and they could grow a fair bit more.
Being realistic, a lot of the labour votes were just a vote against the tories because it was a shitshow. If Labour don't show clear improvement from the tories, then I wouldn't be too surprised to see another rise in support for Reform.
I know plenty of people who voted Reform, people who I'd never imagine would be voting for a party spearheaded by Farage. And we're not just talking "gammons" as some like to say, I know a pretty diverse mix of people that voted them.
I voted Labour personally, not with a great deal of confidence though, and i think that's the case for many.
Doesn’t Farage own 53% of the company behind Reform? If so, then the frog-faced **** will be coining it inFair point. The same was true with UKIP.
However, my prediction is Farage's ownership of that party will be a disaster. Political donations for the party will get mixed up in the personal and there will be a scandal around misuse of party funds.
On what basis does that not seem right?I know it’s our electoral system but the Lib Dem’s getting 50+ seats, but only being around 10% doesn’t seem right either
Vote share historical analysis is pretty useless now in current politics. The Lib Dems scored their best win in a century but actually with a lower share in most of the country than last time and at half of their peak 24% share in 2005 (I think it was).I agree. I know a lot of people that voted reform as well. To get 6 or 7 million votes is pretty big.
I also agree on your last point. People aren’t voting for labour with enthusiasm - they’re vote share is pretty much the same as the last election.
Sunny Torquay blue myself!The protest vote is real, esp knowing it was going to be a Labour landslide.
Interesting that in many of the early results, it wasn’t Labour picking up VOTES, it was Labour picking up SEATS, because Reform was taking Tory votes.
There is a lesson in that, if it gets through the cacophony of the historic Labour landslide.
The Right was hurt by a rising Far Right, not the Left, and thus the Far Right will feel emboldened not only by their votes, but their increasing ability to say “I told you so!” if their core platform issues are not only not addressed, but get worse.
Labour will be especially happy that the Far Right harmed the Right (much as the Far Left harms the Left in the States) and that their majority provides significant POLITICAL insulation.
However, in an era of reflexive social media, politics today is increasingly fluid and reactionary, and sea change occurs far quicker than anyone predicted just a few years ago. Both Macron and Sunak have been taught valuable lessons that Starmer would do well to heed.
Social Policies need to be carefully managed to ensure they serve the constituents that brought them to the dance, while ensuring they do as much as possible to snuff out the inevitable negative commentary from the Right & extreme Right.
A stronger immigration policy coupled with a “home front” social agenda feels, from 4,000 miles away (and talking to my educated siblings), to be the sweet spot for Starmer and Labour, if they can corral their party to accept that it is the path to long term power.
I will be interested to see the ongoing analysis and predictions, both in the media and from the broad spectrum (!) of Bluemooners who engage in political discourse.
We’ve got enough of our own SERIOUS problems over here to keep my reading list full, but my thoughts are never far from home (which is Manchester, by way of Torquay, for those who get sucked in by the screen name).
Good luck to us all!