Reform UK discussion

[JGurney]

The USA would be one. Most liberal democracies ........

To what extent the USA was ever really a functioning liberal democracy, and if it had been one whether it still is now, might be debatable.

 

[Lewisham2221]

Reform's attempt to run Cornwall council has failed - they didn't win a majority and nobody will form a coalition with them. It looks likely to become a LibDem led coalition.

BBC News - Cornwall Council leader to be decided at crunch meeting - BBC News

Cornwall Council leader to be decided at crunch meeting

Councillors are meeting later to decide who should form the next administration on Cornwall Council.

www.bbc.co.uk

A meeting will be held later to decide who will run Cornwall Council for the next four years.

No party won a majority on the authority at the local elections meaning different groups need to work together in an administration.

Reform UK, which won the most seats, has withdrawn from the race after other parties said they would not support them.

The Liberal Democrats said they would now seek to work with the Independent group to form a coalition.

The council was left under no overall control after the elections on 1 May and parties have since been in negotiations over who will be in charge.

Reform UK won 28 seats - but were still a long way short of the 44 needed for a majority to win votes in the council chamber.

However, they have been unable to find a willing coalition partner and accused other parties of "playing politics".

 

[styles]

Hardly surprising.

Normally I'd say it's pretty unfair on voters to have the largest party excluded from a coalition, but if what the independent group leader says is true, that Reform were the only party who didn't have any proposals to bring to the table, then there's not really any other sensible outcome. Of course, it's Reform's word against the independent group's, so who knows.

Semi-related, but I enjoy that a Cornish nationalist party managed to get 3 seats (Labour only got 4). The party is genuinely in favour of a devolved legislature on par with e.g. Holyrood.

 

[AlterEgo]

Reform didn't win a majority and can't complain that other parties don't want to work with them. That's too bad.

Reform isn't a party which seems to understand consensus and compromise so it doesn't surprise me that they were unable to form a coalition, especially given what will probably be their red lines.

 

[styles]

Reform didn't win a majority and can't complain that other parties don't want to work with them. That's too bad.

No sympathy for the party, but I think voters can rightly be miffed that the largest party isn't part of the coalition.

In fact excluding them may well increase support for Reform as they'll be able to lay it on thick about this point for the next 4 years in opposition.

Of course, if it's true that Reform simply had no proposals where the other parties did, then voters' resentment should very much be directed towards Reform. Whether that happens or not? Well, I'm doubtful.

 

[Thirteen]

If Reform can't even form a council coalition, they're really going to struggle if they were in power in a National Government.