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Reform UK, which won the most seats, has withdrawn from the race after other parties said they would not support them.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

 

[Meole]

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

If they were in power then clearly that would be on a basis of holding the majority of seats, all the evidence to date suggests their supporters have no interest in policy detail.

 

[Bletchleyite]

If they were in power then clearly that would be on a basis of holding the majority of seats, all the evidence to date suggests their supporters have no interest in policy detail.

They're really a pressure group rather than a political party. Farage must be bricking himself at the thought of actually becoming PM, which is looking distinctly possible at the moment. In reality he'd probably be more effective (in so much as he's effective at all) as leader of the Opposition.

 

[Harpo]

They're really a pressure group rather than a political party.

Others have called Reform a cult. (I checked the spelling.)

 

[m0ffy]

The self-titled “Lord Boam II”, Leicestershire County Councillor and lead for Adult Social Care has claimed “depression isn’t real”, according to Leicester Mercury.

A new Leicestershire Reform UK councillor has been told to “educate himself” after a post appearing on an account on X in his name claiming “depression isn’t real” resurfaced online. The post, which was shared by X account Reform Party UK Exposed, allegedly quotes Joseph Boamexpressing his views on the illness, including telling people they will “always be depressed” if their “life is depressing”, and that sufferers should “fix it”.

 

[AlterEgo]

The self-titled “Lord Boam II”, Leicestershire County Councillor and lead for Adult Social Care has claimed “depression isn’t real”, according to Leicester Mercury.

Really spectacular stuff, given his brief.

 

[GusB]

Reform really is the gift that keeps giving. It has already succeeded in its quest to abolish Low Traffic Neighbourhoods!

Reform councils pledge to scrap LTNs – despite there being none in their areas

All 10 council areas controlled by rightwing party tell the Guardian they have no low-traffic neighbourhoods

www.theguardian.com

Reform UK’s pledge to remove all low-traffic neighbourhoods from the council areas it controls looks to be achieved in record time after the 10 local authorities said they do not actually have any in place.

Zia Yusuf, Reform UK’s chair, said last week there would be a “large-scale reversal” of existing LTNs in the 10 areas across England where the party won control of the councils in local elections on 1 May.

“We view these schemes with the same suspicion as mass immigration and net zero,” Yusuf told the Telegraph, adding: “You can expect, if you live in a Reform council, for there to be a much higher bar for any proposals for LTNs and for the large-scale reversal of these existing LTNs.”

The Guardian contacted the councils now run by Reform – Derbyshire, Doncaster, Durham, Kent, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, North Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and West Northamptonshire – and they all said they had no such schemes.

 

[Grimsby town]

Reform really is the gift that keeps giving. It has already succeeded in its quest to abolish Low Traffic Neighbourhoods!

Sunak and Harper killed of any chances in of LTN schemes in places like Lancashire with their plan for drivers. There's schemes that have been developed that are similar to LTNs in that they improve walking and cycling but they don't use modal filters to block streets. It'll be interesting to see what they do with existing modal filters as they've been around for decades. I can't see local residents being too keen for their street to become a rat run which seems to be being proposed in the article.

 

[The Ham]

Sunak and Harper killed of any chances in of LTN schemes in places like Lancashire with their plan for drivers. There's schemes that have been developed that are similar to LTNs in that they improve walking and cycling but they don't use modal filters to block streets. It'll be interesting to see what they do with existing modal filters as they've been around for decades. I can't see local residents being too keen for their street to become a rat run which seems to be being proposed in the article.

Indeed, if LTN are bad then the councillors should go round trying to get support to make cul-de-sacs through roads.

 

[SuspectUsual]

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.

Anyone who voted for a party that has no tangible policies wants their head looking at.

 

[High Dyke]

Anyone who voted for a party that has no tangible policies wants their head looking at.

Agreed. Sadly, there are so many that believe everything they see or read online, or in the media, that they vote for a 'business' - I don't consider them a proper political party.

 

[Bald Rick]

There was a Reform (or similar) gathering/protest described as a “strike” this afternoon, next to the war memorial in St Albans. One of them was shouting “Save our Country, Leave our country”, which I thought was curious.

I‘m afraid I couldn’t help myself and went over for a chat. It was VERY entertaining, for me at least. I suspect they didn’t feel the same at the end of it. Indeed I trust they felt rather confused.

 

[aftv]

There was a Reform (or similar) gathering/protest described as a “strike” this afternoon, next to the war memorial in St Albans. One of them was shouting “Save our Country, Leave our country”, which I thought was curious.

I‘m afraid I couldn’t help myself and went over for a chat. It was VERY entertaining, for me at least. I suspect they didn’t feel the same at the end of it. Indeed I trust they felt rather confused.

Ah the so called "Great British National Strike" its just a glorified protest march from some people who are unhappy with Labour and think that a glorified protest march will force them to call a General Election. The phrase "you lost get over it" springs to mind with that lot .

 

[styles]

To clarify - had they actually walked out of work in some coordinated wildcat strike? Or were they just calling it a strike when it wasn't a strike?

Sounds wild either way.

 

[alex397]

There was a Reform (or similar) gathering/protest described as a “strike” this afternoon, next to the war memorial in St Albans. One of them was shouting “Save our Country, Leave our country”, which I thought was curious.

I‘m afraid I couldn’t help myself and went over for a chat. It was VERY entertaining, for me at least. I suspect they didn’t feel the same at the end of it. Indeed I trust they felt rather confused.

It was the same in Canterbury today outside the Cathedral entrance and they clashed with a Free Palestine protest, which itself turned more into an anti-racist and therefore anti-Reform protest.
It wasn’t exactly major though, with perhaps 40 or so on the Free Palestine side and 30 on the ‘strike’ side, and there wasn’t any incidents. The Free Palestine side were more organised, with more signs, and megaphones chanting ‘Racists not welcome here’.
I’m not exactly sure what these ‘strikers’ want apart from removing Kier from office, which is very democratic of course.

 

[Bald Rick]

To clarify - had they actually walked out of work in some coordinated wildcat strike? Or were they just calling it a strike when it wasn't a strike?

No idea.

They weren’t exactly the sharpest knives in the drawer.

 

[aftv]

To clarify - had they actually walked out of work in some coordinated wildcat strike? Or were they just calling it a strike when it wasn't a strike?

Sounds wild either way.

I reckon its the latter. The people organising it on Facebook dont seem like the brightest of sparks.

 

[sor]

To clarify - had they actually walked out of work in some coordinated wildcat strike? Or were they just calling it a strike when it wasn't a strike?

Sounds wild either way.

given the average demographic of a reform supporter, they've been "on strike" for years now, though they choose to call it retirement

 

[DarloRich]

When you visit a stately home you are never asked to put yourself in the place of the staff, always the toffs.

Reform are the same: their supporters assume they will be the inheritors of a broad sunlit upland when in reality they will be the ones cleaning out the toilets of the rich bankers running the show!

 

[PeterC]

Indeed, if LTN are bad then the councillors should go round trying to get support to make cul-de-sacs through roads.

I had been thinking something similar.

New developments are normally designed to minimise or eliminate through traffic. Presumably a Reform council would only give planning permission if every property has a minimum to two drivable routes.

 

[styles]

I had been thinking something similar.

New developments are normally designed to minimise or eliminate through traffic. Presumably a Reform council would only give planning permission if every property has a minimum to two drivable routes.

The opposition to LTNs is imo a product of 3 things:

1. Actually calling them LTNs/giving them a common name. There must tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of 'no through route' roads in the UK - we just never called them LTNs before.
2. Some councils really not just admitting that some of their LTNs are bad. If you double down on your bad LTNs, you're not going to win over the 'on the fence' people about the good LTNs. It's fine to implement a dozen LTN trials then say actually 2 of these were bad and should be removed, 2 of these need adjustments followed by a new trial, and 8 worked fine so we'll keep those. Instead you end up with the situation Lambeth finds themselves in, where a court decided they didn't take the consultation responses into proper consideration when drafting one of their schemes, so the experimental traffic order was unlawful.
3. Lack of understanding regarding traffic evaporation. When you implement an LTN, it's going to take 18-24 months if not a little longer for the immediate increase in traffic diverted from the LTN roads to neighbouring roads to calm down. Residents understandably don't like the immediate impact of increased congestion, and politicians often crumble under pressure and revert the change before the benefits are seen.

Reform will win votes from places where LTNs are unpopular, but there are places where, 2+ years after the LTNs have bedded in, residents overwhelmingly say they wouldn't undo them.

 

[Ted633]

4. They are conspiracy theorists that believe LTN are the first step to their other favourite conspiracy theory - 15 minute cities.

 

[alex397]

4. They are conspiracy theorists that believe LTN are the first step to their other favourite conspiracy theory - 15 minute cities.

15 minute cities do sound sinister - all necessary amenities just within 15 minutes from your house, how awful! I want the freedom to be able to drive for half an hour, get stuck in traffic, then struggle to find a parking space, just to get a pint of milk.

With LTNs, Reform supporters must have to do all sorts of somersaults in their head when they see old nostalgic photos of Great Britain in the ‘good old days’ of children playing in the street that are all over Facebook. Because that’s what some LTNs have brought back to residential streets.

 

[nw1]

There was a Reform (or similar) gathering/protest described as a “strike” this afternoon, next to the war memorial in St Albans. One of them was shouting “Save our Country, Leave our country”, which I thought was curious.

I wish the more militant Reform supporters would leave the country....

The self-titled “Lord Boam II”, Leicestershire County Councillor and lead for Adult Social Care has claimed “depression isn’t real”, according to Leicester Mercury.

It beggars belief this bunch got 30% in the recent elections. Presumably all the people who voted for them were British-born, right-wing, socially-conservative, heterosexual, cisgender people who have never experienced mental health problems, as they seem to believe the rest of the population are second-class citizens.

 

[Gloster]

But Reform’s secret was not really to tell anybody what they stood for. There was nothing about the various attitudes, I am hesitant to say ‘policies’, that they hold: just ‘Stop foreigners’, anti-woke and vaguely pro-motorist. Few policies that might make some of their voters think again before voting and no detail about their few promises. I fear that too many people voted for them in order to vote against Labour or the Conservatives, without knowing what they were voting for.