“Offensive” Reform UK is “in a mess” | Election 2024 | the New Statesman

Candidates praising Hitler and befriending UK fascists have left Nigel Farage playing the blame game.
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"It's offensive... This is real conspiracy theory, crank stuff" says Hannah Barnes.
Nigel Farage has blamed a vetting firm contracted by Reform UK for, he claims, not delivering the work required. The firm in question, Vetting.com, have said they did not receive the information needed.
Do the latest revelations put a ceiling on support for Reform UK? Polling expert Ben Walker joins Hannah Barnes
Read more: Andrew Marr on Nigel Farage and the populist peril
www.newstatesman.com/politics...
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The UK general election will take place on July 4, 2024 - and the New Statesman will be with you every step of the way.
Our journalists including Hannah Barnes, Andrew Marr, Rachel Cunliffe, Freddie Hayward and Ben Walker will bring you analysis of the Conservative, Labour, Lib Dem, SNP, Green and Reform election campaigns as well as the best polling analysis and reaction from around the UK.
The 2024 election will be the biggest shake-up of UK politics in years. Subscribe to the New Statesman on KZbin to stay informed.
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[@NewStatesman]

Watch next: Reform UK manifesto - can Farage "get away with it"? kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4amkJ5voJeUkKc

[@NigelBlancmange]

Labour: accused of rape = rapist

[@NeonVisual]

Copium. The quintessential Tory delusion.

[@ChicagoDB]

How many of the supposedly reprehensible candidates have you actually even looked into? Liking a comment, sharing something or following various pages and such doesn’t make you a support. I follow the pages of a lot of twats across the entire political spectrum…that doesn’t make me a supporter of them..lit makes me “informed”… Try it yourself sometime.

[@ChicagoDB]

[supporter] or believer

[@richardh8082]

@@ChicagoDB ?

[@user-gt7jp4xk8p]

Sorry guy the far left have been rumbled by the majority

[@leehighland5435]

The far left are globalists, they are all the same, galloway and Farage are the only two speaking about these globalist elites.

[@superdavidc1]

Didn't know there was a far left in British politics, and who are this majority of which you speak?

[@richardsinger01]

​@@superdavidc1he's talking about the 20% who have said they'll vote for Reform. Hardly a majority, but very worrying fot the future of thus country.

[@alistairprice2837]

There's isn't a far left. There's just a right, far right and middle

[@leehighland5435]

@@alistairprice2837 No far left? You are deluded.

[@pauldean8638]

Labour , Tory’s and libs came out cussing Nigel over saying about nato and concerns with Ukraine . So boris said n a statement “ putin phoned me up asking when is Ukraine joining nato , today , tomorrow , when is sometime in the future ? “ so what Nigel said about a massive concern about nato and Ukraine was factually correct. Even boris admits it ! I beg everyone to see the video , look at who is cussing out Nigel when he says the truth, I’d rather a leader who brings truth than false propaganda

[@rackellar]

I’m getting the impression the new statesman is starting to worry about reform UK. Good! There will be a shock on election day.

[@kevinwillis6707]

They will get 3 seats at best pal. The revolution ain't happening, sorry😅

[@charlesunderwood6334]

@@kevinwillis6707 But still, 3 neofascist MPs is 3 too many.

[@kevinwillis6707]

@@charlesunderwood6334 true, but some voters are thick as planks so will do it.

[@raycooke2510]

The UK population has, at last, woken up, to the globalist agenda. Prepare for a shock on the 4th.

[@tonycrayford3893]

​@@charlesunderwood6334 calling people fascist without any evidence is the dog whistle of the leftist.

[@ianbetts4435]

Why don't you people get out of London occasionally and see how the majority of people live. Nigel Farage speaks for the majority of people outside of the woke heartlands.

[@michealridgway7607]

He doesnt speak for me

[@fatpandaproductions6835]

I'd rather be woke than asleep......... Reform aren't even a political party........they are commercial enterprise.

[@jackpirie7382]

Add the 95% of Scotland who hate the man.

[@jamessouth3808]

@@michealridgway7607majority doesn’t mean everybody

[@drcommonsense1]

​@jamessouth3808 no poll has shown "majority" support for Reform though.

[@raycooke2510]

Reform UK. Now pulling in many votes from the disillusioned electorate, Both Labour and Conservative. 👍🙂🇬🇧

[@richardsinger01]

Brexit part 2. Look how well part 1 went. Why do these charlerabs still get any credibility among the electorate?

[@raycooke2510]

Considering Brexit has yet to be fully delivered. Currently, all is not so bad. We already have arrangements, with others, those in the EU are still only dreaming about. A few more years, there's not even going to be an EU to rejoin.

[@gomey70]

@@raycooke2510 Arrangements yeah? 😂 Brexit was 8 years ago, it's been well and truly delivered. You've been had mate.

[@martinhammett8121]

@@raycooke2510 Really ! you've got lorries queuing every day all along the motorway to Folkstone, we've the highest food prices in the EU, our fishing industry is on its knees because they can't export their catch & the only benefit is that companies can off shore there profits to avoid uk corporation tax (as its banned in the eu)

[@stevec6427]

Labour's vote share isn't dropping. Reform are only taking votes from the tories

[@ldewproductions7271]

Who is this woman? She has no idea what patriotic people think.

[@user-nk3nx6lk7c]

Nigel and Reform the only Party with British values at its heart x

[@markoconnell2458]

Farage is just a chancer

[@Steve_Coates]

A limited company fronted by a grifter making economically illiterate promises in a "contract". I'm willing to bet the contract doesn't have any penalty clauses.

[@erikawood68]

Who would have thought that the one and only Brexit benefit would be the end of the Conservative Party!? 😮

[@Rayblondie]

The Tories held on to the EU ECHR and hence could not deal with illegal immigration. Reform is right on immigration.

[@andrewjones-productions]

@@Rayblondie The ECHR is not a body of the EU. It is part of the Council of Europe of which the UK like most European countries are members of. Go look it up.

[@modestproposal9114]

I always expected Brexit would destroy the Tories. It should have happened earlier if 'centrist ' hadn't spent all their time trying to destroy Corbyn.

[@stephenhill545]

​@@RayblondieThe ECHR isn't an organ of the EU. Don't uou know that? Wow.

[@rusty911s2]

To be fair, Russian bots can't know everything.

[@big-muff-pi6723]

So nice to be patronised by a couple of condescending metropolitan elite socialists. Makes me even more determined to vote. That wasn’t even remotely close to journalism. You should be ashamed.

[@raycooke2510]

They, this pair, are completely underestimating the strength of feeling, out there, beyond the London bubble. Boy are they in for a shock. They will all soon be crying into their G&T's.

[@1971carmichael]

hows this..farage talks the talk and walks the walk..let this man prove it to the uk...cos plenty others have really shafted us.

[@leehighland5435]

reform we have to give them a go, otherwise it will be business as usual.

[@lindahorn9644]

And hopefully finish brexit that the people voted for in uk....

[@drcommonsense1]

​@@lindahorn9644 you're either very naive or very optimistic if you think the EU will listen to Farage. Britain doesn't really have any strong negotiating power unless we are willing to pay for it. Don't fall for the nonsense from Farage.

[@Steve_Coates]

@@lindahorn9644 Finish Brexit, isn't the state of the economy bad enough for you?

[@tapaarn5863]

Deep pockets is probably one of the reasons political discourse in this country, is in such a mess.

[@fatpandaproductions6835]

No.....this country is in the state it's in is pretty much due to the oligarch owned mainstream media pushing an extreme right wing populist agenda.

[@suewardastrologer]

True. A Twitter poster said that she agreed with Reform policies but was not right wing. They do not see themselves as others do.

[@stephenmurray8559]

Same with labour and the left. They see themselves as honest and for the oppressed. Everyone else sees them for what they are.

[@danielbliss1988]

And that's the kind of thing focus grouping here in the US by former Republican operative and now emphatic Trump opponent Heather Longwell is showing; the perception is that, in her words, Trump is more "moderate" than other Republicans. It's entirely about optics of course -- people think that communication ability and charm equals policy, and the media -- and the US is worse on this point -- leaves people in that misconception because they never talk about policy or actions, just about PR and the horserace.

[@sharonharris9782]

​@@danielbliss1988do you mean Sarah Longwell of Republicans Against Trump?

[@ionlyfearphobophobia]

Reform will get a lot higher percentage of the Labour vote than people realize, solely because their police are more pro working class than Labour, and when it comes down to it that's what people care about. It won't show that in the opinion polls though, because of propaganda like this. When you demonize views as unpolitically correct, most people just keep them to themselves and only express them secretly on election day.

[@danielbliss1988]

@@sharonharris9782 yep, formerly Republican Voters Against Trump, now simply called Republican Accountability.

[@andybrice2711]

In fairness though: Even the major moderate parties with enormous resources regularly fail to vet their candidates for crazy and questionable views. So a smaller, newer, more radical party on a tight deadline will inevitably have the same problem.

[@joso7228]

But Reform don't (usually) act when informed

[@harrypainter7472]

@@joso7228 Reform recently suspended over a dozen candidates. You don't know what you're talking about.

[@BiggestCorvid]

​@harrypainter7472 why do they keep attracting those types? There aren't many people loudly praising Hitler in the other major parties. Why does this keep happening? How would you expect them to govern and choose ministers if this is how they choose candidates?

[@harrypainter7472]

@@BiggestCorvid Why do Labour and the Green Party keep attracting antisemitic candidates? This happens with all the parties.

[@lewis123417]

​@@BiggestCorvidwhy does Labour attract anti semites? Does that mean Labour are anti semitic?

[@Iazzaboyce]

If Sunak is a 'dud', then Starmer must be a 'fud' - vote Reform UK for a real leader!

[@teresabelshaw4262]

How what's reform gonna do different promise you everything to get voted in then feck all jmo😅

[@markoconnell2458]

@@teresabelshaw4262 They aren't it's N F last chance to have MP after his name

[@superdavidc1]

​@@markoconnell2458He is going to start referring to himself as nigle farage MP (failed).

[@Iazzaboyce]

@@teresabelshaw4262 Because Cons and Labour and the civil service are the same thing taken over and run by people who are using democracy to do what they want with our lives. Democracy should be about us getting what we want - that's the idea. In the last 40 years we have had our public owned utilities sold off, mass immigration, or country handed to the EU, mass unemployment, home ownership unaffordable, net zero. Would the people vote for these things at referendum? No! So, they're not working for us.

[@kevinwillis6707]

Who cares when some billionare jumps ship and changes lanes, he is only hedging his bets.

[@TheAultimusPrime]

20% aren't radical but 20% feel like no one else addresses their concerns, the ground has been ceded by the main parties

[@raycooke2510]

They don't appreciate it's Time for a change. Reform UK states facts, figures and common sense. They just aren't getting it. Look forward to a shock on the 4th. UK first, Globalism second. Vote Reform UK

[@ozzy8286]

Vote Reform to save the UK.

[@mbx4699]

The vetting company have accepted they did not do the work, and offered to refund all the money. A fact that must be known to the presenters

[@biscuit4259]

The firm don’t do the work, they provide the tools. But Farage is a tool himself

[@trevorparsons7097]

In Canada after the PC collapse, the radical right Reformers (not all of course, some were quite moderate like Jan Brown and Keith Martin) eventually became the mainstream. The same could easily happen in the UK.

[@ionlyfearphobophobia]

That's what's already happening, yet the mainstream are trying to spin it pretending like that's not what's happening. based on the current trends, if not this election, next election Farage will be PM.

[@user-pk5bj2ww8e]

And what we are seeing with the Conservative party is a party that has no platform other than the Libs are bad. I have not seen any manifesto to lower the cost of living or housing crisis. Our media is complicit in this sort of boosting change of government without any clarity of what the opposition is offering.

[@CliveJohnson804]

Reform keep growing you dont need polls to show you this just look out for the fear its getting easier to see day by day.

[@leehighland5435]

Reform is going to surprise quite a few people.

[@SirAntoniousBlock]

@@leehighland5435 Reform is going to be lucky to get 1 seat. 😂

[@jonathanfell688]

Fascism is not 'normal', neither are they funny. Take them seriously.

[@daydays12]

So right. I agree ..the Times pollster will be calling Hitler, Himmler and Stalin normal soon! Yikes! These two should be shown photographs and film of the Fascist's crimes - in Spain, and by the German Nazis, and by Stalin.... normal????

[@lewis123417]

How is reform facist? 😂

[@jandavies4400]

Yeah I agree. Labour are disgustingly racist fascist socialist organisation I’ve ever known. Don’t trust them at all.

[@bryangeake5826]

@@lewis123417 Facism is defined as: a political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition. A tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control. Reform are showing quite a few simlarities, even Farage just sacking Tice shows how authoritarian Farage is and how Reform simply accommodated it.

[@lewis123417]

@@bryangeake5826 farage never sacked tice 🤣 tice stood down for a more popular leader

[@lindahorn9644]

No Torries no Labour....vote reform ...

[@markoconnell2458]

NO WAY

[@Romulan2469]

Agreed. The other major parties are attempting to slander Reform and this won't work. The Conservatives are history, Labour is winning this election but on the opposite side of the bench it will be Reform, and I have to say, the most sensible and logical things I am hearing are coming from Reform.

[@richardsinger01]

Why would anyone vote Reform unless they were very wealthy? Tax breaks for school fees, tax breaks for private health insurance, removal of inheritance tax, capital gains, stamp duty - all benefits for the wealthy at the expense of public services. Then there's the removal of human rights regulations, catastrophic environmental policies. Any working class Reform voters are being stitched up and they are too ill informed to realise it.

[@davesimpson5702]

What a load of biased tosh

[@raycooke2510]

100%. They need to prepare themselves for the coming shock.

[@jamespitman5450]

Alternatively many people might think their worst fears re starmer have been confirmed when he's being endorsed by a right wing billionaire

[@stephenkerensky710]

What about the persecution of the Post Office managers, hard-working, self-reliant people, who might well have naturally been conservatives? Or the persecution of people who gave up their careers to care for disabled relatives?

[@eldrago19]

Or people who were scammed out of most of their pensions by HMRC approved pension providers and are now being pursued for the rest by HMRC?

[@peterdollins3610]

A Reform candidate says 'Hitler inspired people.' How true. An Uncle on my mother's side shot down 13 Hitler inspired Nazi planes before he was shot down by another Hitler inspired plane. My beloved mother died a terrible death at least partly from a Hitler inspired war in December 1944. Another Uncle lost his leg in Italy from Hitler's inspired tanks. Another was tail-gunner on a Lancaster bombing Germans from the Hitler inspired war. Another fought in Burma against the Hitler inspired ally of Germany--loved India swore his life on the Ghurkas. My Father ran the Steam Trains through the Blitz many times nearly killed by Hitler's inspired bombs & fire. (Ran over three bombs sabotaged by the German workers,) My Steam Engine Driver was in the Dunkirk reguard then walked across France to get out fight in the 8th Army with Big Sam became a Driver also in Didcot.) If D-Day could be called back Fascist Toad Farage will be shooting UK & Allied soldiers down in ecstasy with all his Reform buddies. Who wants to vote for Nazi German's future from 1939 to 45?

[@BiggestCorvid]

Thanks for sharing this perspective. We're all thankful for your family's sacrifice and we all owe a debt to them and those factory workers' sabotage. We owe it to them to remember what happened when fascists took power back then.

[@MrShikaga]

They would argue that the mistake wasn’t his policies, but his decision to invade other nations. What Reform wants is a isolationist Britain where we are inspired by those policies, but keep it within our borders, a Britain where everyone looks a certain way and thinks a certain way, and we keep everyone else out.

[@hughjohns9110]

A Labour candidate liked Chairman Mao. Mao’s policies killed tens of millions of people.

[@fabiennemitchell2371]

Nigel Farage is one of the most patriotic people in this country and would support the memory of all your family who fought or contributed in the wars. He raises money for veterans and attends D-Day commemorations EVERY year, not just when dignitaries attend. He would have led the charge against Hitler if it was the 1940s. His politics are akin to Mrs Thatcher's which are right-of-centre politics. He is given horrible labels because he wants to tackle the high levels of unsustainable immigration, which Labour will have to do once in power. He is also hated because of Europe issue but his stance is the same as the people like the late Tony Benn and Jeremy Corbyn (who had to 'change' his years old position because he was the Labour leader). Watch old GB News programs of which he presented - he is vastly different than what elite politicians and media types paint him as.

[@dub604]

Mr grandad was at D Day.... but he had to leave early for a TV interview so he wasn't involved in any fighting (it ran over).

[@Taporeee]

Mess? No chance. They're flying abd it's because the centre has collapsed under pure stupidity

[@albertbrammer9263]

Reform full of cranks? Who would have guessed 😂😂😂😂

[@jayggg]

At least they can articulate the definition of 'woman'.

[@nickharvey7233]

​@jayggg Oh, that's the clincher...right there...no comeback on that absolute zinger of a point...

[@jayggg]

@@nickharvey7233 Grow up. Do you actually have anything useful to say?

[@nickharvey7233]

@jayggg I'm all grown up, don't you worry. What is childish is claiming Starmer doesn't know what a woman is. Playground, lowest common denominator politics. But you do you.

[@jayggg]

@@nickharvey7233 Don't flatter yourself, Nick. I certainly won't be worrying about you in any way whatsoever. Would you prefer to discuss Starmer's support for Abu Qatada or his attempts to overturn the Brexit vote........?

[@StephenSeabird]

The quip about our monarch, that he is 'under the control of global elites' happens to hold water. Charles gave a grand speech at a WEF (World Economic Forum) gathering on behalf of the British public (though unelected) showing great political interest in their programmes. He equally showed unprecedented nonchalance and lack of interest when he gave the King's Speech at the opening of Parliament, suggesting that his own national govt was of less interest to him. This behaviour is a far departure from Elizabeth II.

[@mountainsofmourne]

Elizabeth was clever enough to never say anything except her anodyne Christmas speech. But she allowed her son, the obvious next monarch, to go off to Davos and join in the WEF meetings.

[@TheSuperPsychoKiller]

If Labour attracts the billionaires, then Labour is not for the working class.

[@MikePhillips-pl6ov]

Billionaires from a working class background.

[@TheSuperPsychoKiller]

@@MikePhillips-pl6ov No, they are no longer working class.

[@paramotorhead]

The working class aren’t for the working class anymore. Everyone’s in it for themselves and many are too uninformed to make a decision in their own best interest. Brexit being a perfect example.

[@sharonharris9782]

​@@TheSuperPsychoKillerit doesn't matter. When you come from the working class, it stays with you, no matter how much you make later in life.

[@willtricks9432]

You do not understand how the world works?

[@Visherex]

I hate it but the support for these INSANE theories is on the rise, my entire family has it running through them, only me and my grandfather sat in real reality

[@malcolmscott9611]

Reform is the only party willing to talk about the mass immigration issues so they've got my vote

[@robertstrathern7040]

Google immigrants currently living in u.k I'll save you the time 0.6 hardly a swamp but carry on buying the bull godbless

[@garymoore8204]

Not as bad as both tories and Labour I wouldn't put them two parties in my waste bin

[@leehighland5435]

Vote reform.

[@thomaswilliams6690]

"Surely 20% of voters cant be this radical"....... Me sitting in America looking at the almost 75 million people who voted for Trump..."Uh hu"

[@sharonharris9782]

Right?! I'm sitting with you here in America.

[@methanedirigible]

@@sharonharris9782 I’m sitting behind you in America 👋 I like your blouse

[@sharonharris9782]

​@@methanedirigible😂😂😂

[@Pietzu10]

These people dont understand why people hate the ruling parties.

[@eldrago19]

​@@Pietzu10yeah, I mean Putin gets circa 15% in opinion polls in the UK. I don't think that an out of context quote from a candidate about Assad is going to prevent Reform UK getting 20%. Meanwhile you have the same people who think Assad is basically Satan running around calling MBS a progressive.

[@user-kf5mn5vn3t]

The problem for Labour is going to be people thinking don't need to vote because their gone to win. Which as someone who lives in Europe where voting is on a Sunday which makes it better I find.

[@khar12d8]

I think this could be a possibility. While the polls would have to be insanely wrong for the Tories to win, it is perfectly possible that they are wrong in underestimating the Tories and overestimating Labour and Reform UK. And so Labour's actual lead may not be as big as it appears. And since we know many on the left don't like Starmer there is the danger some voters could leak away since these voters think the Tories are definitely finished. Also, if you're a left winger that doesn't like New Labour style Labour politics why would you want Starmer's Labour to win a massive majority?

[@ldewproductions7271]

No Sunday is a people's day. No work, a trip out and too far away to vote in your local election.

[@danl5592]

Total bs propaganda, REFORM PARTY are going from strength to strength and Conservative party are crying 😂😅

[@Kushdeeskates]

So many people over the pond havent got a clue about English politics, and it shows in this comment section

[@50RobinHill]

Why is it 'offensive' to point out that immigration is unsustainably high, or speak the truth about the origins of the Ukraine war? These things are only 'offensive' to people who are unacquainted with the facts - or so ideologically committed to the official narrative that they cannot accept any other view.

[@hughjohns9110]

FFS…..There are ppl on the left who think Lenin and Stalin were great blokes.

[@jameshorner7816]

Yes, but left wing parties don't let them run for office.

[@chrispalmer7893]

Really? Care to name some of them? Because we have the names of the people on the right who praise Hitler and Mussolini? In all truth, the argument that leftists support Stalin and Lenin largely falls over because of the intense secrecy to which the USSR was subject. The true depths of the atrocities of Stalin and Lenin are far better known now than they were at the time. By contrast, the depth of the Nazi atrocities came to light much quicker. I think you'll struggle to find modern day leftists - even on what you might consider the "far left" (something that barely even exists here) still praising Stalin.

[@johnkellett7797]

Extremists, whether on the Left or the Right, are to be avoided equally. Both Labour and the Conservatives now have a tendency to accept extremists into their membership. Why?

[@hughjohns9110]

@@chrispalmer7893 you have to be joking, social media is full of them. Name those people on the right then…

[@hughjohns9110]

@@jameshorner7816 Corbyn not only let them but pushed them, it was a major factor in resoundingly losing him the 2019 election.

[@normafarmer3254]

Some people just pick on a few bad apples, how about digging up some dirt on the other parties. Or are you just biased.

[@willtricks9432]

How many bad apples do you need in a barrel of proto-fascists to call it rotten.

[@benmarr352]

Sorry, I dont mean to be rude, but I have never heard such vacuous reporting. When you have done the requisite work re-record. In the meantime, i hope you dont get sued.

[@ScotMcFadyen-kp3jd]

Don't forget one of the reform candidates in Scotland was a drug dealer for 20 years and spent 3 years in a Moroccan jail for drug trafficking

[@edjohnson8017]

Sounds like an interesting lad

[@Theforestbandit]

SO WHAT .. HOW MANY MPs ARE TAKING DRUGS ?

[@MegaRugster]

Who? Name them or stop with the lies.

[@jackn4853]

@@Theforestbandit Yes, name them and see if they take you to court. Also leave the caps lock key off.

[@andrewmarriott7970]

Name please

[@jackdaniels4368]

I have met massive numbers of people who have been talking about voting reform this election. And not the usual people that you would expect.

[@EricWoning]

The optics look good… that a billionaire who only votes for himself has switched to Labour? I’d say that this is quite condemning for Labour as it means that what they are actually doing isn’t going to serve regular people… but who am I?

[@stuontwo677]

Concentration of wealth leads to concentration of power. No surprise they're now funding those who are about to be in government because they want to still be on that gravy train with the option to influence policy making in their favour of course.

[@sasserine]

"We're not surely saying that 20% of the population share those views?" Have you never read The Mail, The Express, The Sun?

[@Afterthoughtbtw]

Well, you clearly haven't. And I can't stand those papers.

[@samhunter1205]

​@@Afterthoughtbtwif you have read them, you clearly haven't understood them. Those papers are as far right as they can get away with while still being allowed in 'polite' society, and their editorials and commentaries are basically one massive dog whistle. If you don't believe that, go and read as much of the public comments sections as you can stomach on their websites, and see what their readers understand from the articles.

[@Afterthoughtbtw]

@@samhunter1205 Or... you are the one who hasn't understood, or else has read too much into things. Has that thought ever crossed your mind? No need to answer: that was rhetorical.

[@samhunter1205]

@@Afterthoughtbtw well that was a well reasoned and evidenced point . . .

[@Afterthoughtbtw]

@@samhunter1205 I merely responded in kind.

[@user-mp7nl7nn2c]

So did those candidates say what they are alleged to have said, that's the only question. They are sick in the head.

[@traviscutler9912]

It means that billionaires know that Starmer works for them, not the working class.........

[@leehighland5435]

Starmer is a puppet of WEF.

[@Fred-gb4hs]

Nobody should ignore Reform. The next ten years could well be more austerity. More and more people may become homeless and/or using food banks. There will be Farage in "peoples kitchens" handing out food and necessities. Far fetched? As a literal description possibly, as a metophor I would not bet against it.

[@nickinthefield4202]

I do believe hanna is rather disconnected from a lot of what ordinary people think and feel. She was incredulous that huge amounts of the population could think like Nigel farage. I’m absolutely not a fan of his but when people feel beaten down and have been so manipulated, it’s easy to see how the far right are on the rise generally. Not everyone has an easy life out there hanna.

[@MikePhillips-pl6ov]

Yes, this. I'm well educated and a moderate/centrist left voter, but the level of snobbery and dismissal towards Farage (a kind of "we are smart, we know best, we are the voice of reason, Reform voters are stupid and racist") - is high, but also wrong, as many support his party and needs to be taken seriously.

[@fabiennemitchell2371]

The "well educated" I know are very interested in The Reform Party. They see parallels to the Thatcherite years in policies and opportunities, which also excited the working classes.

[@andybrice2711]

@@MikePhillips-pl6ov I’ve been saying for over a decade that the left desperately need to have a reasonable debate about the pros and cons of different immigration policies. But they just keep doubling down on _“Immigration is good. Disagreement is bigotry.”_ And populist nationalists just keep winning more support because of that.

[@danielbliss1988]

She reminds me of a lot of US Democrats in 2015. Quite complacent. I was warning that I felt Trump could find a way to the GOP Nomination, which was possible because the other Republican candidates were so unappealing, and then that he could win it all partly because the Democratic brand was in such poor shape and Hillary getting such horrible press coverage, and people just looked at me as if I belonged in a rubber room. But I've spent probably the majority of my life living in the UK among future Brexit voters and then in the US among future Trump voters. Most of these journos have a very urban bubble.

[@redlightmax]

"...but when people feel beaten down and have been so manipulated..." Yes, they were manipulated with false promises into voting for Brexit, and have been beaten down by the consequences of Brexit's economic sanctions.

[@col.hertford9855]

Reform has a ceiling of 20%? Are you not looking at similar movements across the world? The US, France, Italy, Germany, to name but a few. There is no ceiling, Farage it’s quite open that he wants to find a young protege like Jordan Bardella in RN.

[@redlightmax]

"Are you not looking at similar movements across the world? The US, France, Italy, Germany, to name but a few." The US, for example, has a similar movement in the Republican Party, which already has a well-established base. Reform UK has zero MPs - it has a steep climb ahead.

[@col.hertford9855]

@@redlightmax reform is basically the tea party movement that co-opted the Republican Party. Given how many of the conservatives likely to survive are already making overtures to bring Farage in, I don’t think seeing the conservatives going that way is unlikely. Only 20 left with the consciences intact when Johnson was in charge. The ones that remain are cowards with zero fight. They will do anything for power.

[@judewestburner]

I'm still voting reform

[@SirAntoniousBlock]

Well it's better than thinking for yourself lol.

[@michaelillingworth6433]

This is not a balanced debate when nobody is challenging their dribble. They are both against Reform, so how can it be balanced.

[@SuzanneJones-qy3zh]

Most people find all,this poimt scoring rather pathetic

[@jonesyjones7626]

Another example of an establishment media organisation trying to reinforce the status quo and maintain the policies of the metropolitan bubble.

[@yoof01]

Good grief, i’ve never heard so much drivel, it appears I was wrong about the New Statesman, I won’t be back.

[@JosephStealin]

Shows these people just buy whoever is going to be in government.

[@darthknight1]

Ben Walker brings Hannah Barber down to earth on her idealistic optimism toward the country's voters.

[@beatricecowley4307]

This should be worrying anybody who is thinking of voting labour. Labour was meant to the voice of the working people. What will the price of big business owners supporting labour be for people who generate the whealth ie the people who do the work.

[@terrypankhurst7601]

No it is hopeful, they are in the centre, the problem is Conservatives look after big business only, old labour looked after the working class and below only, any government needs to look after everyone, otherwise what the hell is the point, both sides live in this country.

[@chrislaurenceleo]

I think we need politics in the uk to be aboyt government representing the whole country. We have had the tories for 15 years just representing the rich and big business.

[@NeonVisual]

Copium. The quintessential Tory delusion

[@Guiscardr]

@@terrypankhurst7601the interests of the working class are not the same as the super rich. If the super rich start getting behind Labour like this, it clearly shows the abandonment of the party’s roots.

[@mountainsofmourne]

@@Guiscardr Yes, any mention of "The Unions" and the middle classes and the intelligentsia go bananas. I remember the treatment of the miners, but no one followed the unemployment of, say Woolworth employees, and now, bank clerks.

[@pauldean8638]

Hey 10 million buys rishis integrity , you can be flat out racist talking about murdering someone and he still won’t drop the person . Says everything about him

[@nicks4934]

Brexit supporting billionaire? He’s an absolute joke

[@Theforestbandit]

He is not as good as starmer. He is a comedian and his jokes are on us if we vote for the ISLAMIC LABOUR liar .

[@ojsimpson4040]

@@Theforestbandittory bot

[@BattleDrunk]

@@ojsimpson4040 He speaks the truth you're just asleep mate. Time to WAKE UP!

[@ojsimpson4040]

@@BattleDrunk unfortunately it’s quite the opposite. Read a book, or ten, if you’re mentally capable. Then try to learn to think critically, rather than just believing everything you’re spoon-fed from GB news and the Daily Mail.

[@Steve-fk1jg]

​@@ojsimpson4040 Tory.

[@martinp8174]

It’s amazing that they can still be in a bubble where the only thing they hear are the echoes of other people in their bubble. Time to grow up and smell the daises. Your rhetoric will come back to haunt you. 😅😅😅😅😅😅😅

[@zedrake]

Hope he’s still happy to donate and vote Labour when his 1%’er taxes go up. Tax the richest of the richest

[@kevinwillis6707]

Most of his cash is stashed offshore, billionaires hire the best money launderers, sorry I mean "accountants and tax consultants"

[@kingpig8732]

This is unrelated to the video but i was searching for software on my pc and when i heard them talking about nigel farage during those by elections, My brain switched off for a second and i typed "NIGEL" in full caps in the search bar, got confused and then realised i mistyped

[@malcolm8564]

We have no idea who's going to stay at home.

[@charlesunderwood6334]

I find it amazing that after the Tory lurch to the Right completely wrecked many aspects of the UK, people are even contemplating voting for a party even further to the Right. Don't people have any concept of cause and effect?

[@Afterthoughtbtw]

It's because if you look at Reform's manifesto - just like UKIP in the past who proposed a form of UBI - their economic policies actually borrow from the left as well as the right. So, a decent amount of the pie in the sky revenue that Reform claim they could bring in is essentially from the very wealthy, for example. But also, their immigration pitch also borrows from the left: claiming to be the ones who will defend poorer communities from the effects of an influx of low skilled labour; which historically is the thing that the right wing loved most about immigration. Things are never as black and white as it gets written or talked about. It's currently in vogue to describe being against large scale immigration as right wing for social reasons, when 40 years ago it was regularly left wing for economic reasons. Libertarians can be from the left or the right wing, but currently they get framed as right wing because the people talking about them concentrate on their economic policies rather than looking at their social policies. Almost everyone is right wing in some aspects, and left wing in others. Farage's parties have always tried to capitalise on this by picking and choosing policies from all across the spectrum in order to entice as many different people as possible. It's a common tactic of populists. Look at how Johnson got such a large margin of victory last election: it was by being more economically centrist in his promises.

[@dovesk1]

The 'collapse' of the Tory party is just a fiction. Reform UK will be the Tory Party but worse and they will have washed off all of the blame for the last 14 years....

[@raycooke2510]

One should be rethinking. Not Right or Left. Just common sense thinking and the undeniable truth 👍 Vote, Reform UK.

[@charlesunderwood6334]

@@raycooke2510 There is no place for xenophobic, science denier, Putin supporters here as far as I am concerned

[@tonycrayford3893]

What are you talking about? The Tories are barely right wing.

[@heatheryearwood9199]

What's,it these days people hurling insults at each other - it really has to stop ....let's get back to good manners

[@joni3345]

People who say Reform is a far right party should get their brains checked 😂

[@Fredric_Cedrich]

Or just read their policies & look at the stuff the candidates that keep flocking to Farage believe in…?

[@sharonharris9782]

Yes, you should get your brain checked if you can't see the far right con. 😂

[@silondon9010]

The far right chestnut 🌰 is becoming rather tiresome

[@Fredric_Cedrich]

@@silondon9010 hmm yeah… funny how the far right are never far right according to their followers. But the far left are openly and proudly far left. Why aren’t the far right ever proud of their political standing?

[@robc7162]

These wealthy people are on record as saying they haven't given money to Labour, including Theo Paphitis today.

[@Vangough792]

The same old bollocks

[@dna9838]

I’m thinking of placing a consolation bet on farage as next pm.. he’s downplaying what they can achieve in this election, like he did for the brexit vote. It’s a tactic to get the voters to squander their vote to give established parties a bloody nose. I’m really worried that this country will be like V for Vendetta in a few years. Farage is a deeply worrying individual.

[@IainFrame]

Let's not be naive. He's switching from Tory to Labour because he wants a peerage. He's giving money to whomever he think can give him something in return. Labour and Tory and their associate media fanboys (incl New Statesman, Spectator) are desperately attacking Farage because he represents a genuine threat to their uniparty system and he is saying the things that a significant portion of the electorate are actually concerned about. You can either continue attack him or you *could* try addressing those concerns. Heaven forbid anyone would try to fix the cause, rather than attack the symptoms.

[@markhughes5435]

This woman is so out of touch

[@peatypodzol]

protecting British values, culture. patriotism... heard this sort of language before

[@Coops5361]

And yet, according to the polls, the electorate is willing to vote for the Labour Party, just because, for any other discernable reason/s they are not the Tories.

[@DanPhillips-in6qn]

The undeniable truth is that everything is getting busier, more traffic on the roads, more queues in the shops, more overflowing bins. Have you seen Bournemouth beach recently on a sunny day,? good luck finding a parking space that's all I can say. It doesn't take a genius to realise that quality of life is going down for the majority of people as the population reaches new heights literally day by day. It actually isn't mentioned enough that we are a relatively small country with a large population relative to size already. Do we really want less countryside and wild places as more and more houses, hospitals, roads etc need to be built in our constant attempts to keep up with mass immigration only for more people to come in the following year all over again. The UK already has the highest population it has ever had in its entire history, if you have kids that will grow up here you should be concerned about this.

[@methanedirigible]

You’re right - if we got rid of Reform types we’d free up a load of space

[@chrisdechristophe]

Speaking of radical extremists... Never a word about the longtime trotskyist views of Starmer.

[@PassiveAgressive319]

Facist is as facist does

[@lewis123417]

How is reform facist?

[@charlesunderwood6334]

@@lewis123417 Have you seen their policies? For a start the one to allow schools only to teach "approved" history which bears little resemblance to reality.

[@adam7802]

@@charlesunderwood6334 "Any teaching about a period or example of British or European imperialism or slavery must be paired with the teaching of a non-European occurrence of the same to ensure balance." - Reform contact Oh no, teaching a balanced view of history, how fascist!

[@zog97xy]

@@lewis123417 They are 100%

[@lewis123417]

@zog97xy yeah mate simply saying they are with an inability to actually back that up or formulate a decent response suggests to me your just using that word without knowing why 🤣

[@Noddy21218]

VOTE REFORM !

[@paulbo9033]

Labour: The party of billionaire donors and corporations

[@annatyreman794]

Thought he'd gone tothe US, just like that T. R wanted during BLM

[@markivinson4837]

We are voting for REFORM

[@methanedirigible]

Is that like royal ‘We’? Or, is it ‘we’ in the Gollum-and-Smeagol sense?

[@markivinson4837]

@@methanedirigible used by a speaker to refer to himself or herself and one or more other people considered together. I hope this helps

[@StrangeTapes]

@@methanedirigible Don't you know markivinson4837 is now spokesperson for the British people? It's been all over the news.

[@ThePixey1000]

@@methanedirigible I think this country is in for a shock I think you will find the WE are rising up.Everyone with no exception I know and that is many are voting REFORM

[@methanedirigible]

@@markivinson4837 So like in the _‘We hates the Hobbitses’_ sense?

[@darrylpearson1]

I'd love to see a much larger turn out regardless of how the commons is divvied up. That said, I'm not ashamed to admit I'll be voting tactically to try and reduce the tory numbers. Starmer hasn't woo'd me as he seems non committal, and has been too quiet during the last few years as the torys have pitted working class against working class, but according to the "data" my tactical vote is Labour. As a side note I am worse off now than a few years ago, as are many. Imagine a disruptor party striking a cord with the disaffected everyman/woman and promising to increase the tax thresholds. That might lure a good few you know...

[@user-hp1mr8rm3f]

What aa rubbish pod cast delete d

[@vintage0x]

Wow - Hannah's camera quality is incredible - does anyone know what she might be using? An iPhone back camera maybe?

[@Jon-hh3gz]

Problem for reform is their vote is all over the place. So lib Dems can poll much less and get many more MPs. He'll never get the ticket for PM unless he got double the votes. But we all know that's not his plan and he'll try and get on the Tory ticket if he can. But maybe less easy if there are only one nation conservatives left

[@stephenhill545]

So glad to know the fascist vote isn't concentrated.

[@K_j_M]

He only really appeals to these backwards little places in Lancashire and essex. The West Coast has a real problem with racism

[@davidpaterson2309]

That’s a difference of electoral strategy arising from LibDem bitter experience of FPTP reality, vs Reform desperate to prove they are a “national force” and not just Farage plus a motley crew of anti vax cranks, Essex Brexiteers and former NF boot-boys. The LDs are concentrating on about 150 seats, many of them in the “blue wall” Home Counties (I live in one - the Lib Dem presence is very visible in what has been a Tory seat forever, while the Tories seem to be in hiding). So Reform may have 18% spread over 600+ constituencies, but the LDs 14% is much more concentrated in fewer than half of that. In FPTP its seats that count, not votes.

[@mujdawood7892]

Who did the budget that crashed the economy, Liz Truss or Kwasi kwarteng. How did the budget crash the economy?

[@Paula-in5mc]

I've given money to Veterans and Veterans alone........

[@andrewwmacfadyen6958]

Who? or what country? is bank rolling Farrage to cause disruption to our country again???????

[@methanedirigible]

Russia? Trump? Both? Answers on a postcдяd..

[@samhunter1205]

The Heritage Foundation and the like, or more correctly the people who fund them. Mostly very far right multi-millionaires and billionaires, some from the US and other countries. One change Labour could make that would massively help to clean up British politics is to ban foreign donations to think tanks and lobby groups and ban any group that won't publicly publish it's sources of funding from TV channels or from any kind of lobbying activity.

[@andrewmarriott7970]

Russia again, that old chestnut, come on be a bit more original

[@andrewmarriott7970]

​@@samhunter1205include labour as well then if you want this to happen as they are lobbied more than any other party.

[@samhunter1205]

@@andrewmarriott7970 they may be lobbied more now as they are obviously going to be the next party in power. I do agree in principle though, Labour can be dodgy as well so there needs to be an I formed electorate holding their feet to the fire. I do think it matters who is doing the lobbying as well. Charities, NGOs and Trade Unions are not nearly as corrosive as dark money think tanks and dodgy billionaires

[@GAZZA888]

Vote reform or you done i cant fathom yous voting labour

[@johnmiller2739]

Maligning Nigel sounds of desperation, Vote Reform, the Conservatives has proved they have no intention of stopping the invasion. Labour have said they want more migrants, If you want your Country back, vote Reform.

[@briandelaney9710]

And polling 16%

[@actuallypaulstanley]

How can the deform company state they could not perform background checks on their political candidates when this is normal business practice, and deform are a business…

[@letdownbaloon]

this is quite out of touch i have to say.

[@laurettebradley9391]

Ben Walker started off with a confusing remark. Yes, rich, powerful people give money to all sides because they want friends in power no matter who wins. But is that what is happening here? It doesn't seem so. It's kind of like if I were analyzing a baseball game (sorry, American here), and my analysis was, "They're running bases tonight, but they're always running bases, so nothing new in that." I look to the NS for deeper insights.

[@colincampbell4261]

Reactionary not radical.

[@jordoncampbell5118]

Nigel said it was a stich up when he was fined 35 grand when he was mep for mispent money.

[@user-pk5bj2ww8e]

Nigel Farage's divisive rhetoric which many perceive as promoting fascist and racist ideologies should not be given a platform that amplifies his message. By continually discussing him, the media risks legitimizing his views and potentially influencing public opinion in a negative direction. I urge for a reconsideration of the media's approach to covering Farage. It is crucial that we do not repeat past mistakes (media helping Trump 2016 campaign) and instead focus on constructive and balanced reporting that fosters informed public discourse.

[@user-nl4cn1ew4w]

Don't let the donors corrupt you keir

[@methanedirigible]

@@bridget9396 How? Enlighten us all

[@Theforestbandit]

HAS STARMER GOT A BRAIN SURGEON ON HIS PARTY, BECAUSE IF YOU KNOW HOW BAD LABOUR ARE .YOUR GOING TO NEED BRAIN SURGERY AFTER A WEEK OF STARMERS FLIP FLOPPING. MORE STRIKES AND MORE TAX RISES AND UNEMPLOYMENT RISING AND HIS ISLAMIC PLANS TO REBUILD GAZA AND PALESTINE WITH OUR TAXES. BEFORE ANY MONEY IS SPENT ON OUR COUNTRY .

[@davidalderson4980]

Oops, too late.

[@methanedirigible]

@@davidalderson4980 Will someone please explain which donors have corrupted the Labour Party? Genuinely want to know

[@jsr44444]

Vote Reform!