Could Reform Merge with the Tories?

[@zombiedalekweck2243]

So they'd become... The Tories? Reform merging with the Tories is like worst case scenario for them.

[@cazman182]

Well - for some reason people trust that Farage, after all the broken promises by everyone else, will be the person to deal with migration. I wonder if Farage's eventual failure if he ever gets there will be their wake up call not to trust someone who says the words they want to hear with no realistic plan behind those words.

[@dariuswong9764]

If reform wants power the best thing they could do is merge, or reform if it doesnt want to see a labour gov with a huge majority this is reform best option

[@roscoeswrld5953]

@@dariuswong9764Labour have already won, no matter what Reform do. Reform should stay as Reform, they’ll do better than the tories in the 2028 elections

[@christopherbradley7149]

It’s actually hilarious. The media and Tories have basically gone “pick a hand”, “oh you don’t like Tories? Okay” then proceeds to put the Tories in their other hand behind their back and give them Tories again lmao.

[@bisque6448]

​@@dariuswong9764No. A labour government is in Reforms interest.

[@LuisDiaz-qg3eg]

"Would you say you could lead the Conservative Party" Farage: "A new opposition centre-right party is going to emerge, and I can lead it to hold Labour accountable" "Let's say it's called ConForm" Terrible opposition name

[@rad4924]

"Reserve" could work too.

[@TheWebstaff]

But propriate for a con artist with prior form.

[@Kreze202]

I'm in favor of Reform + Tories = Refries

[@meteorknight999]

Brainrot like this is why china is winning

[@Soul_of_a_Robot]

​@@Kreze202refried beans

[@SaintGerbilUK]

It would be suicide for reform if they do the whole point is to get away from the Tories, the number of ex-tories joining is making people hesitate.

[@DonaldDuck-wg3qx]

Reform = Tories

[@ionlyfearphobophobia]

It's not the number of ex Tories is the issue, as much as the prospect of those anti-Brexit Tories invading Reform. Reform belongs to Brexit and all those who want it regardless of what party they came from.

[@segue2ant395]

​@@DonaldDuck-wg3qx The Tories are right-wing idiots cucked by free market capitalism, Reform are outright fascist idiots cucked by 'race science'. If you treat them as being the same, then outright fascism is in the overton window for British politics - which is all Farrage has ever wanted. No, thankyou. I hate the Tories, but I'm not about to pretend they're as bad as this lot.

[@markwelch3564]

​@George-lc9lp but if you want positive change, vote Green

[@ionlyfearphobophobia]

@@markwelch3564 Green are just stupid people that smoke too much dope and don't live in reality

[@kaanpleb]

Dont forget this man said "ATTENTION ALL SUSSY GAMERS!" And "Big Chungus is out!"

[@RADICALDESIGNOFFICIAL]

that was months ago and the fact he got paid for this marketing is genius in its self

[@pickleism253]

​@@RADICALDESIGNOFFICIAL"months"

[@sawtooth808]

Wait…Nigel Farrage said “Big Chungus is out” 🤣🤣🤣🤣 if this man becomes Prime Minister he’s gonna be good…for British comedy, which means he’s going to be monumentally bad for the UK (he will make Boris Johnson, and Dave “Pork pies” Cameron look like a blissful dream

[@OriginalPiMan]

Also don't forget that "chungus" was invented by James Stephanie Sterling (from The Jimquisition), as a portmanteau of "chunky anus".

[@Destructocorps]

​@@sawtooth808 he just said anything he was paid to say, he'd be funny if he had someone funny paying him to say funny things they wrote

[@0211brucetube]

"Progressive Conservatives" is the perfect parliamentary party name. Completely and blatantly incoherent

[@Antonio-hb8rd]

Anyone calling themselves progressive can't be trusted.

[@IamVerilance]

It was because of an earlier merger between the Progressive Party and the Conservative Party

[@cgt3704]

You clearly dont know politics

[@c.j.griffin]

If anything, the name sounds emblematic of a wish fulfilment / desire that a significant amount of people might have: I don't want to see a lot of change to the dominant way of life which is also my way of life (Conservative) but that doesn't mean I'm a bigot or small-minded or mean-spirited (Progressive).

[@luisfilipe2023]

⁠@@c.j.griffinexcept progressives are the most bigoted small minded and mean spirited people ever

[@lorenzoargilli]

Apparently, every 8 years, the electorate's brain reboot

[@Keloking]

Give it 6 months just remember Hancock and his love island stunt it did convince a few

[@kb4903]

Boomers going to boom.

[@RJD2838]

@eljay5009 yes the definition o insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. we need new main parties on both the left and the right two clear options for the people to vote for in a proportional system.

[@RuthvenMurgatroyd]

Yes, we know, democracy is an idiotic system 😂

[@ashemocha]

every 8 years the boomer electorate's brain reboots they completely forgot about the whole "don't trust the man who rides around in a bus with politics on the side" somehow

[@BeginnerSkier115]

In my opinion, if they merge with the Tories that kind of just defeats the purpose of Reform's existence in the first place. (Idk I'm Australian so I have zero authority to talk about British politics)

[@markwelch3564]

Depends how much Farage gets to reshape the party in his image. If the only part Farage keeps is the Conservative name, and a few current MPs already loyal to him, I can see Farage doing it

[@Superfoodcookie]

​@markwelch3564 he'll run his party like a dictator, it's actually set up purposely to be anti democratic you can't vote lol. He decided everything. And people willing for that?

[@letsburn00]

I'd guess the most likely outcome is more like how Australia runs, where there is a coalition of two seperate right wing parties.

[@DaeZey]

It's also very different because first-past-the-post (both Brit and Canada in this case) is a system that requires the votes to concentrate down to a couple of parties each seat. The whole reason Reform is damaging the Tories while not actually looking to win many seats is vote splitting. That does put pressure a merger or deal. Under the Aus system the vast majority of reform voters would preference the Tories so they'd have no real need to join with Reform. You'd wind up with something like One Nation where Farage could win a seat and stick around being a pain, but not have an influence beyond his actual vote share. Canada 1993 might repeat in Britain but it couldn't here.

[@Thedarkknight2244]

Why would an Aussie be interested in our boring country

[@yt.personal.identification]

The Tories. The leading party for the last 200 hundreds years that took the British Empire through it's "Managed Decline".

[@joaopedro82465]

All empires decline, without exceptions.

[@yt.personal.identification]

@@joaopedro82465 Everything dies, not just empires.

[@night6724]

@@yt.personal.identification The british empire didn’t have to die and it was Labour under Attlee then Wilson that destroyed the empire and began mass migration (Wilson pulled back but Blair revived it)

[@falconeshield]

Dunno how the Tories stayed around after they beheaded Charles I

[@yt.personal.identification]

@@night6724 Did the Tories ever do anything at all? Every time I mention something, the response is always to blame someone, anyone else.

[@grathem9789]

Very unlikely like Farage knows he is endangering the tories why would he help them

[@jazztec4255]

To become them. To head them and take real power. To infest it and make it reform.

[@DJB01]

To become leader of the opposition and then prime minister, of course. Do you really think he’s an altruistic individual who only cares for working people? No, he’s a former investment banker who only cares about money, and as prime minister he’d be in a position to affect policies to increase the value of his own portfolio. Very reminiscent of Sunak in that regard.

[@Aima952]

Double his vote share and overtaking an established brand and remaking it in your own image would be a massive ego trip. Farage has no interest in taking them on as they currently stand but he'd have a better chance of becoming PM if he went with the merger. But personally I think the right need to split their vote up a bit more - since the economic right who understands that the government needs to stay out of people's private lives seems to be a dying breed.

[@grathem9789]

​@@DJB01I never said he was a altruistic individual.. And i wouldn't so sure about Leader of the Opposition if the conservatives do poorly in the election they will become the 3rd party but that will depend on how they perform in the election.

[@grathem9789]

@@Aima952 Again that will depend how the conservatives perform in the election they could be destroyed as a political force.

[@samueldorrington8990]

If it's not called Reformatory I will be very disappointed.

[@NPC-bs3pm]

Agreed. I think that is the only way I could accept the possibility.

[@kennethkho7165]

Even better than conform

[@FredScuttle456]

Haha! Imagine if Reform was called "Dominion". Condom.

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

If it's not called the Conservative Reform Alliance Party I'll be disappointed.

[@allanlank]

@@skaldlouiscyphre2453 CRAP was, and would be, too appropriately descriptive. 🤣

[@StevenOBrien]

I don't think people fully grasp that a lot of right-wingers are so angry at the Conservative party and the political system in general that they are tactically voting for Labour, not because they support Labour, but because they want to completely destroy the Conservative party and leave them with zero seats. Many of them would love nothing more than to have the Labour party sitting at 650 seats while only receiving 38% of the vote, because it would provoke a constitutional crisis and leave Labour in an extremely awkward position. When people like Farage say that this is "a revolt", they mean it in more ways than you'd expect.

[@night6724]

I think the Tories and Reform will merge after the election but it will effectively be Reform and Farage wearing the Tories’ skin

[@crash.override]

Eh, the US Electoral College is wacky and disproportionate, but despite the few popular-vote-winner-lost outcomes, it's never led to a full-on crisis. Hard to imagine the stiff-upper-lip Brits reacting more vigorously.

[@napoleonfeanor]

No, they vote for Reform and smaller conservative parties.

[@napoleonfeanor]

​@@crash.overrideIt is good for what it was meant to do. Balance more rural and more urban states. It is the united stated of america, not the republic of america.

[@editorrbr2107]

@@napoleonfeanorwe ARE a republic. Article IV, Sec. 4 of the Constitution specifically requires it.

[@ianmckenzie6482]

A few corrections from a Canadian. Reform did not win a seat in 1988, they won a seat in a by election later. And Reform did not merge with the PCs. Reform became a new party called the Canadian Alliance who did merge with the PCs in 2003.

[@Geffo555]

ConForm UK. Sounds ominous.

[@Rammsoldat]

well a lot of the members have a spicy boner for dictatorships so the name would be fitting.

[@MrBurnsExcellent]

That would be political suic*de and just a stupid thing for them to do, and many of their people would not be happy.

[@Geffo555]

@@MrBurnsExcellent If they cared about the happiness of the people they wouldn't be hard right.

[@MrBurnsExcellent]

@@Geffo555 I'm purely saying that their supporters wouldn't be happy i'm not here to give a political opinion, and yours is clearly an opinion but that's fine.

[@Geffo555]

@@MrBurnsExcellent Opinions are not equal. Some believe that Trump is innocent regardless of the evidence. Some still believe that Brexit is a success. And talking of misleading the people, the right only gain power through subterfuge. They want power for their own ends. And promise the earth to get it. But only deliver sewage.

[@andrepoon]

Man whose chief complaint was “Unelected bureaucrats” … sets up a party where he is unelected

[@JayAndNightASMR]

Show how little power the previous leader had, got swapped out and was happy about it

[@Jon-ov4nc]

😂😂😂 couldn't make it up He complains about the EU being undemocratic (it was democratic) Then sets up a party with zero internal democratic accountability or procedures... where he rules as a fascist dictator

[@MrShikaga]

You don’t need democracy everywhere. I am quite happy with a party setup like a business. The point is that VOTERs should elect their leaders, not a bunch of party insiders or trade union leaders.

[@anothermilkshake]

I don’t like Farage but he has explicitly said Reform is a temporary structure.

[@victorconway444]

@@MrShikaga That's a funny way to say dictatorship.

[@GrahamStubbs-u4m]

If reform join with the tories wont they just become the same tories that the public hate?

[@TheWebstaff]

Oh no. They will be much more like the Nazis at that point.

[@socire72]

They already are

[@alanpage3973]

They would be even worse

[@Maerahn]

It'll be Concentrated Tory - kind of like that double-strength squash they're selling these days.

[@deeznoots6241]

Yes, the whole point is just to rebrand the tories under a new name

[@adblocker276]

New name: RefUKTories.

[@fernbedek6302]

Folks in the UK forced to have a Canadian politics lesson... never thought I'd see the day.

[@kizzmiaz]

As Pie said "I've been waiting over a decade to see the end if the conservatives and now it's actually happening I don't even get to enjoy it because the alternative is even worse."

[@tiredgardener]

Aye, all my life I have wished to see them consigned to the history books. Just didn't imagine that we'd see an even worse party rise from their corpse.

[@KingAgniKai]

I'd rather keep the Tories around. They just need reform. No way am I voting for Farage

[@earlofdoncaster5018]

@@KingAgniKai What you want the party of monumental incompetence and epic corruption?

[@kennethhodges3187]

@@KingAgniKai The Tories are the architects of their own misfortune, and as for Farage he is the man who sold us Brexit, and look where that has got us, and he is also trying to get Trump re-elected in the States. This should tell you all you need to know about this Bumptious Windbag!

[@dannyarcher6370]

Pie has been super disappointing since Brexit.

[@blueberries254]

The "Conform" party rolls right off the tongue doesn't it?! "Resvervatory" doesn't really work either

[@overworlder]

Yell ‘Conform’ in a dalek voice 😂

[@lordnoodle2146]

Probably call itself the recovery party or maybe if they take liberty with their name the revolutionary party

[@kizzmiaz]

Con Form more like.

[@stoobydootoo4098]

As smoothly as diahorrea.

[@sabergater174]

0:45 Canadian here, the Reform party and the PC party did merge in 2003 as the Conservatives with Stephen Harper the leader of the Canadian Alliance (the Reform party but a different name) becoming leader of the newly merged party and Peter Mckay the leader of the Progressive Conservative becoming deputy leader of the party then winning in 2006 with Harper as PM and Mckay in key cabinet roles during Harpers tenure.

[@Insertgamerhere]

As a Canadian, it's strange to think our political history is influencing anything going on in the UK, much less any other country at all.

[@JamieKiwiYates]

Don’t worry, it’s not 😂

[@EVITANDY]

It isn't influencing anything. There is merely a similarity.

[@williamhenry8914]

Canada is a very powerful country. 10th largest GDP in the world, 40 million people.

[@MultiKommandant]

Our right wing party got lazy and complacent after a decade and a half of broken promises and lacklustre policies, thinking they were safe in our glorified two-party system. Farage is very much hoping that he can make lightning strike twice and in the process either force the Conservatives here to reorganise into a further-right party or to replace the party in its entirety.

[@rad4924]

Canada has a much bigger global influence than people realise.

[@ulysseskruger]

No. This would defeat the purpose of Reform

[@stoobydootoo4098]

Don't you mean 'porpoise'? That would scare Fartage!

[@BSJinx]

The only purpose of Reform appears to be slaking Farage's ego.

[@nothereandthereanywhere]

The naivety of some people is so sweet to observe. Do you really believe Farage is in to Reform UK? Good one.

[@onatics]

@@stoobydootoo4098 Reform are winning and you know it.

[@stoobydootoo4098]

@@onatics On the multiple polls projections? I'll get back to you on 5th July.

[@bobsnow6242]

"CONform" is a perfectly dystopian name for such a cursed alliance.

[@garyturner5739]

Partners in crime they would be.

[@kierandallas4206]

He can only do this AFTER the election. If he helped the Tories now, the Reform vote would collapse. It benefits him now to stay away from the Tories. After the election a deal may be possible.

[@pedrorequio5515]

Lets see what kind of power will he have, it really depends on how large the defeat is. If we get what the poll says, they have to tackle the issue head on. If, as I believe, maybe naively, a lot of tactical vote will take place in right leaning constituencies in the South and Wales to stop a huge majority for Starmer(having a 400+ majority means even a radical number of backbenchers cant do nothing to stop Starmer). If the Conservatives have over 120 MPs then Farage loses, because they will remain clearly the Main opposition party, and they can just wait for reform to die down because what follows is a Stable Five year Labour government, pleanty of time for the sheep to forget about Conservative governments. They wont care for Reform if the option then is Labour.

[@kierandallas4206]

@@pedrorequio5515 Personally I see the Tories getting hammered no matter what happens. If they get 120 seats, that can be classed as a good night for them. You’re right, Farage would blow himself out of steam and Reform would quickly lose what appeal it has. I think Labour will better the Boris result in 2019 but I don’t see a supermajority

[@pedrorequio5515]

@@kierandallas4206 Just for reference what is a Super majority in the British system, for what I understand a majority in Parliment is enough even for constitutional acts in the UK. By now they will get more than 400 Labour, with even a small reform effect most Midlands constituencies will flip easily to Labour because they have enough of a plurality in all of them.

[@mooxim]

lmao wow Conform sounds like such an appropriate name for a right wing party.

[@avacyn2000]

Conforming to Globalism?

[@nickhalden4759]

4:15 “‘ere though” - I love it when Ben’s northernness shines through 😂

[@smallmj2886]

There were many reasons that the PC's were hated in 1993, not just the constitutional failures. Massive corruption was also a huge issue, along with skyrocketing government debt.

[@LazarusWilhelm]

6:29 or infighting and (genuine) 'far-right' infiltration, that was UKIP's problem

[@abugina]

@TLDR News Since Reform is set up as a business and Monsieur Farrage is the majority shareholder and the deputy leader of Reform said, they are making a contract with the voter. Does that also mean Reform and Farrage could be liable in the future for breach of contract?

[@csvickers151]

If this is the case compromising could prove disastrous for reform.

[@paulchristopher8634]

It won’t happen because the conservatives would not accept him as leader

[@rapp-in1mz]

Currently I'm just being smart and frugal with my money, I'm in the green 47% over the last 23 months and l've accumulated over $70K in pure profits from DCA’ing into stocks, ETFs, dividends and futures. However I’ve been in the red for a month now. I work hard for my money, so investing is making me a nervous sad wreck. I don’t know if I should sell everything, sit and just wait.

[@bonner-qv3mi]

completely agree. I have been consistent with my profit regardless of the market conditions. I got into the market early in 2019 and the constant downtrends and losses discouraged me, so I sold off. I got back in December 2020 and this time with guidance from an investment adviser who was recommended by a colleague

[@rapp-in1mz]

I've been considering but haven't been proactive. Can you recommend your advisor? Could really use some assistance.

[@bonner-qv3mi]

Angela Lynn Schilling is the licensed advisor I use. Just research the name. You’d find necessary details to work with to set up an appointment.

[@rapp-in1mz]

I looked up her name online and found her page. I emailed and made an appointment to talk with her. Thanks for the tip

[@alalala132whyisthishandletaken]

@@rapp-in1mz wow now that is an insanely well executed scam bait ad. well done.

[@chriswintle664]

I hope not. PR needs to take over on UK Parliament

[@Steelmage99]

What's PR?

[@ben-9123]

Hitler wouldn't have come to power if it weren’t for PR.

[@marcused8317]

@@Steelmage99proportional representation

[@overworlder]

Funny thing is, if the Tories had supported the transferable vote, they’d have a chance. Nationally, Tory plus Reform is equal to the Labour vote.

[@markwelch3564]

​@TenOrbital they'd be even more obliterated, as while they can combine the Tory and Reform vote on one side, you'll get the same with Labour, LibDem and Green voting on the other There would also be quite a bit of Tory-LibDem transfer too

[@baggaz167]

@TLDR News, is it my imagination, or has the camera on Ben been blurry for the last couple of videos... think the lens needs a clean, possibly?

[@stoobydootoo4098]

Both.

[@crash.override]

The flicker of the neon sign in the background is annoying

[@richdobbs6595]

As an American, I wonder how would the merged party not just become what the Tories are today? Are there institutional changes that could be made that would lead to different MPs and different decisions?

[@lukeporras1288]

If Reform merged with the Conservative Party at this moment, it would mean the end of Reform and all the work that was put into its existence. Maybe it could work several years down the line when the Conservatives are truly in shambles, and Reform has the prerogative.

[@James-sk4db]

@@lukeporras1288 they have no need to though the tories only work as a party because they are "right of labour", they get any voter right of labour. So if there is a party right of them it should pick up the vast majority of reluctant tory voters and disenfranchised right wing voters.

[@Dilbert-o5k]

Tories haven't been right wing for ages, that is the complaint, they are not conservative.

[@Robespierre-lI]

Your own two party system should provide the answer to that question.

[@lukeporras1288]

@@Robespierre-lI Britain’s party system is far more centralized than America’s. In the United States, anyone can run under whichever party they prefer, there is no central leadership that can kick them from the party. Contrast that to Britain, where party elites can just excommunicate anyone they dislike and keep them from ever even standing under that party. It’s still difficult, but much easier to change a party from the bottom-up in America than it is in Britain.

[@OldLadyPlays]

If they do merge, they should call it "Reformatories".

[@WarWulf778]

I've seen tipping points like this happen here in Northern Ireland, with Sinn Fein overtaking the SDLP and the DUP doing the same to the UUP. Once a party starts to dominate, the 'splitting the vote' argument tends to work against the previously larger party, leading to drastic and rapid changes in election results.

[@shillty]

Farage and tory joining should be called fart

[@allandoughty1039]

All I would add to you recounting of the rise of the Canadian Reform Party is that it was only a regional party. In 1993, Reform swept Canada's Western Provinces of Manitoba , Saskatchewan and Alberta which have a more culturally right wing voting populace. It was only because Reform realized they would grow no further that they agreed to negotiate with the Progressive Conservatives to merge so they could realistically be part of Government.

[@218kq]

"Conform"... a well put suggestion name by Ferarri.

[@user-op8fg3ny3j]

Why

[@dominicchallis2928]

@@user-op8fg3ny3jIt’s a clever portmanteau.

[@218kq]

Not a sound name for opposition.​@@user-op8fg3ny3j though I'm forever in Indonesia so idk how the entitled to the matter Englishmen think of that.

[@CM73878]

If the Conservatives join Reform, a substantial number of former Conservatives voters will move to the Liberal Democrats, particularly in the affluent south of the country. So 1 plus 1 would actually make 1.5. We have to remember that many Conservatives voters wished to remain in the EU, and for those it would be unacceptable to join a party led by a Brexiteer.

[@TheWebstaff]

Or a con artist.

[@pevebe]

Good. That's what we need, more polarisation not less if we wish to get out of this mess. There can be no room for half hearted politics as the torys are king at

[@Edmuresrampantmanhood-dp3jd]

Labour is a lot more right wing than the lib dems right now, it's more likely that the leftwing of labour splits off and what is leftover from the party will continue to drift towards the center right taking over the old support base. Then you have a center right party in government and a fascist one in opposition just like us in America.

[@jeddgangman4502]

They have been part of a party led by three brexiteers

[@mateyp3365]

Likewise, a lot of reform voters are voting for them specifically because they are not the Conservatives, so they probably also wouldn't vote for a merger.

[@niqaily4415]

Con-form... That would be the worst name ever :D

[@martinbaylis5361]

These MP,s are expert at staying on the gravy train when the grass is greener, we need new candidates not old ones under a different label.

[@10hawell]

Reform will cannibalise tories, if they merge tories will drag them down, reform needs center right (if you could call tories that) to compare itself to.

[@IMMAPARADOX_]

Great content as usual, so glad I found this page, thanks to everyone who works hard to get it on our screens 💚

[@JohnHinchliff]

just an attempt by ferrari who is a tory to bailout his morally bankcrupt party.

[@rorynator7567]

I'm a fan of the interview clips you've been using in your videos over the course of the elections. Feels pretty professional.

[@mach4253]

I hate to be Sunak right now

[@ChuffedLemon]

No sympathy for him

[@danielpeter3834]

Looks here's the thing said our dementia president... Nobody voted for Sunak. Nobody would've ever voted for him. The vote was for the conservatives and Boris Johnson. Then all his successors were appointed not elected. Even Liz Truss got in just to stop Sunak for turning up the UK into some kind of (insert Mundian to Bach Ke music here) you know what I mean by that. Then she couldn't and the poor people of the UK had no other choice but to accept this Sunak Sunak Sunak Sunak Sunak Sunak Sunak Sunak Su Da Da Da... Oh wait that's wrong the song goes Tunak not Sunak. But you get my point. Here in the old good USA were stuck with someone that doesn't even know where he is at... Not for long that's true. But we're deeply concerned about our ancestors there in the UK as well. 🇬🇧🤝🏻🇺🇲

[@SongokuJidai]

First "Condem", a mix between condom and condemn. Now "Conform". The brain drain in British politics is real.

[@ilovejesusandilovegod8803]

Like son like father 🥹🇨🇦 (it’s 3:00 AM in my province)

[@amb163]

Now I'm going to have Preston Manning's voice in my head saying "Refooooorm" for the rest of the day. Ugh. Thanks for that.

[@cd_monty3010]

Sure hope not

[@AaronAnaya]

The main reason that the Canadian Reform Party was so successful is because regionalism plays a much bigger factor in North American politics than it does in Europe. Reform was almost entirely supported by voters in Western Canada who felt alienated from the rest of the country. Reform UK isn’t likely to be able to exploit any specific region to gain seats.

[@socire72]

Scotland, wales, the North, London. (NI isn’t included, sectarian and majority wont support any british party).

[@spynosocks]

i dont think that will happen until after the general election

[@jamesbowden4871]

This is not correct. The Reform Party became the Canadian Alliance in 2000 by gaining endorsements from some *provincial* Progressive Conservative Parties, namely in Alberta and Ontario. But the Canadian Alliance did not merge with the rump of the federal Progressive Conservative Party until 2003.

[@Gdsamplify]

I hope not

[@TroyTheTory]

Small problem. The Progressive Conservatives didn’t merge with Reform. In the late 90s Reform attempted a “Unite the Right” campaign and rebranded themselves the Canadian Alliance. Essentially a merger without a merger. The Canadian Alliance contested the 2000 election along with the Prog. Conservatives, who were truly slipping into irrelevance. Both parties merged in 2003, due in part to desperation to stave off newly minted PM Paul Martin, Canada’s equivalent to Gordon Brown, from winning a majority.

[@PaidAMaluCachu]

Reform started as a right wing protest party in reaction to the tories failings in government, so merging with the tories would be the end of them. It would also be the final nail in the coffin for the tories, as it shows how the party is no longer fit for purpose in its current form

[@rayanrizwan9611]

The difference between Canada 1993 and the 2024 UK election is that the Canadian Reform Party was super strong because they could sweep Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Furthermore, the Bloc Quebecois was a massive force, nearly taking the entirety of Quebec, and thus the BQ and Reform took all of the Progressive Conservative's seats. Since the UK is a unitary state, such factors don't really exist that the UK tories have to worry about

[@rayanrizwan9611]

I would argue that the Bloc Quebecois had a greater deal in taking down the PC, for in Canada you need to carry Quebec to win an election(for Ontario usually votes the same way each election)

[@AjaxFerrariLeafs]

I have to disagree the PCs overall weren't interested in merging at with the Canadian Alliance/Reform. Canadian Alliance strongholds were mainly in the West, where as the PCs were in the Atlantic mainly. Peter Mackay ran for PCs under the promise that he wasn't going to merge with the CA and Steven Harper, but broke that promise less than a week after he won leadership. Thinking he was going to win the Conservative party leadership

[@AjaxFerrariLeafs]

I forgot people even Canadians has this misconception that the Bloc were this leftist party that wants Quebec to separate from Canada. At the first leader was Deputy PM to Mulroney of the PCs, it only got this left leaning when Gilles Duceppe took over leadership. But the current leader has been middle of the road.

[@everest9707]

If you voted for Brexit, want there to be a good party in opposition to the forthcoming woke Labour government, and have a future government that cares about you and the UK, then please vote for Reform UK! And don't forget to take your photo ID! For more information visit the Electoral Commission.

[@terranceharrison]

Not sure how Farage has the balls to show his face given the disaster that was brexit

[@ionlyfearphobophobia]

The only reason this split happened is because the Tories betrayed us, giving us Brexit only in name. They were supposed to use our new found freedom to close the borders and shred those regulations strangling the economy, yet what they did instead is the opposite.

[@FitraHomestead]

Even worse the people believing him all over again.

[@prideofdurham4776]

@terrance harrison. It was the Tories who deliberately made a mess of Brexit because they used it to get elected and like Labour didnt want it.

[@overworlder]

It’s like communism - true Brexit has never been implemented.

[@bearcubdaycare]

And yet the breakaway party that he's promoting is doing reasonably well in the polls. Clearly not toxic to everyone.

[@KingAgniKai]

This would kill the Tories. I could see the center right being pushed out completely if this happens.

[@macbitz]

Tories + Reform... there is a hell!!

[@clmclmn21]

It’s going to be hell under Starmer and Labour I’m afraid. Still it could be worse, it could be the Greens in power. That would be welcome to 1395.

[@sharonharris9782]

​@@kevinh4869whys that? You must like fad ism. You must like racism and bigotry. Smh

[@ronmastrio2798]

Nooooooo you can't just have a right wing party that's le bad.

[@MaxpunchIDK]

Well first as a tragedy second as a farce.

[@Megan-ii4gf]

I'm surprised no one has been talking about how dystopian the Reform party election broadcast on the BBC was. It was just 5 minutes of total silence with the words "Britain is broken. Britain needs reform." plastered on the screen. It felt like an XCOM 2 loading screen lol.

[@MrH1990s]

If any single politician could save this country, it would be Nigel Farage, he has consistently fought for this country for over 30 years without being elected once, so let’s imagine what happens when he does get elected as MP

[@Dilbert-o5k]

He was elected as an mep for many years. Funny how those who think that the EU is the best thing since sliced bread give no credit for him being part of their establishment for so long.

[@chrisj1909]

Fucking hope not

[@graemenowlan7888]

Small clarification from a Canadian fan: The Canadian Reform Party rebranded as the Canadian Alliance around the 2000 election. The Alliance then merged with the PCs in 2003 as the Conservative Party of Canada. The Conservatives lost the 2004 election (minority Liberal government) before winning a minority themselves in 2006.

[@jan2000nl]

They could become an Axis of the absurd.

[@garyturner5739]

They already are.

[@zeroconnect5910]

Canada had the same discussion back in the 1990s but no one did anything until 2003 when the Canadian Alliance dropped all of their populist messaging to merge

[@malcolmmitchell6529]

Why on earth would any party rescue them?

[@bearcubdaycare]

Didn't they just split? Yeah, the same split and later merger happened in Canada. But the merger was well after the Progressive Conservatives dropped to 2 seats, and Reform surged to like 60. Reform negotiated from a place of much more strength than if they had merged before winning a lot of seats.

[@stephanguitar9778]

Farage "Centre right" 😅

[@lewis123417]

If he becomes the largest right wing party he will be the center right

[@d.airhorn3702]

Hes definitely not 'far right'

[@williamhenry8914]

@@lewis123417 I don't know about that. Part of our benchmarking for what 'far' means comes from history and from comparisons with other democracies. Like if the Involuntarily Euthanize Foreigners And The Poor party achieved a majority, it would still reasonably be called a far right party despite its popularoty in the moment.

[@lewis123417]

@williamhenry8914 what makes farage far right then? And what difference is that from normal center right politics

[@pevebe]

@@williamhenry8914 You are heavily delusional from years of living under the tories thinking they're even on on the centre right nevermind the right

[@razabadass]

Thanks

[@frogandspanner]

Centre right? Fascism is the new norm.

[@d.airhorn3702]

Can I have a hit of your crack pipe?

[@pevebe]

I wish. Sorry buddy but Tory Lite isn't anything radical, that will come down the line though so eyes peeled.

[@pl443]

Bring on this joint venture!

[@GrahamFearnley]

What a horrible thought we would be more in shit then

[@bennypoon1506]

For practical purposes, the merged Conservative Party ended up much closer to the old PC party ideologically than what Reform wanted to be. There was very little support for what Reform stood for outside of western Canada.

[@TheWebstaff]

They might. And I will never ever ever vote for the newly formed fascist party.

[@pevebe]

If they actually end up being as radical as what you describe I'll go out and canvas for them. Otherwise they'll inevitably be just a tory lite party if they merge

[@nikmych300]

Whats wrong with fascism?

[@Theelolman]

​@@nikmych300 Must be bait. If not though, the 1940's would like a word.

[@saintstiiizy]

reform isn't fascist 💀 saying this as a leftist

[@nikmych300]

@@Theelolman bait for what? the 1940 cant be a good representation of fascism same as todays standards is not a good representation of democracy. outside of the timeline of ww2 what was wrong with fascism why specifically is it bad.

[@politicoacademia]

The Tories and Reform actually merged in 2003, it’s just that in 2000 the Reform Party rebranded itself to the Canadian Reform-Conservative Alliance to appeal to more to a wider voter base.

[@annabethchase2569]

The UK is inexplicably far too invested in the opinions of Nigel Farage, even after the disaster that was Brexit.

[@nietzscheankant6984]

There are a lot of dumbasses in every country. A LOT of dumbasses.

[@ginjaedgy49]

The UK is far too fed up with current politics more like

[@DorotheaAntonio]

The UK wants a proper Brexit and not the BRINO it got!

[@madgavin7568]

Because the man speaks truth to power, he's very charismatic and intelligent as well. He speaks for a significant number of people in the country who are disillusioned with the current system, he's not going anywhere.

[@sharonharris9782]

​@@madgavin7568he speaks truth? 😂 No, he tells you exactly what he thinks you want to hear. He's just like Trump. That's what you want? 😂😂😂😂 Good luck with that crap. And you , judging by your comment , are Farages perfect mark. Smh

[@zackward7771]

I can't help but laugh when Farrage describes his party as centre-right... The Overton window is a gaping wound at this point.

[@DJClintB]

Why are you not posting a Reform UK manifesto explained video?

[@GoogleAccount-tf6lh]

Because they are apart of the woke mind virus

[@GoogleAccount-tf6lh]

(They haven’t done the small parties: reform, green, workers ect)

[@TedJM]

​@@GoogleAccount-tf6lhI think they're bringing it out Monday in South Wales

[@lemonx1653]

@@TedJM said i am in greenwich time and not south wales time

[@Dilbert-o5k]

The provisional manifesto has been on their website for ages. The final tweak will be released in Wales

[@RK-ln6kg]

Coalitions happening all over the world

[@tiredgardener]

If the Torys are done, it may be a case of 'better the devil you know than the devil you don't'. I still can't help but shake the feeling that we are seeing history repeat itself. It feels a bit like Germany in the period of 1918 to 1933.

[@pevebe]

Yes we are currently in the weimar period repeat, if anyone knows the horrors that occurred during that era then they'll see the parallels. The things that occurred during that era forced the german people to vote for the guys that came next and they were perfectly just in doing that. Hard times call for hard solutions

[@night6724]

are you seriously comparing Farage to Mustache Austrian Painter?

[@night6724]

@@pevebeExcept there are a lot of massive differences. There’s also a lot of truism about Weimar Germany. For starters hyperinflation did not lead to the rise of the national socialists. Hyperinflation had ended by the 1920s with the new currency and agreement with the US to take in loans. What lead to the national socialists rise was overplaying the bad depression and claiming it would be a second hyperinflation period. They also used the reichstag fire to suspend the constitution and fundamentally change weimar germany. Farage isn’t proposing that. He isn’t calling for mass institutional change like the national socialists did. He is calling for a political change

[@tiredgardener]

@night6724 Power both corrupts and reveals. Farage hasn't had any power yet, so we can't honestly say what he'll do if/when he has power. Doubtful it will be an exact repeats but there are a good number of parallels to give the feelingbwe are seeing the start of something historical.

[@pevebe]

@@night6724 You're forgetting several things that were also monumental factors, one being the people responsible for writing the many books that were later burnt were particularly active during the weimar period, and the people learned to heavily dislike them, secondly the faction that the fire was blamed on were also active with ended up aiding their opponents

[@MADARCHAUDHARY]

Sunak should campaign on the slogan BRACES FOR BRITAIN. It is sure to bring a smile on the faces of all Brits. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@pastyman001]

Farage deserves no special debates. He's has had 37 BBC premier political programme QT, including the other day, despite 7 failed attempts for parliament, the last beaten by a man in a dolphin suit. Only one pollster put Reform on 19% others are around 13%. They won just 2 council seats and their predecessor parties won just 2 seats ever in parliament, sitting Tory MP incumbents. He's not normal. He went to private schools, Dulwich college and worked as a commodities broker in the city of London.

[@madgavin7568]

Lefty crybaby nonsense. Farage has support for a reason.

[@Punckmuckl]

How is it legal for a party to not be democratically organized in the UK?!

[@usercruiserr]

tories+tories=nothing good

[@KillerkoUK]

NO DEAL please.. we've seen how that panned out in the past...

[@maximusdecimus4017]

Reform is far right not centre right.

[@nwebster84]

If the SNP was still relevant, we could see another parallel to the 1993 Canadian election.

[@alynwillams4297]

They are still relevant and a predicted to win a majority in Scotland yet again.

[@prideofdurham4776]

I am going to vote Reform , however it will be Labour if I get one whiff of a coalition with the CONs.

[@TheWebstaff]

Why?

[@socire72]

So to stop the tories… you want to vote for a party that stands for the exact same things the tories do? (Big business, money for capitalists)

[@pevebe]

@@socire72 The tories are socially on the left on everything that matters. Reform aren't (right now) , so yes I will be voting for them. I'm sure we'll get betrayed and these promises wll fall through as the brexit promises did but we will keep trying or we will lose our land

[@FART-REPELLENT]

Under Tory-Starmer there is no Labour Party; they have morphed into Tories MK2

[@saintstiiizy]

​@@socire72one less vote for the tories you numbnut

[@MrKingJJJJ]

always impressed to see a Canadian Reform Party reference

[@FitraHomestead]

Farage has a silly face on every display picture used.

[@TheWebstaff]

But it's the only face he has?

[@jayc342009]

@@TheWebstaff awh, so mean.

[@edsr164]

I hope that comes to pass

[@tonyb9735]

Farage is not centre right, he is further right than the current Tory party, which itself shifted massively to the right in recent years, partly due to Farage's influence. I don't think enough of the electorate would vote for a hard right Reform Party. In the absence of a better alternative, I think many one-nation Tories would be more likely to shift to the Lib Dems. It could the the start of a big resurgence for that Party.

[@ronmastrio2798]

Lol calling the party that imports a million immigrants a year "far right" is hilarious.

[@Firedancer100]

Reform is the party for me and everyone I know in the north

[@steiraman1]

But let's not imply that the Tories are a "progressive" conservative party, whatever that means anyway. The Tories like so many other conservative parties in Europe copied the far right, until they were indistinguishable and one bey one they will collapse under it as a result. Either merging or being smaller: look at the Conservatives in France and Austria for example.

[@lewis123417]

Having a laugh aren't you? The conservatives vote collapsed BECAUSE they haven't been right wing David cameron, Theresa may, Boris Johnson. All London Liberal who did absolutely nothing about immigration

[@talideon]

The Canadian PCs weren't particularly progressive either. Just because something is in a party's name doesn't mean they actually practice it

[@ronmastrio2798]

They're labour driving at the speed limit lets not call the party that imports a million immigrants a year "far right".

[@kudoss23]

Don't do it Nigel or you'll lose my vote. We don't want conservatives that's the whole point in voting for Reform UK!!