The punishing regime of a Labour government has not dampened the turnout for Reform UK, as the Gorton and Denton by-election results showed yesterday. Although a Green candidate won it, Matt Goodwin managed a second place finish with 10,578 votes.
It’s a good showing in a Greater Manchester constituency that may be wary of a national personality showing up on its doorstep to talk about Reform politics.
The outpacing by Hannah Spencer MP (Gorton and Denton/Green Party) is a stunning victory for the Green alliance of interests, but it’s a far cry from real politics. Reform must do better next time.
Reform UK today outlined their proposals for immigration reform if they entered government on the back of news about the Dover Crossings and the currency it has in the UK population.
Nigel Farage MP (Clacton/Reform UK) is a leader who’s mounting a challenge against the laziness by public servants, perceived in the halls of power as seemingly incapable of wielding the might of the state against illegal boats.
Nigel Farage speaking today about his worries over the potential rise of extremism in the UK.
Their ‘program’ involves passing an Illegal Migration Mass Deportation Act, principally, it seems, to prevent Justices from stopping removal flights, a bugbear of conservatives of late in the UK, and a part of the effort to deal with the successful arrival of illegal entrants.
They also want to exit the ECHR to fast-track decisions here; make it obligatory by law for a Home Secretary to remove illegal entrants; and to setup a UK Deportation Command to “track down, and detain” illegal entrants wherever they are.
These were triumphantly announced at a press conference by Zia Yusuf, not an MP as yet for Reform UK but touted as their ‘Shadow Home Secretary’, a tall order for an unelected, former chairman of the party, and technically only its Spokesperson for Home Affairs for now.
Reform UK continues to increase its presence in the Welsh fold with a second Senedd member now turning to the party after feeling disaffection in their political duties while currently in office.
The defection of James Evans MS (Brecon and Radnorshire/Reform UK) may mark a starting point for a renewed push into heartlands usually leaning toward Labour or nationalist entities that seek a greater autonomy for the nation.
This morning I joined Reform UK.
I have taken my time, read the policies and manifesto carefully, and spent weeks speaking to people and listening. I wouldn’t make a move like this without a great deal of thought. I have come to the conclusion that Reform UK is the party that… pic.twitter.com/2mcBKiBDWz
However, it’s a difficult field of play for a party that sounds too English and looks to London for most if not all of the fulfilment of its real purposes for power.
The base that is now building up in all four corners of the UK has a certain size of energy and expectation and it needs to follow through to confidently assert its dominance in Parliament, and elsewhere.
The suggestion that activist Tommy Robinson has seriously taken to Reform UK is now an old hat sarcasm in modern UK politics.
He’s used as a political football by liberal media commentators all over to make short-but-sweet accusations of racism against any and all conservative politicians.
Danny Kruger MP (East Wiltshire/Reform UK) responding to a question on Politics Live, a BBC program.
The response is now a testy exchange between hosts and guests on television programs, with the former suggesting it and the latter just refuting the suggestion.
It’s unlikely Robinson or others like him will find a foothold in the fields of battle themselves, but some think it’s worth a mention.
The Reform UK mission at the moment is to remind its supporters that “Britain Needs Reform”. It’s now a signature power move to the centre ground of politics even as it lurches to the right as soon as one of its MP’s opens their mouths.
However, a felt need to state things as truth has to give way at some point to the necessity to present hard facts to get backing. It’s an approach that Nigel Farage MP (Clacton/Reform UK) now has to hone because he has to help his party win.
The contest for a seat in Manchester is not likely to achieve this on its own, but their candidate is a far more able figure than most to fill the gaps in its manifesto. It needs to get a real platform going before the next general election.
Reform UK as an entity has surged in its popularity. It has become a contender in UK politics. However, it’s not an inevitability.
The start was rocky considering many of its key figures have faced relentless abuse. It’s not an easy gig, politics, but it didn’t need to be that hard. However, it has come through strongly.
Source: OpenAI ChatGPT.
The trouble is that a bad argument is a tight one – and it’s an easy one to repeat. This becomes the bugbear of many as they seek a hearing for what they have to say, no matter the initial reaction.
Yet, the repetitive slander is the refrain that seeks defeat in the moment, and every time. This is what Reformers have faced.
The definitions of wayward words aside, the party has got to show that it has got the balls to win. This takes as much virtue – and valour – as any other politician here has had to show in their time.
Robert Jenrick was welcomed into the Reform UK fold early this evening with an event that specially marked his defection and signified the initiation of a forward drive for the party hoping to achieve more than triumph in the polls.
His declaration of support for Nigel Farage solidified a long held ambition for Clacton’s famous MP. He’s tried many times before to enter Parliament, but his success in 2024 was only the beginning of seeking to fulfil his real dreams.
Robert Jenrick MP (Newark/Reform UK) shows his rhetorical skills for Nigel Farage MP (Clacton/Reform UK).
Farage has told many like Jenrick of his pip for power as something that drives him as an Englishman, and he says it’s grounded in values that he’s felt and picked up on across the country during his prolonged career on the political stage.
Jenrick is of a similar hue and glistens with vision in his own eyes, and so the two are bedfellows. The progress of his beliefs in the party may be at odds at times with those that are less progressive, but he has the same spirit as the party membership has as well.
The nation’s upstart is on a mission to run itself, and Reform UK has taken on a big hitter in Robert Jenrick MP (Newark/Reform UK) to continue its pace and to up the anti against any naysayers.
Its effort is in need of a lot more energy, similar to the verve it’s shown beyond the gates.
This requires a strong party whip acting as a team when it matters, and keeps the party straight. In Parliamentary rules, the unwritten one is that party volunteers are the best at this for a smaller party.
But, it’s all a decision for those in the game, and Jenrick may now have his say on what matters, but it’s a group effort. I wonder what their head office thinks?
The defection of Nadhim Zahawi to Reform UK is a boon for a party that may soon have found itself out of its depth in the deep end.
The UK political slate is a tough one, and the ask requires more than it had currently been giving.
He’s a tough talking shop in political meetings, and he commands a room – and a space – with deft ease.
He may have been a strong figure for the Conservatives, but Reform UK hasn’t been tested yet.
He may prove to be an expert handler for them, but the party itself is full of willing figures. It takes more than brains – and not a little brawn – to really breakthrough in such a state of affairs.
If the political wind of luck is with him he may well rise higher, and even become a leading star. But this is event politics at the moment, and he’s not the main man.
Nigel Farage MP (Clacton/Reform UK) is a classic example of marksmanship in UK politics. He’s said to not be understood but polling suggests he’s understood by most people. The model of fitting paper thin accusations against the relevant days events allows for an ongoing, long-running narrative of decline. It’s not true, however, that Farage does this in our political system at all.
He’s known as a sociable, affable chap amongst many different types of people. It’s hard not to be. There are many “decent” people in politics, as he usually says to me, and it never dims in his spirit. He’s always been a welcoming part of the Westminster folk, even if his prior platforms were European-based. He’s not been accused of racism by any of our major, leading institutions. It’s tattle that follows him otherwise.
Reform UK has taken its fight to Holyrood after its biggest defection yet from the Conservatives turned out to be Lord Offord of Garvel.
I am delighted to join @ReformUKScot. We have an important election coming up in May next year. Scotland needs Reform and Reform is coming to Scotland. 🏴🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/NMWWoyt8aQ
The case against Nigel Farage, Reform UK and any wider movement for a change of status of UK politics isn’t water tight. The meanings of terms and words that are used to describe nefarious activity have to be used properly.
In recent times this hasn’t been so. The haphazard pointing of fingers at anyone in the political system has got to stop, or we risk a BNP-style rattling of legitimate political activity.
The followers of Nick Griffin & Co. have often come at us, not just in the mainstream, but at a side angle. They’ve attacked us on all sorts of grounds and intimidated us in many types of ways.
The aims of a Far Right party in any state aren’t based on preservation alone but have terms of engagement. This is seen in other types of political movement, not just the right.
Nigel Farage has started a party that is steadying the political intrigue and wishes of a large number of people. He isn’t targeting people at random. He isn’t pursuing the harm of others.
At this juncture, the two leading small-c conservative parties have set out their stalls.
The Conservatives have said they’ll back big business but for the benefit of consumers, meaning it’ll make it easier to transact but for better value. This seems to be its position.
The Reform side have come out recently for small business, saying they’ll back entrepreneurs that serve a more local customer base. This is in support of its large support base centred on affordable living.
The two parties then have a way to reach voters, and it’s an angle that makes sense on their side of the political divide.
The defection of Danny Kruger MP (East Wiltshire/Reform UK) to Reform UK is a turning point in its prospects. The party has gained credence and has traction in its wish for election domination. It will come through in Parliament in time.
Danny Kruger MP speaking at a Reform UK event. He said he’s moving to Reform UK.
The only problem is the scale of the challenge. An election is a frightening prospect, albeit a wonderful opportunity. The two may clash to form of a context of division or divide. This is because parties face battles of their own to survive competing ambitions.
The appearance of Kruger in the firm roster of its MP’s is a boon for the more stable minded. It’s not wishful thinking now, and it’s looking likely more MP’s will come. The choice is how the win is achieved. The defeat is in its own hands.
