The Reform UK Party (latest nigel farage vehicle) is it to be laughed at or not
- Thread starter bimble
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cupid_stunt
Happy New Year!
Apparently Reform is currently doing a nationwide tour of regional conferences, and the spat with Badenoch looks like it going to escalate at one of those tonight, according to the The Spectator, which has always been considered to be the Tory party magazine, but since being taken over by the main backer of GB News, has been running a lot of articles on Reform.
brogdale
Coming to terms with late onset Anarchism
The fucker's gonna milk Badenoch's stupidity for all it's worth. If any press are allowed to ask questions it would be good if they asked about the Musk/SYL connection.
cupid_stunt
Happy New Year!
I doubt there'll be press there, he likes these events to be very controlled.
brogdale
Coming to terms with late onset Anarchism
of course; that's what authoritarians are like...
cupid_stunt
Happy New Year!
Farage has decided not to sue Badenoch, which is a shame, as it would have been very entertaining.
Instead he's making her seat a target one, which if she's still leader of the Tories, would be funny if she lost, it'll hard to unseat her, but I guess not impossible if a load of Labour/LDs decided to lend their votes to Reform for the LOLz.
And, the results at the GE were -
www.standard.co.uk
Instead he's making her seat a target one, which if she's still leader of the Tories, would be funny if she lost, it'll hard to unseat her, but I guess not impossible if a load of Labour/LDs decided to lend their votes to Reform for the LOLz.
And, the results at the GE were -
‘Gloves are off’ as Reform UK sets sights on Badenoch’s constituency – Farage
The Tory and Reform leaders have argued over party membership figures.
www.standard.co.uk
brogdale
Coming to terms with late onset Anarchism
A Tim Bale piece about Summer 2024 polling of the demographics and values of refUKer members; no great surprises:
They're:
- Old
- Predominantly "middle class"
- Not very regionally biased except against London (just 5% of members from GL)
- Traditionalist/authoritarian and self-identify as right-wing
- Fairly similar to Tory members re. climate denial & immigration
- >50% tax/public service cutters (more Tory than Tory members)
- Keen on "big men" leaders inc. Farage, obvs
- Less likely to be 'feet on the ground' activists than other party members
- but more likely than other parties' members to promote online
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brogdale
Coming to terms with late onset Anarchism
Apparently Farage was asked about Musk's promotion of SYL and he didn't look very comfortable explaining how he/refUKers didn't share the enthusiasm...2:20 - 3:00 in this Youtube clip of last night's C4News:
Certainly a uncomfortable rift between Farage & Musk
andysays
Love and solidarity
Farage has decided not to sue Badenoch, which is a shame, as it would have been very entertaining.
Instead he's making her seat a target one, which if she's still leader of the Tories, would be funny if she lost, it'll hard to unseat her, but I guess not impossible if a load of Labour/LDs decided to lend their votes to Reform for the LOLz.
And, the results at the GE were -
‘Gloves are off’ as Reform UK sets sights on Badenoch’s constituency – Farage
The Tory and Reform leaders have argued over party membership figures.
A more effective way of unseating Badenoch would be for Reform supporters to vote Labour, but I very much doubt Farage will suggest that.
brogdale
Coming to terms with late onset Anarchism
Yes, because with the major exception of Badenoch being >10% up, these shares of the popular vote are not far away from the national averages for the 2024 GE, (LP 34%, Vermin 24%, refUKers 14% & LDs 12%).
The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
Loser
There's a longish thread on Twitter @Julius_Ktxt which has some data on Reform and other parties voting support in areas of multi depravation . There is a correlation and there is a correlation with education and qualification levels . Of course the biggest issue for areas of deprivation and low qualification levels is that the rate of non voting is normally more prevalent. That is where a populist party whether left or right could make a diffrence as centrism just doesnt cut it.
brogdale
Coming to terms with late onset Anarchism
Could be, though I doubt it's all that sophisticated, tbh. More likely that the rich fella is just prone to promoting any old far-right bollox.
ska invita
back on the other side
Ruse or not it has that effect
ska invita
back on the other side
whats the bottom axis?
brogdale
Coming to terms with late onset Anarchism
Index of multiple deprivation metrics. Shame the Y axes scaling is a bit funky.
beesonthewhatnow
going deaf for a living
Has it though? They’ll take his cash without a seconds thought.
“Of course he may say some things we don’t agree with, that’s his right, free speech etc etc”
brogdale
Coming to terms with late onset Anarchism
Oh yes, I'm not saying these psychopaths have any pangs or conscience regarding their source of funding, but that one tweet by Musk means that, what would have been unalloyed joy for the refUKers, now comes with constant media questioning and attention on the very thing by which Farage distinguished his company from UKIP and the Nazis.
Smokeandsteam
Working Class First
Correct. The centrist attempt underway - which I have to say definitely has the whiff of panic to it - to cleave them apart is going to fail. Obviously for Reform there is a potentially serious financial upside, for Musk its influence and clear hatred for Starmer.
In respect of the Reform normalisation project this is, in fact, all good news for them. They’ve visibly rejected the organised far right, they’ve dominated social media for days and now they’ve got elite liberalism responding (pathetically badly it must be said) to its agenda.
ska invita
back on the other side
one of the dynamics of the fascist creep is that association seems to work as a multiplier....we saw that when Trump sures up the KKK vote that doesnt seem to stop people voting for him and is overall good for the direction of the bigger project....puts clear water between him and the centrist-establishment-etc.
Compare to the factionalism of the left. I understand factionalism, it makes sense when you have a clear set of ideals, but the overall effect is fragmentation
Compare to the factionalism of the left. I understand factionalism, it makes sense when you have a clear set of ideals, but the overall effect is fragmentation
ska invita
back on the other side
beesonthewhatnow
going deaf for a living
It’s a perfect situation for them. They get to take the cash, get his support when he’s on message, get to play the “oh we’re supporters of free speech” when he’s not, as well as the dog whistle effect they really need.
redsquirrel
This Machine Kills Progressives
But it did.
There was a move from more centrist Republicans and independents away from Trump and the Republican Party (e.g. college educated white voters was one group that has moved towards the Democrats).
It is just that it has been more or less balanced by a move to the Republicans by non-voters and some conservative Democrat voters
Smokeandsteam
Working Class First
It’s also worth remembering that Reform is a start up challenging the two dominant parties of neoliberalism in the UK.
In comparison, Trump and the American right populists actually captured one of the dominant parties.
Very different starting points. The former is an insurgency project against both establishment parties. The latter is a consolidation project.
moochedit
I'm not feeding seagulls
I don't think farage and musk are 8D chess players.
Smokeandsteam
Working Class First
Well, well, well..
This appears to be in response to Farage’s failure to bend to Musk on Tommy Robinson and the organised right.
I have to admit I thought the ‘trap’ set for Farage by liberal grifters on Robinson had been dismissed with ease. But Musk appears to have fallen for it. Oops!
This appears to be in response to Farage’s failure to bend to Musk on Tommy Robinson and the organised right.
I have to admit I thought the ‘trap’ set for Farage by liberal grifters on Robinson had been dismissed with ease. But Musk appears to have fallen for it. Oops!
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