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Unfortunately as we have seen on here today some voters you can literally put the evidence in front of them and they will choose not to believe it if it disproves the stated party line.
I actually think it's a positive Reform are winning councils on 23:24 - May 8 by LeoMuff
Unfortunately as we have seen on here today some voters you can literally put the evidence in front of them and they will choose not to believe it if it disproves the stated party line.
Like they are brainwashed members of a cult?
2
I actually think it's a positive Reform are winning councils on 23:35 - May 8 with 1488 views
I really don't. It is a very sad reflection of where we are as a society.
They are openly suggesting building internment camps for 10s of thousands of (people - not that they can bring themselves to describe them as that) and yet their popularity remains.
The only redeeming feature for me is that Restore will split their support but their presence only reinforces the point about where we stand as a society.
Someone pointed out that something like 76% of voters voted for a party other than Reform. But that is still terrifying to me that 24% of voters are happy to put their X in a box for representatives of a party that is not making any secret of its intentions.
As someone who lives in Kent, where Reform came to power last May, I don't think this will happen.
There has been a tremendous amount of infighting but there has been no noticeable change on the ground because local authorities have numerous statutory duties and local officers will have kept the show on the road.
The interesting thing is that there was a blaze of national publicity about Reform in Kent adopting DOGE-style initiative to weed out waste but that came to nothing.
Senior Reform UK councillors at Kent County Council have admitted their Elon Musk-inspired DOGE initiative has failed to find any significant wasteful spending.
Kent was one of 10 councils that Reform took control of in last year’s local elections, and Nigel Farage immediately boasted about how the party would abolish “wasteful” spending by the council.
A Department of Local Government Efficiency (Dolge) team was set up, inspired by Elon Musk’s ‘Doge’ initiative in Donald Trump’s government, and run by Zia Yusuf.
There were grand plans for the cost-cutting scheme and proud claims that Reform would be able to save millions by cutting wasteful spending.
But now, senior party councillors in Kent their expectations of finding mountains of wasteful spending had failed to materialise.
Paul Chamberlain, one of the Reform cabinet members in charge of Dolge, told the Financial Times that after nine months in charge of England’s biggest authority they had failed to find any significant waste.
He told the publication: “We made some assumptions that we would come in here and find some of the craziness that Doge found in America . . . and that was wrong, we didn’t find any of that.”
[Post edited 9 May 9:25]
9
I actually think it's a positive Reform are winning councils on 08:39 - May 9 with 1115 views
Doesn’t seem to have helped elsewhere, people re elected Trump, Blair after his disastrous invasions, Tories after wrecking the country for years, and voted for Labour (albeit in locals) after their erosion of civil liberties.
[Post edited 9 May 8:39]
0
I actually think it's a positive Reform are winning councils on 08:50 - May 9 with 1084 views
The problem is (I'm guessing) the vast majority who voted this week didn't even think about local public services, they were fixated on what the 'government' was doing. So even if Reform councilors completely f&&k-up in the 2-3 years I don't think it will make a blind difference how people vote at the next GE.
1
I actually think it's a positive Reform are winning councils on 08:53 - May 9 with 1068 views
I actually think it's a positive Reform are winning councils on 23:58 - May 8 by JimmyJazz
I think it will embolden voters who have sat on the fence to believe they can win a GE
Sadly yes. It’s further normalising hatred, racism, division, corruption, etc. Their outlook is little different to the BNP which most people shunned because of the shame attached. There’s no shame now; people are wearing it as a badge of honour.
I actually think it's a positive Reform are winning councils on 08:53 - May 9 by Dubtractor
Nope.
When they fail, and they will, it'll be down to lefty non-elected civil servants, lefty lawyers and deep state. In no way whatsoever will it be on them.
1
I actually think it's a positive Reform are winning councils on 09:07 - May 9 with 995 views
I actually think it's a positive Reform are winning councils on 08:50 - May 9 by BloomBlue
The problem is (I'm guessing) the vast majority who voted this week didn't even think about local public services, they were fixated on what the 'government' was doing. So even if Reform councilors completely f&&k-up in the 2-3 years I don't think it will make a blind difference how people vote at the next GE.
Yep. It was funny listening the Elenud Morgan’s resignation speech as leader of Welsh Labour and she said she was clear this wasn’t about national politics and Kier Starmer wasn’t on the ballot paper. Oh yes he was! It was all about the national issues. As we’ve seen on here. Nobody’s talking about social care provision, potholes and leaking school roofs.
I actually think it's a positive Reform are winning councils on 09:06 - May 9 by brogansnose
When they fail, and they will, it'll be down to lefty non-elected civil servants, lefty lawyers and deep state. In no way whatsoever will it be on them.
Exactly this.
I was born underwater, I dried out in the sun.
I started humping volcanoes baby, when I was too young.
I actually think it's a positive Reform are winning councils on 08:15 - May 9 by DJR
As someone who lives in Kent, where Reform came to power last May, I don't think this will happen.
There has been a tremendous amount of infighting but there has been no noticeable change on the ground because local authorities have numerous statutory duties and local officers will have kept the show on the road.
The interesting thing is that there was a blaze of national publicity about Reform in Kent adopting DOGE-style initiative to weed out waste but that came to nothing.
Senior Reform UK councillors at Kent County Council have admitted their Elon Musk-inspired DOGE initiative has failed to find any significant wasteful spending.
Kent was one of 10 councils that Reform took control of in last year’s local elections, and Nigel Farage immediately boasted about how the party would abolish “wasteful” spending by the council.
A Department of Local Government Efficiency (Dolge) team was set up, inspired by Elon Musk’s ‘Doge’ initiative in Donald Trump’s government, and run by Zia Yusuf.
There were grand plans for the cost-cutting scheme and proud claims that Reform would be able to save millions by cutting wasteful spending.
But now, senior party councillors in Kent their expectations of finding mountains of wasteful spending had failed to materialise.
Paul Chamberlain, one of the Reform cabinet members in charge of Dolge, told the Financial Times that after nine months in charge of England’s biggest authority they had failed to find any significant waste.
He told the publication: “We made some assumptions that we would come in here and find some of the craziness that Doge found in America . . . and that was wrong, we didn’t find any of that.”
[Post edited 9 May 9:25]
That can be dealt with. Let me put together a fully comprehensive argument that can be made to counter that from a Reform supporter point of view of view, and that carefully deconstructs the elements of that article.
I don’t believe you.
See, easy.
4
I actually think it's a positive Reform are winning councils on 09:33 - May 9 with 937 views
I actually think it's a positive Reform are winning councils on 09:17 - May 9 by eireblue
That can be dealt with. Let me put together a fully comprehensive argument that can be made to counter that from a Reform supporter point of view of view, and that carefully deconstructs the elements of that article.
I don’t believe you.
See, easy.
It certainly won't be a case of "once bitten", in relation to a popular policy, "twice shy".
Indeed, when it comes to many Reform voters, I think it's largely about "feels".
1
I actually think it's a positive Reform are winning councils on 10:25 - May 9 with 835 views
I read that 10% of the Reform Councillors elected in the last round have since resigned or been sacked. What these new Councillors will realise that the role is in many places more of a voluntary position - it is often very low money (subsidy, not pay) and demands a lot of time and energy. Some simply won't hack it.
Others will get kicked out if they don't attend enough Council meetings. Some will get their social media receipts and hard drives checked and found out and kicked out. Some will come up against the actual council workers and realise they can't simply get by with glib soundbites, lack of understanding of process, and no real political knowledge and just not bother to try to do anything.
0
I actually think it's a positive Reform are winning councils on 10:29 - May 9 with 825 views
I actually think it's a positive Reform are winning councils on 23:35 - May 8 by Nthsuffolkblue
I really don't. It is a very sad reflection of where we are as a society.
They are openly suggesting building internment camps for 10s of thousands of (people - not that they can bring themselves to describe them as that) and yet their popularity remains.
The only redeeming feature for me is that Restore will split their support but their presence only reinforces the point about where we stand as a society.
Someone pointed out that something like 76% of voters voted for a party other than Reform. But that is still terrifying to me that 24% of voters are happy to put their X in a box for representatives of a party that is not making any secret of its intentions.
While comparing Reform with the BNP or Nazis is unhelpful, they have built their support partly on the undercurrents of casual racism that abound among many of the working & lower classes in Britain. Many of their supporters are similar to the Trump voters in the US - the lot of the working class in both Britain & America has worsened over the last 20 years, largely as traditional industries have declined & right wing politicians have given them an easy target to blame.
I actually think it's a positive Reform are winning councils on 10:25 - May 9 by urbanpenguin
I read that 10% of the Reform Councillors elected in the last round have since resigned or been sacked. What these new Councillors will realise that the role is in many places more of a voluntary position - it is often very low money (subsidy, not pay) and demands a lot of time and energy. Some simply won't hack it.
Others will get kicked out if they don't attend enough Council meetings. Some will get their social media receipts and hard drives checked and found out and kicked out. Some will come up against the actual council workers and realise they can't simply get by with glib soundbites, lack of understanding of process, and no real political knowledge and just not bother to try to do anything.
To be fair, I imagine many will have been paper candidates not intending to , or being told they could, win and not knowing what the job entails.
I used to be responsible for getting local candidates, and it was often a struggle to persuade people to stand because they didn't want the responsibility that went with being elected, and could only be won over if they were assured they couldn't win.
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