Election Year or Fear!

[swaledale]

100% agree. It’s both alarming and puzzling that he continues to attract support given all the evidence of his deceitfulness, not to mention that he remains the ‘face’/major architect of Brexit which even many of those who supported it, approaching ten years ago, now recognise as a failed and damaging project.

Not puzzling really, there are large numbers of people who are xenophobic, racist and misoginistic, who feel that they can no longer voice their dergatory opinions in public and Farage and co say out loud the things they would like to say themselves.

Add to that the hordes whose understanding of politics and reality is minimal and they want simple answers to the issues they face, so as we saw in Germany before WW2, its a simple tactic, to claim that its those "others" who are the cuase of your problems, whther they be immigrants, asylum seekers, people of other religions, the poor, the feckless etc. etc. Whilst ignoring the fact that the people saying these things are themsleves rich or funded by very rich people exploiting other people for their own ends.

I mean even a poster on here recently stated that immigration was uncontrolled, when in fact it has halved since Labour came to power.

[ramAnag]

Not puzzling really, there are large numbers of people who are xenophobic, racist and misoginistic, who feel that they can no longer voice their dergatory opinions in public and Farage and co say out loud the things they would like to say themselves.

Add to that the hordes whose understanding of politics and reality is minimal and they want simple answers to the issues they face, so as we saw in Germany before WW2, its a simple tactic, to claim that its those "others" who are the cuase of your problems, whther they be immigrants, asylum seekers, people of other religions, the poor, the feckless etc. etc. Whilst ignoring the fact that the people saying these things are themsleves rich or funded by very rich people exploiting other people for their own ends.

I mean even a poster on here recently stated that immigration was uncontrolled, when in fact it has halved since Labour came to power.

I ‘get’ all that, Swale, but Germany in the 1930’s was a little different, not least in terms of communication and public awareness.
I’ll even accept that a significant proportion of the population (20-25%?) may be described as ‘xenophobic, racist and misogynist’, those for whom the likes of Farage, Jenrick and Robinson will always hold some attraction, but that doesn’t really explain the GROWING attractiveness of such transparently dishonest characters as Farage and organisations such as Reform UK.

[Geoff Parkstone]

78 quid a pop. Surely he's not that desperate he needs to do that.

Sorry if someone wants to do a celeb message for me I don't want him, or any political figure tbh.

If you lot want to whip round for my birthday can you see if Kylie is free please.

If he's capable of being caught out he's just not fit to lead.

Jeremy???

[SithHappens]

Its not news though if immigration has improved.

Its only news when 700 cross in a day, the fact 30 days prior no crossings fails to make the news.

[SithHappens]

Jeremy???

uh?

[Geoff Parkstone]

I ?get? all that, Swale, but Germany in the 1930?s was a little different, not least in terms of communication and public awareness.
I?ll even accept that a significant proportion of the population (20-25%?) may be described as ?xenophobic, racist and misogynist?, those for whom the likes of Farage, Jenrick and Robinson will always hold some attraction, but that doesn?t really explain the GROWING attractiveness of such transparently dishonest characters as Farage and organisations such as Reform UK.

IMHO Farage/ Reform are a growing attraction simply because they say they will address the single biggest issue that aggravates Joe public right now - immigration. In the view of those people (I believe) the mainstream parties have neither the will, stomach nor desire for that battle. Reform say they will - but it's easy to say what you will do if you get power, it's another thing entirely to do it (as Starmer has shown).

So Reform represents a "port in the storm" that a growing number of people turn to, and they care not a toss about other aspects of Reform's profile or ability to govern. They sure as hell don't care if garage has made an ill advised video clip.

Labour would be well advised to take heed. Act decisively on immigration, strongly, and they will cut the ground from under Reform's feet and they will become irrelevant and ultimately go back to being Tory. Do nothing and appease the "liberal do gooders" and they will face a firestorm. They won't garner enough immigrant votes in the next 4 years to control that storm, and it isn't going away. The major parties should learn a lesson from Brexit - it didn't go away, but could have if 15 years ago they weren't so arrogant as to know better than vox pop.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Jeremy???

Jeremy Kyle

[ramAnag]

IMHO Farage/ Reform are a growing attraction simply because they say they will address the single biggest issue that aggravates Joe public right now - immigration. In the view of those people (I believe) the mainstream parties have neither the will, stomach nor desire for that battle. Reform say they will - but it's easy to say what you will do if you get power, it's another thing entirely to do it (as Starmer has shown).

So Reform represents a "port in the storm" that a growing number of people turn to, and they care not a toss about other aspects of Reform's profile or ability to govern. They sure as hell don't care if garage has made an ill advised video clip.

Labour would be well advised to take heed. Act decisively on immigration, strongly, and they will cut the ground from under Reform's feet and they will become irrelevant and ultimately go back to being Tory. Do nothing and appease the "liberal do gooders" and they will face a firestorm. They won't garner enough immigrant votes in the next 4 years to control that storm, and it isn't going away. The major parties should learn a lesson from Brexit - it didn't go away, but could have if 15 years ago they weren't so arrogant as to know better than vox pop.

But anyone sensible knows that immigration, or more to the point illegal immigration, isn’t the biggest problem and shouldn’t be the main source of aggravation facing today’s society. It may be an issue which is more easily visible and identifiable but beyond that it’s a largely contrived and manufactured ‘problem’.

I understand that prejudiced supporters aren’t likely to care about Farage’s own nasty, dishonest and prejudiced personna but surely they should see through the foolhardy referendum lies and his responsibility for Brexit which, a decade on, now regularly takes as much blame as Covid and Truss for the current plight of our economy.

As for Labour acting decisively on immigration. They are doing aren’t they? They may be acting slightly more compassionately than their predecessors, but I honestly can’t see how they’re ‘doing nothing’ in order to appease those you describe as ‘liberal do gooders’.

[Ram Pant]

If Labour got really tough on illegal migration and equally tough on the grooming gangs, would that reduce or increase their vote?

[SithHappens]

Those who vote Farage are the ones who say how sad when someone dies in the channel but then go on to say serves them right.