Richard Tice is ruling out any electoral pact with the Tories. He is right to do so. Nigel Farage’s deal turned out to be an error of judgement. The Tories need to suffer badly and using the excuse that we need to keep Starmer out of power just won’t cut it, because there is no difference. Just for once, I will go and vote positively for a party that represents what I want, regardless of the outcome.
I’ll vote reform if there’s a candidate for my constituency. I’m currently considering becoming a member. I’ve heard a lot of talk where I live about people voting for them, but we’ll see what happens. I fully agree that the Tories need a sound thrashing at the next election. Personally, I think we need an election now, not next year. We have a zombie government, seemingly unable to do anything of any real use. We have a usurper in No10, who showed complete and utter contempt for both democracy and the British electorate by not having the decency to even allow his own party to elect him. That at least would have given him the legitimacy to call himself Prime Minister. Worse still though, for me, is Hunt. I find him to be an arrogant, smarmy, sinister creature. I don’t like him and I certainly don’t trust him.
I don’t particularly relish the thought of having a Labour government for five years. In their case, things can only get worse. But I’m convinced they’ll be a one term government. Hopefully, Reform will do well in the coming general election, and be able to build on that. I’d like to see them become one of the big parties. That could focus the minds of the Tories, and force to them to remember that they are supposed to be Tories.
I fully agree with every aspect of your analysis.
Hunt is smarmy, Sunak is slimy. We’re governed by Slimy and Smarmy, what has this great country come to? 🙁
At the last GE there were no suitable candidates on the ballot paper and I wrote ‘Non of these’ on it. If there is a Reform or independent candidate they are likely to get my vote. In the case of the independent I would have to research them to find out what they were about.
I will vote Reform, to vote for something I want rather than to keep ‘the other lot’ out.
Reform’s problem is going to be how to change people’s idea that the only alternatives are the two major parties. That is a big challenge. I hope they are working on it.
As for policies: the overarching principle needs to be policies in the interests of the British people. That’s a simple thing to say but I am fully convinced that the two major parties are putting forward policies that they know full well are not in the intersts of the British people.
In a nutshell, we have a political class that doesn’t like us, and in some cases despises us. I hope that Reform really can break that mould.
Mr Tice, apparently, did not make much of an impression when he was invited to an ex-Service Asdociation, Christmas dinner in Hartlepool, where he is seeking to be elected as an MP. A political speech, rather than thanking those attending for their military service, did not really go down well with the ex squaddies, who just wanted a festive evening with their comrades and spouses. Perhaps he should fit his speech to the occasion?
Perhaps, but I’m growing tired of being expected to thank people for their military service as if it is some sort of obligation. The military is a voluntary organisation. People choose to join it, just as I chose to join the rail industry. I don’t expect people to thank me for my service – I did it and got paid for it. When those veterans are not volunteers, such as those conscripted during the two world wars, then there’s a point here, but otherwise, no.
I was in the RAF. I didn’t go to war, I didn’t fight anybody (not even outside the pub on a Saturday night). It was a job, I served my time and left. If anybody wants to thank me, that’s fine, but I’ve never expected it.
I agree. I served 22 years in the Army and I do not expect anybody to thank me for doing so. To be perfectly honest, I find it somewhat embarrassing when someone says “thank you for your service”, and it makes wonder whether it’s said with any sincerity. I chose to be a soldier. I enlisted because I’m not built for an office or a building site and because I didn’t want to be one of those people who lives in the area in which they grew up all their lives, without really doing anything. I wanted to travel, to see the world and I wanted to learn something about other countries and their people. The Army helped me to do that. Also, the “Thank you for service” seems very American. It’s a different culture over there, most people have a deep respect for their military. People over here respect the military, but I don’t consider it a requirement to thank me for having served. If you want to do that, and you’re sincere, fair enough. If you do it because you feel obligated, then please don’t. And I think most sensible veterans would feel the same.
In the recent by election in my constituency, caused by the resignation of the MP for looking at pictures of tractors in parliament, the combined total of all of the minority parties was 3661. That’s Heritage, Reform, Labour, For Britain, UKIP and Green. That was 8.5% of the turnout, and you need to remember that much of the electorate were pretty annoyed with the Conservatives at the time too. Yet the Conservatives still got 38% of the vote. Do you really think that a minority party has a chance? Even the very slimmest one? ‘Cos I don’t. (Not that it stopped me voting for one of them, though).
Maybe, but it’s that or not vote. I’m happy with not voting, but if someone stands who represents my views, then I’ll give them a punt. What Reform does have the capacity to do is upset the apple cart enough to cost the Tories the election. This they need if they are ever to get back on track.
That’s right, If enough people vote for Reform it might jolt the so-called Conservative party into a reform of its own so that it becomes a true conservative party that we can vote for again.
Alternatively, Reform does well enough that the conservatives in the Conservative party decide to jump ship and Reform becomes the de facto Conservative Party.
and that is why the status quo remains unchanged. If you were to vote for the third party even knowing the won’t win it will erode the margin for the incumbent and make them think ‘Next time we may lose so we need to compromise’. As it is they see no difference so why should they change? We are still voting for them so why should they care? We need to make them care.
The SDP leader sounds quite interesting but we rarely hear anything about them
Didn’t UKIP get their referendum by putting the wind up Cameron by starting to get a small but insignificant part of the vote?
I see the current Tory party as my enemies, they are deliberately and maliciously doing me real harm. I’m not going to vote for them just because Labour would be worse.
Thinking about this, I think that Reform are absolutely right to rule out any coalition deals with the Tories. If I thought that my vote had any chance of being used to keep the bastards in power I would be forced to withhold it.
Perhaps ‘thanking them for their service’ could have been worded better. He was invited to an ex Service Association, and Shirley some form of acknowledgement should have been made. There were veterans there of the Korean War, the Indonesian confrontation, Aden, Northern Ireland and, more recently, Afghanistan and Iraq. Just imagine the stories that could have been told and, possibly, he should have mingled and asked some of them about their experiences, and introducing some of his policies in the chat, rather than making a political speech, something he didn’t do, remaining close to the member who invited him. It’s possible he lost a few votes that evening.
Yeah, bear in mind that he is not a natural politician, so will make mistakes. This is a pretty mild one, frankly.
Will definitely be voting for them. Not that they are, but my approach to the next general election will be to vote for the most right wing party standing…extreme if necessary as I think that the Overton window has moved so far to the left in recent years.
p.s. The problem of course for Reform is that the usual suspects (BBC) will do a Trump on them as soon as there is a whiff of popularity.
Just hope Farage isn’t allowed any control, he can’t be trusted not to pull the same trick as last time when he pulled TBP candidates at the last minute, nor leave the place a smoking ruin as with UKIP.
I haven’t voted for any of the three main parties for probably 30 years, and never will again.
If Reform put a candidate up in my town i’ll vote for them, but otherwise i’m finished with voting.
There should by a None of the Above box to tick and if NOTA wins then all candidates standing should be diasqualified and the election re-run there until there is a clear winner, if NONA was allowed as a candidate it would win the most seats.