@ChrisMayLA6 it could have some very interesting results, though.

The poll results I last saw (possibly before Farage decided to stand) predicted Reform with zero seats in parliament but greatly reducing the Tory vote and the number of Tory seats.

It could therefore result in both Tories and Reform embracing proportional representation. Which would be a positive outcome - although the Labour leadership would ignore it, of course. (I think PR was a UKIP policy.)

@ChrisMayLA6

We have to remember that 15-20% of people have always been far right nutjobs (I was nearly impolite there). They were always restricted to voting Tory or NF/BNP before. Reform have broadened themselves from NF/BNP so are sweeping up more of the Tory right. Which has always existed.

@ChrisMayLA6
The good news is as the Tories fall below 20% their seats rapidly fall away. The Reform vote is very soft but even if they do get over 20% in the election there will close to zero seats.

On the other hand the LibDem vote is very efficient and if they can get into the mid-teens or more they could win enough seats to become the opposition.

@ChrisMayLA6

Policies of immiseration fostered by the wealthy always create the conditions necessary for fascist movements.

Make people poor & then dangle an easy target to shift blame (Jews, Communists, Climate activists, LGBTQ, women, seniors, immigrants...) and voila, recreate the prelude to Nazis & WW2.

And then laugh all the way to the bank, as democracy dissolves into internecine civil war.
https://bylinetimes.com/2024/01/18/reform-uk-limited-the-political-business-brought-to-you-by-billionaires/
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/trump-2024-campaign-billionaire-donors.html
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/06/rich-top-100-campaign-donors-lean-trump-republican/
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/may/13/reform-uk-richard-tice-loans-party-funding

@ChrisMayLA6 Half the Tories are interchangeable with Reform. Rosettes don;t mean much. Many Labour figures would exist fine with Tory moderates (which is why some can cross the floor).

Why does no one care about values over labels?

@ChrisMayLA6 I’ve always been of the opinion that 20-25% of voters are incredibly far right bigots who would like the death penalty for intermarriage. The question is, is it a good thing or not that those people are contained within a wider Tory party, or farmed off to a fringe party.

The problem is that the rump of Tory membership is at this stage full of the same brand of bigots, so I don’t expect the “sensible” centre right Tory offering to emerge any time soon.

@ChrisMayLA6 I see it differently.

Support for those 'right wing nut-jobs' isn't growing. Those supporters and what they are willing to support have always been with us, for example as Moseley's brown shirts and probably before that.

What we are seeing is that they are no longer being hidden in the coat tails of a mainstream political party. They are being exposed to the full light of day.

Hopefully this will lead to their political oblivion. Until the wheel turns once more.