It is true that the party needs to professialise, and not become dependent solely on the charisma of Nigel Farage, huge asset though he is. The rub is to be able to do this without staring into the abyss (ie, becoming like the current political elite, who most people rightly despise).
We do have other big hitters, not short on charisma either (Lee Anderson, David Bull, and Ben Habib).
What the party needs is a national network and a ruthlessly organised ground operation with targeted message discipline.
Out canvassing last weekend, I sensed that the main enemy is the Apathy Party. This is how the people who cause all the problems end up in power. To cut through this council of despair, we need to be relentlessly upbeat, and repeat our message constantly. We must be happy warriors. Enthusiasm and optimism is infectious.
Hear, hear. That enthusiasm will come with even a modicum of success, though which is hindered by FPTP. Perhaps events abroad - Trump? EU turning right? France? - will put further wind in our sails. Things appear to be developing apace.
I can agree with your findings at that initial Reform meeting. This election has been the sole preserve of the party leaders with the exception of the Labour party that has risked allowing their deputy to speak out in those eloquent tones probably leant after leaving school with more children that GCSEs.
In my UKIP days I was a candidate for fifteen months before the election and came second to the Tory whilst beating Labour, Libs and Green. It is always the case that coming second seems good to start with and then leaves one feeling somewhat a failure having spent all that time and effort.
The Tories deserve to lose and lose well but the alternative is probably what concerns most of us that have witnessed such decline in our parliamentarians. The Reform candidate at my local meeting said he wanted to be elected so that he could help run the country. He reminded me of David Beckham when he said he wanted to manage his country. It seems that those who wish to reach parliament have little understanding of their role as a legislator and the direct difference between the Executive and parliaments role in keeping it in order. Kissing babies, shaking hands, ensuring your photo is in umpteen publications and showing support for local interests is the role of a social worker not a people's representative at Westminster.
Quite; the worry would be having naive newly elected politicians in parliament who could be led by the nose by the QUANGOs, civil servants etc etc. Hence root-and-branch reform (pardon the pun) is required, as are high calibre parliamentarians. How do we tempt such people into running for office? In places like Singapore being an MP comes with a concomitantly high salary. Here to pay a politician a decent wage is regarded as some kind of obscenity. Pay peanuts, get monkeys!
Reform is right now doing a job of re-booting discussion.
It should encourage other parties in the future to set aside the cookie-cutter candidates with PPE and no previous work knowledge in favour of those who want to make a difference - old fashioned debate, and at last, some vision.
It could be reform will wither like UKIP, but more and more of the public seek something more than the standard Uniparty stuff. Evolution rather than revolution is afoot.
Entirely agree; Reform is hopefully going to remould our political discourse entirely. Nigel's recent comments re: RUS/UKR point towards that.
One thing I did not cover was the topic of the war. At the meeting there was a uniform opinion that Putin very bad and that he wanted to conquer all of Europe. I have long found that impossible to reconcile with reality.
Dear Frederick, indeed - brain fade on my part. I do hope you are feeling better already.
The V Putin Esq angle.
He has continuity and he is 'of the Rus people' rather than a WEF style puppet, which makes him rather more difficult to direct by the globalists.
I think the biggest mistake the USA, EU27, UK and NATO could make is to under estimate Russia. The USA, talking to itself, has sought to make Russia the main reason for everything, internal and external. That game has pushed Russia and China together.
Russia and USA see EU27 + UK as nothing more than their front lawn, which makes us vulnerable.
I hope for all peace prevails, as it surely should in Ukraine as well as Israel as soon as possible.
No doubt they'd underestimate them. They imagine everyone to be Western-liberals-in-wait. The disasters of the last few decades (dropping democracy from 20,000ft into the Middle East) should have made them realise that isn't quite the case.
I miss being in Russia as I don't have a great handle of what the average Ruski now thinks. Even when I was back in St P in 2021-22 they were far more nationalistic than the average Westerner could conceive. I was considered a bit of a wet lefty there. I can only imagine the war has pushed them further into that particular corner. But still, what do you expect from a nation that has been existentially threatened repeatedly? It's a mindset we cannot grasp.
Apologies for rambling! Painkillers having their effect no doubt...
I have a friend who is a Russian national, who quit the UK just over 18 months ago. The big issue was the perception the UK hates every single aspect of Russia and all the Russian people - which is not true. However, the political class do act in strange ways that indicate a less than open approach to Russia.
The sanctions have been an utter failure, imposing harm on EU27 and UK.
New sanctions will compound the economic harm to the EU27 and UK - it is interesting the Swiss pay less than half the energy price of the UK.
The EU27 and UK political elite need to stop telling the public lies.
Sorry to hear about your fractured wrists (how the heck did that happen?), therefore: thanks for this SitRep!
Politics, electing our representatives, used to be based on one's local environment and on talks between ordinary people: in pubs, across the garden fences, in the grocery sop or at the butcher's. Candidates used to live locally, one knew them and one didn't need to sheepishly follow or vote for someone because he or she was wearing the rosette in the colour-de-jour ...
These times are long over, not least because we've imported slick electioneering, with gurus, pollsters, 'focus groups' and 'friendly' opinion piece writers and opinion makers on telly.
I hope th candidates you saw will keep on working in the community because that's how to collect votes, if not now then at the next GE.
(Best wishes for a quick recovery of your poor wrists!)
Agreed, fully. Perhaps it is a sign of my age that I don't really remember such times. I became more politically aware during the Blair-Cameron years where the 'professionalisation' (yuck!) was in full swing. Let's hope the 'somewheres' can reassert themselves versus the 'anywheres'.
Fun fact: I became aware of the tribal nature of Labour where I live when I locked horns (local planning issues, let's not go there ...) with them when the then MP was a former local councillor and his 'assistants' were or became local councillors - and he was 'replaced' as MP when he became 'First Minister' ... No, I never voted Labour, and yes, I knew the just-past 'First Minister' from his early beginnings as local councillor ...
In those long ago days, those people did come and visit e.g. our road. I'll never forget one of my neighbours, an elderly gentleman who was on crutches (war injury) and lifted one crutch threateningly at one of them ... no police, no notice in the local rag ... I think social meejah have damaged political processes to such an extent that somewheres will find it extremely difficult because all anywheres populating said social meejah have over proportional influence.
Without a doubt; it's a cabal run by think-alike. As you say, the immediacy of social media means that any of those personal interactions ends up in some toxic outcome: someone crying victim status, someone having to apologise profusely. The normal, unrefined edges of human interaction are not permitted amid the constant glare of someone's stupid iPhone!
Good post Fredrick, thanks for going and saving us the trouble (apathy party here) and thanks for typing with painful wrists. I hope you have casts on them so the pain will diminish rapidly. I presume you fell forward that usually how you break both and I hope you were drunk 🥴😂.
Sadly not... not even a drop! It was an annoyingly stupid accident at work. I fell from standing, backwards. I'm often surprised at the human body: it can survive plane crashes (sometimes!) but falling from standing can leave you buggered up!
It is true that the party needs to professialise, and not become dependent solely on the charisma of Nigel Farage, huge asset though he is. The rub is to be able to do this without staring into the abyss (ie, becoming like the current political elite, who most people rightly despise).
We do have other big hitters, not short on charisma either (Lee Anderson, David Bull, and Ben Habib).
What the party needs is a national network and a ruthlessly organised ground operation with targeted message discipline.
Out canvassing last weekend, I sensed that the main enemy is the Apathy Party. This is how the people who cause all the problems end up in power. To cut through this council of despair, we need to be relentlessly upbeat, and repeat our message constantly. We must be happy warriors. Enthusiasm and optimism is infectious.
Hear, hear. That enthusiasm will come with even a modicum of success, though which is hindered by FPTP. Perhaps events abroad - Trump? EU turning right? France? - will put further wind in our sails. Things appear to be developing apace.
I can agree with your findings at that initial Reform meeting. This election has been the sole preserve of the party leaders with the exception of the Labour party that has risked allowing their deputy to speak out in those eloquent tones probably leant after leaving school with more children that GCSEs.
In my UKIP days I was a candidate for fifteen months before the election and came second to the Tory whilst beating Labour, Libs and Green. It is always the case that coming second seems good to start with and then leaves one feeling somewhat a failure having spent all that time and effort.
The Tories deserve to lose and lose well but the alternative is probably what concerns most of us that have witnessed such decline in our parliamentarians. The Reform candidate at my local meeting said he wanted to be elected so that he could help run the country. He reminded me of David Beckham when he said he wanted to manage his country. It seems that those who wish to reach parliament have little understanding of their role as a legislator and the direct difference between the Executive and parliaments role in keeping it in order. Kissing babies, shaking hands, ensuring your photo is in umpteen publications and showing support for local interests is the role of a social worker not a people's representative at Westminster.
Quite; the worry would be having naive newly elected politicians in parliament who could be led by the nose by the QUANGOs, civil servants etc etc. Hence root-and-branch reform (pardon the pun) is required, as are high calibre parliamentarians. How do we tempt such people into running for office? In places like Singapore being an MP comes with a concomitantly high salary. Here to pay a politician a decent wage is regarded as some kind of obscenity. Pay peanuts, get monkeys!
Dear Frederick, I hope your suffering ends soon.
Reform is right now doing a job of re-booting discussion.
It should encourage other parties in the future to set aside the cookie-cutter candidates with PPE and no previous work knowledge in favour of those who want to make a difference - old fashioned debate, and at last, some vision.
It could be reform will wither like UKIP, but more and more of the public seek something more than the standard Uniparty stuff. Evolution rather than revolution is afoot.
You make it sound terminal! Thank you though.
Entirely agree; Reform is hopefully going to remould our political discourse entirely. Nigel's recent comments re: RUS/UKR point towards that.
One thing I did not cover was the topic of the war. At the meeting there was a uniform opinion that Putin very bad and that he wanted to conquer all of Europe. I have long found that impossible to reconcile with reality.
Dear Frederick, indeed - brain fade on my part. I do hope you are feeling better already.
The V Putin Esq angle.
He has continuity and he is 'of the Rus people' rather than a WEF style puppet, which makes him rather more difficult to direct by the globalists.
I think the biggest mistake the USA, EU27, UK and NATO could make is to under estimate Russia. The USA, talking to itself, has sought to make Russia the main reason for everything, internal and external. That game has pushed Russia and China together.
Russia and USA see EU27 + UK as nothing more than their front lawn, which makes us vulnerable.
I hope for all peace prevails, as it surely should in Ukraine as well as Israel as soon as possible.
No doubt they'd underestimate them. They imagine everyone to be Western-liberals-in-wait. The disasters of the last few decades (dropping democracy from 20,000ft into the Middle East) should have made them realise that isn't quite the case.
I miss being in Russia as I don't have a great handle of what the average Ruski now thinks. Even when I was back in St P in 2021-22 they were far more nationalistic than the average Westerner could conceive. I was considered a bit of a wet lefty there. I can only imagine the war has pushed them further into that particular corner. But still, what do you expect from a nation that has been existentially threatened repeatedly? It's a mindset we cannot grasp.
Apologies for rambling! Painkillers having their effect no doubt...
I have a friend who is a Russian national, who quit the UK just over 18 months ago. The big issue was the perception the UK hates every single aspect of Russia and all the Russian people - which is not true. However, the political class do act in strange ways that indicate a less than open approach to Russia.
The sanctions have been an utter failure, imposing harm on EU27 and UK.
New sanctions will compound the economic harm to the EU27 and UK - it is interesting the Swiss pay less than half the energy price of the UK.
The EU27 and UK political elite need to stop telling the public lies.
Sorry to hear about your fractured wrists (how the heck did that happen?), therefore: thanks for this SitRep!
Politics, electing our representatives, used to be based on one's local environment and on talks between ordinary people: in pubs, across the garden fences, in the grocery sop or at the butcher's. Candidates used to live locally, one knew them and one didn't need to sheepishly follow or vote for someone because he or she was wearing the rosette in the colour-de-jour ...
These times are long over, not least because we've imported slick electioneering, with gurus, pollsters, 'focus groups' and 'friendly' opinion piece writers and opinion makers on telly.
I hope th candidates you saw will keep on working in the community because that's how to collect votes, if not now then at the next GE.
(Best wishes for a quick recovery of your poor wrists!)
Agreed, fully. Perhaps it is a sign of my age that I don't really remember such times. I became more politically aware during the Blair-Cameron years where the 'professionalisation' (yuck!) was in full swing. Let's hope the 'somewheres' can reassert themselves versus the 'anywheres'.
Yes, let's hope so!
Fun fact: I became aware of the tribal nature of Labour where I live when I locked horns (local planning issues, let's not go there ...) with them when the then MP was a former local councillor and his 'assistants' were or became local councillors - and he was 'replaced' as MP when he became 'First Minister' ... No, I never voted Labour, and yes, I knew the just-past 'First Minister' from his early beginnings as local councillor ...
In those long ago days, those people did come and visit e.g. our road. I'll never forget one of my neighbours, an elderly gentleman who was on crutches (war injury) and lifted one crutch threateningly at one of them ... no police, no notice in the local rag ... I think social meejah have damaged political processes to such an extent that somewheres will find it extremely difficult because all anywheres populating said social meejah have over proportional influence.
Without a doubt; it's a cabal run by think-alike. As you say, the immediacy of social media means that any of those personal interactions ends up in some toxic outcome: someone crying victim status, someone having to apologise profusely. The normal, unrefined edges of human interaction are not permitted amid the constant glare of someone's stupid iPhone!
Good post Fredrick, thanks for going and saving us the trouble (apathy party here) and thanks for typing with painful wrists. I hope you have casts on them so the pain will diminish rapidly. I presume you fell forward that usually how you break both and I hope you were drunk 🥴😂.
Sadly not... not even a drop! It was an annoyingly stupid accident at work. I fell from standing, backwards. I'm often surprised at the human body: it can survive plane crashes (sometimes!) but falling from standing can leave you buggered up!