The truth is that without securing higher, sustained economic growth, reconnecting people and politics, generating trust in the potential of democracy and importance of good government becomes almost impossible. And the appeal of the parties of the far right with their dogma of disruption, division and despair it becomes, too, alluring. Kyle added: We see it today with Reform, just as we did in previous times with the National Front and the British National party.
The last decade in British politics has been marked by instability and fragmentation, with six prime ministers in ten years, and Nigel Farage's Reform party now leading in the polls. A study this month from King's College London and Ipsos found that 84 percent of people now say the UK feels divided, up from 74 percent in 2020. Polling on voter intention shows a fracturing of the political landscape as people abandon two-party politics
But now the anti-racism charity Hope Not Hate has asked 11,000 people who said they were going to vote for Reform why that is and the answers may surprise you. The Guardian columnist Aditya Chakrabortty says the results suggest an unwieldy coalition of voters who could be won back by other parties. He tells Helen Pidd that a lot of Reform voters want quite fundamental things from the party in terms of workers' rights and the environment, for instance.
Only six years ago, at the 2019 election, the Conservatives and Labour got 76% of the vote between them, coming first and second in both votes and seats, as they have at every general election since 1922. Yet in most opinion polls now, the two parties around which politics is usually arranged at Westminster, in the media, and in the minds of millions of voters, activists and party donors have a combined support of less than 40%.
Politics Labour says Reform UK won't save 500m by closing office buildings because government ending those contracts anyway John Major says many traditional Tory supporters now 'politically homeless' because of party's lurch to right Highland council complains about impact of plan to put asylum seekers in barracks in centre of Inverness Plans to house UK asylum seekers in barracks are costly and complicated, experts say
The former prime minister dismissed a pact with Nigel Farage's party as beyond stupid, saying that any Tories tempted to defect to Reform should go now because his own party would be better off without them. As the Tories struggle with the existential threat posed by Reform's surge in popularity, Major warned far more than the future of the party was at stake with autocracies on the march across the world.
Former Chancellor George Osborne has warned that Reform UK "cannot be trusted to run the economy", accusing Nigel Farage's party of lacking fiscal credibility at a time when economic stewardship is likely to define the next general election. Speaking amid growing scrutiny of Reform's costed plans, Mr Osborne dismissed the party as economically unreliable, pointing to its proposals to lift the two-child benefit cap and nationalise water companies - policies that have already been branded "socialist" by Conservative critics.
The Green Party of England and Wales is riding high, with membership almost doubling over the past half year and the party gaining in the opinion polls. It is a similar story for Reform UK. The "bold politics" of the Green Party's leader, Zack Polanski, are in part intended to counter Reform. Support for both parties is defined by cultural issues. In the case of Reform, by the culture war around immigration and national identity; in the case of the Green Party by the wider picture of the linked issues of social justice and climate change.
During a fiery candidates' debate, Nigel Farage's party was criticised for using immigrants to score political points rather than treating them as individuals. An audience member said that people like her who had someone not born in the UK in her family no longer felt welcome in the area since Reform arrived to campaign and had advised her sons to avoid certain places.
The alleged attacker was wound up and sent into battle by the dangerous rhetoric of Labour and the Greens, Finch told the Daily Mail. He said the attack didn't cause any lasting injury. Farage said he was deeply upset about the incident and the words used against him echo the prime minister's disgraceful attack on Reform during Labour conference week and wholly irresponsible comments from the leader of the Green party.
When our councillors decide to change parties part way through their term of office, they should resign so that an election is held. Most people intend their vote for a party in the election, rather than for the particular person standing. So, if someone decides to change party part way through their term it's only fair that they should resign and, if they like, stand again in their new colours.
I'm anticipating a teachers' strike very quickly after winning the next general election, he said during a question and answer session at the event last month. They are poisoning our kids. They are telling them to be ashamed of their country. They are telling little Johnny, who's eight, who is black, that he is a victim and little Oliver, who is white, who is eight, that he is an oppressor. They are dividing us, not uniting us. They are feeding this negative culture in.
Speaking to the Guardian, he said: The picture of Welsh politics is changing and Plaid Cymru is the voice of progressive Wales. We have consistent polling showing Plaid Cymru in the lead. Reform is also polling well and Labour is falling further behind. I think it's becoming more and more clear it's a two-horse race - Reform's division versus Plaid's vision.
