Reform’s challenge is to translate such enthusiasm into policies and on-the-ground organisation, and thus mass votes - and to do so before the local elections and Runcorn by-election.
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Poor brummies. Have they not suffered enough due to the rats in recent weeks. Thousands of the bastards descending there today.
Enjoy the bigotry and bullshit. Try to encourage your colleagues to write it up properly and not more facist fluffy pieces which have got us into this mess
Well if journos like you/BBC/ LBC are going to write it up reverently as if it was ‘important’ instead of pointing out what a vile grifting bunch of lying charlatans they are, no wonder people *think* they will win.
You remind me of those who bigged up Trump and legitimized his vile conduct.
Reform are polling at up to 25% in the polls, level with or at times above Labour and the Tories. If you think we should pretend they don’t exist then perhaps you don’t fully get how journalism -or politics - works.
We give the Greens plenty of coverage but at the same time they got well under half the vote share of Reform. They had a similar number of MPs because of first past the post.
Well just think what the Greens share of the vote would be if they had a regular seat on Question Time, daily news coverage, TV & radio sessions and their own TV broadcaster. Brand recognition would skyrocket. Its called product placement and is paid for if you are flogging phones or cars.
With all due respect that’s bollocks. They have relevance because people vote for them. They got 14.3% at the election, more than the Lib Dems. Under PR that would be 90+ seats. If you want to pretend no one supports them, fine. But I have to remain in the facts-based realm.
People want an alternative to the Labour/Conservative duopoly and thanks to the media only spotlighting Reform outside of them, people think they're the only option.
I can guarantee the Green party's vote share would rise so much more if they got time too. They've risen to 10% of the vote share
Perhaps when you write about them you should be critically challenging them- what are their policies, how will they implement them, are they fully costed,etc.
We all know why you spotlighted UKIP and spotlight Reform, and its got nothing to do with vote share, its because they say provocative stuff and you know people will pay attention if you cover them
The Libdems had a conference a couple of weeks ago. Not a mention in any main stream paper.
Guardian now has US owners and is deffo drifting rightwards. There has been coverage of Reform regularly.
Considering ditching it. @bylinetimes.bsky.social and @theneweuropean.bsky.social far better.
I think that editorial decision-making is a fundamental element of journalism that you are failing.
Why is polling data guiding decisions about what to cover & how to cover it? To what extent does mainstream media coverage drive polling, rather than the reverse? Who is designing the polls?
This is the view from behind the stage Farage will be speaking on around 8pm. Those many seats being full might be enough to give you a messiah complex, to borrow Rupert Lowe’s phrase.
We have been given a tour of the set behind Farage, which could be reasonably described as quite high concept. Broken Britain is the theme, ahead of the council elections.
The result was UKIP made very ineffective councillors because they didn't have any programme to put forward. Running Local government does actually require thought!
I’ve just spent a while walking around the Reform venue and seen 1,000+ punters of whom I saw three of minority ethnic heritage. We’re in Birmingham - well over half the staff here are of minority ethnic background. I’m not necessarily sure what this tells us* but it’s a striking contrast.
*Context: it’s not necessarily all down to Reform. Political events tend to attract unrepresentative crowds, eg older, better off. There are a few younger people here, but I’d say not any more than at your standard party conference.
to be fair, that's a good question. A lot of people's experience is that they're not getting a fair deal whether it's Tory or Labour in power (and Labour currently seem intent on demonstrating that is really, really, really true). So why not take a punt of somebody who's never yet been in power.
This is grim.
And I guess we expect more with guest speakers from MAGA in the coming months.
We really do ignore this at our peril. With labour pandering to the right, they’re handing reform votes on a plate.
This is, by the way, what I’ve written about tonight’s event - and Labour’s decision to start fully targeting Reform as the local elections and Runcorn by-election approach.
Ten mins before the Reform event in Birmingham is due to start and we’re maybe half full. I’m no crowd-estimating expert but it doesn’t feel like close to the promised 10,000 people.
Comments
Enjoy the bigotry and bullshit. Try to encourage your colleagues to write it up properly and not more facist fluffy pieces which have got us into this mess
You remind me of those who bigged up Trump and legitimized his vile conduct.
I can guarantee the Green party's vote share would rise so much more if they got time too. They've risen to 10% of the vote share
At least be honest about that
Guardian now has US owners and is deffo drifting rightwards. There has been coverage of Reform regularly.
Considering ditching it. @bylinetimes.bsky.social and @theneweuropean.bsky.social far better.
why don’t you all cover the greens with the same fervour?
Sorry for bothering you
I'm ashamed to ask you for help,
Can you boost my pinned post please 🙏
Why is polling data guiding decisions about what to cover & how to cover it? To what extent does mainstream media coverage drive polling, rather than the reverse? Who is designing the polls?
Is reform doing the same thing or are they actually going to engage with local government?
Second last para.
And I guess we expect more with guest speakers from MAGA in the coming months.
We really do ignore this at our peril. With labour pandering to the right, they’re handing reform votes on a plate.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/mar/28/labour-ads-use-nhs-to-attack-nigel-farage-views-before-major-reform-rally