As if we needed more evidence that Farage et al are divorced from reality - their big idea is to cut spending from local government, which has suffered more in spending cuts than pretty much any other sector over the past decade
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Ok. but they are winning all over. Is their appeal their anti immigrant stand or cost cutting? I find it hard to believe that anyone would go near Farage who is nothing but a trump but seems to be happening.
Their voters need to realise this is bins, local roads, social care, schools, send provision, shared children's services, leisure centres, parks, public spaces, street cleaning, etc...
If Labour got their act together Reform would be a minor annoyance, but Starmer and Reeves either don’t get it or completely under the thumbs of the super rich and big business.
He is just parroting the crap that Trump used on his MAGA morons. Project 2025 was sponsored by billionaires with the sole object of concentrating power in their hands and removing benefits from working people.
Social care and any aspect of the surviving welfare state is woke. Expect a full on assault on discretionary spend and cuts where they can to statutory services
Which is why I think (hope) that taking control of Councils will hurt them a little bit. Their voters expect a lot of help from the state for themselves and their families and nothing for anyone else. They do not expect to lose their own social care or library or park.
Nope these people understand very well. They just don't care. Many of these reform voters don't really vote thinking to make things better for them, they only want to make other people's lives miserable because they are jealous.
Pretty easy to understand why. Giving money to local governments dilutes power at the top. If all you want is power, you have to stop that dynamic so you can use it to favor your cronies downballot.
This is what I don't understand
He keeps talking of Musk DOGE style needed in UK; he talks of dismantling the NHS; his donors are some fairly questionable individuals; his lies over Brexit still linger & then some & one could go on as to the atrocity that is this man
& yet, here we are
What the f?
They have just taken over Kent council which spends around 70% of its budget on adult social care/health and children/education. Let’s see how they get on with their voters when they start cutting that budget. https://bsky.app/profile/electionmaps.uk/post/3lo77sk6skc2s
Oh - and it’s wonderfully ironic a Reform county council instantly takes over the reigns of spending several million on Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children. Which the law says they have to. Wonder how they’re going to square that circle with the frothing mouth breathers.
His idiocy fantasy is about to meet reality. Will definitely be interested here in Kent (my division stayed con). They will just blame central govt, but I feel there will be a lot of chaos ahead.
They’re about to bump into the hard reality of statutory services. There’s nothing to cut there because it has to be done. The only scope to cut is the stuff most people like - bins, pot holes, libraries, bus passes for old folks etc.
The people of Kent really love to self harm!!! Voted for Brexit and now reform!!!They really need an intervention or segregation I can’t decide which would be best
It's pretty much the full reason for a lot of councils raising tax by the maximum year on year, is to keep Social Services and those others you mentioned going. But as sure as the sun rises in the morning, small scale DEI and 'woke' will be blamed.
There’s a good chance that a former tory councillor has won a seat on my local council for reform. I’ll see if I can check…. Yup. She got 57% of a 42% turnout and knocked off the incumbent (also racist) Ashfield Independent. FML. I was delighted to move into the ‘red wall’ and the fuckers fucked it.
Our lives have been made worse by our all the cuts to public services, so we will vote for them lot who want to cut public services is quite the brainiac vibe from Reform voters
They will do a DOGE move presumably. People will then see how much valuable work is coordinated by people in local government. Also, the hilarious angry obsession with working from home - council where I worked until recently did this because of cutbacks.
I think the reason they don't like people working from home is all the studies that show that working from home leads to greater efficiency and output and happier employees. All things that any one in charge ought be trying to avoid.
Exactly. Our council saved millions over the years with working from home initiatives, with the savings going to Social Services, which are still under immense pressure. What are their plans for that black hole in savings if reversed?
The spending cuts are not the problem. Its not even the inevitable incompetence. It’s the danger posed by the normalisation of voting for a far right party like Reform.
It’s a very easy target. Look how little fuss was made during Tory Austerity when Sure Start Centres, schools, roads, social housing, youth clubs, social services, school support services, and much more were cut by through cutting grants to local Government.
We are in for a political experiment in Lancashire, which I fear will not go well. However, for the first time in his political life, Farage is now accountable, for his mayor's and his councils
I agree. He’ll follow Trump’s playbook and gaslight the gullible into believing everything is wonderful, tremendous and anything negative is due to the last lot. And the media will report all his lies
Anyone who thinks copying the MAGA 2.0 approach which has been universally panned by EVERYONE are more than detached from reality. They are bigoted, stupid sheep
Indeed. A lot of the stuff I’ve heard them saying they’ll cut out can’t be anyway without the authority of Parliament since they are statutory services.
I'm thinking that the number of councils now under reform control is now a good thing. When they don't achieve anything, or run things into the ground they can't hide and say it was a one off.
And the cretins who vote them will most likely be the ones s screaming for someone to wipe their elderly backsides once community care has totally disappeared. Dismal.
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He keeps talking of Musk DOGE style needed in UK; he talks of dismantling the NHS; his donors are some fairly questionable individuals; his lies over Brexit still linger & then some & one could go on as to the atrocity that is this man
& yet, here we are
What the f?
It's done a bunch of illegal things, causes numerous data breaches and cost, rather than saved any money.
Rampant w fraud, human cost etc
They couldn't understand the data they shouldn't have had access to. I'm not sure this sort of thing ever gets fixed, the data leaks certainly don't.
Every LA has blamed central govt so it won’t really be too different in the short term. Especially so try budgets already set for this FY.
I'm not surprise that Kent has fallen to Reform,
Dark days ahead , but ,c'est la vie
Because I suspect that the new folk are going to find actual reality-based local politics a rude awakening…
I honestly think they haven’t a clue who organises the bin collections, the fire brigade or road repairs .
Is it profligate fairies with magic money 🙄
All roads (sorry, turnpikes) will be toll roads to pay for their upkeep, including repairing potholes
All children taken into care will be immediately sent to Rawanda
All those needing care homes will just have to pay and if they can't pay will be subjected to euthenasia
Sorted
He will never be accountable.
He will blame them after trying to blame Labour.
How long before the scandals start? First up crafty wank?