The rise of ReformUK
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In view of their huge gains in the county council elections I think we need a separate thread on them.
Here’s how the BBC summarises their policies:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c39jedewxp8t?post=asset%3A7e705e95-ca29-4deb-a807-04a34d6c420c#post
Abandoning net zero and cutting council waste are clearly in the interest of the financial capitalists who funded the Brexit campaign, but what about Farage’s talk of “reindustrialising” Britain? Stealing the TUC and Tony Benn’s clothes is not so obviously in their interest and seems more of a vote-catching ploy?
This is what the Times reported on 16 April under the headline “Farage woos red wall with vow to reindustrialise UK”;
“At a working men’s club in Newton Aycliffe, Co Durham, the Reform leader made his most audacious attempt yet to outflank Labour to its left on the economy, praising trade unions and calling for the return of nationalised heavy industry, coal mining and oil and gas extraction.”
Reindustrialisung Britain is such a wild “vow” that it is difficult to believe that anyone will think it could happen. Even so, RefUK did win control of Durham county council but it can’t have been because voters believed that they would reopen the coal mines there. But it’s the sort of breakthrough that leftwing advocates of reviving heavy industry can only dream about.
I was mocked at university when students found out I was a socialist. One put on a flat cap and faked a stereotypical northern accent:
“Ee, by gum. Sohcialist be thee, ay.”
I think what the reform party best illustrate is the problems with centre politics and policy. It is a natural breakdown and subsequent repolarization of parties as the population begin to realise that there needs are not being met by central government. But what is interesting is that the further leftist parties, do not get the same attention as those on the right. I believe this is because the ISA (ideological state apparatuses) such as traditional media such as the newspapers and television and even new media such as social media are used by the capitalist powers to legitimate these capitalist far right parties. For example, the usage of Nigel Farage on ‘I am a celebrity get me out of here’, made the population accept his ideology as just. Or in short legitimating the legitimisers of capitalism.
Thomas More, our struggle is one that take courage and determination. You must use this as an example to see how far indoctrinated the capitalist ideology is, these are people with false class consciousness and will attempt to legitimate capitalism as much as possible. Take pity on them, for they do not understand there own oppression. You should have pride in the fact you are fighting a system that has been rooted in are society for tool long. Disregard these comments and continue the fight for equality for it is a just and noble cause.
(That’s if this is not a historical case) if so i am sure you figured this out.
I think now more than ever the dynamic of media has changed since 2006 (by the way i didn’t just get that from my head i did have to search it). I was more focusing on the mass indoctrination through social media more. I think it is fair to say that media has developed into a more right based agenda. I ‘ll give a better example, Elon Musk purchasing twitter was not a coincidence but a utilization of technology to extend a right wing (capitalist) viewpoint to the masses. (In my opinion)
“I was mocked at university when students found out I was a socialist.”
When did you go to university? The 1920’s?
1990s. To be fair, the students had to put up with the monopolisation of the word “socialism” by lots of “Citizen Smith”-garbed SWPers, who shouted in their faces every time they walked by the entrance to the library.
It is no wonder there was graffiti exclaiming “SOCIALIST BASTARDS!”
And my SPGB flyers were also defaced because of that.My ads for meetings were finally published by the university chaplain in his weekly Anglican paper.
The student union was implacably and abusively hostile.I think the SWP has a greatly reduced presence on university campuses since the Comrade Delta affair.
But shouldn’t this thread be about the Liberal Democrats? Reform is still small fry compared to them.
Comrade Delta affair? What’s that?
In the town where I was a student, the SWP and (presumably) other leftists had taken my (unofficial) spot one day, where I had a placard with the badges we used to sell and an armful of Socialist Standards. So I set up nearby.
Two policemen dispersed the leftists, but just walked by me and let me remain. We are obviously no threat.Later I read about an Austrian comrade who had a spot by himself in Vienna with his own material (as he was all alone), and continued with it after the Anschluss and so on, throughout the war, and was simply ignored by the authorities!
“Comrade Delta affair? What’s that?”
They tried to cover up an incident of rape involving one of their leaders.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Smith_(activist)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_Workers_Party_(UK)#Internal_crisis_over_allegations_of_rape
It might become the British MAGA movement. In our time, the working class is becoming extremely reactionary and recalcitrant.
It is looking increasingly like the Reform Party could be facing some kind of serious internal split, with moneybags Musk backing Lowe (who was booted out) against Farage It is somewhat amusingly reminiscent of the splits in various Trotskyist parties in the past. The only drawback is that the absolutely dreadful Anti-Labour Party of Starmer might benefit from the fallout, but who knows?
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