The rise of ReformUK
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I don’t think Lowe will get anywhere, if only because nobody’s heard of him outside the Westminster bubble and even if, like the other leaders of RefUK, he’s got the money, being a capitalist himself. But you are right, the nativist right is already split, like the Trotskyists, into a number of competing sects. UKIP still exists and then there are breakaways from them such as Heritage and the Homeland Party.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:UK_Independence_Party_breakaway_groups
I don’t think Lowe will get anywhere, if only because nobody’s heard of him outside the Westminster bubble
I noticed he does have quite a fair bit of support on X, but as you say, is very unlikely to get anywhere. Reform now has over 200K members apparently but according to this article about 2000 may leave to follow Lowe into the wilderness
https://www.gbnews.com/politics/reform-uk-opinion-poll-rupert-lowe-nigel-farage
I see that RefUK’s equivalent did very well in the Portuguese elections the other day. It is called “Chega” which is simply the Portuguese word for “Enough”. Which might be a better name for RefUK as that is what seems to be the basis of its support. Another possible name might be The Protest Party. The trouble with such parties is that once they get elected and have to participate in running capitalism they become part of the “establishment” and another party of protest arises.
Just noticed that the Daily Excess above quotes Lowe as saying:
“Mere reform is inadequate – we need radical, principled change.”
I think he’s saying What We Need is Revolution Not Reform, though of course his idea of revolution is quite different from ours. Still, it’s a good criticism of any party calling itself Reform.
It’s behind a paywall but it’s the headline’s enough.
This of course is a cynical vote-catching move as Reform has no chance of being put in a position to honour it. The Greens aren’t either.
But clever as a way of conning Labour voters to switch to Reform. Whether workers will be duped remains to be seen.
Now Reform is claiming to be the party of working people.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/farage-reform-starmer-workers-benefits-b2758386.html
Maybe the two parties should change names.
Reform as “the new party of the working class” LOL
They are monopolising anti-Starmer and anti-war (while they’re not yet in power) sentiment, but then mouthing off against poor immigrants. I cannot count the number of times I open a Youtube video of someone opposed to militarisation, only to discover, less than two minutes in, that they start blaming immigration. Definitely National rather than “Socialist”!
Reform – “Definitely National rather than “Socialist””
Or perhaps, a combination of them both, I dunno perhaps National Socialism?
Looks as if Reform is trying to outflank on their left not just Labour but the Trotskyists too. Here’s a report of what Farage said yesterday in speech in Port Talbot in South Wales:
“He went on to say that a Reform government in Cardiff would reopen coal-mines in the South Wales valleys…”
I don’t know if any Trot promising that not even as “transitional demand”. Mind you, it is not self-evident that people there will want their kids to have to work down the pits to earn a living.
Meanwhile his deputy, Richard Tice, has been having a go at the bankers that the Left likes to hate, with his “attack on Bailey [the Governor of the Bank of England] for creating money out of ‘thin air’ to enrich City bankers”.
It sounds as if Reform might be a good hunting ground for Trotskyist “entryists”.
There is a serious point here, though. Left Populism and Right Populism use the same demagogic promises in a bid to lead “the masses”. It could even be said that Left Populism paves the way for their Rightist rivals.
“He went on to say that a Reform government in Cardiff would reopen coal-mines in the South Wales valleys…”
Doesn’t mention that he was a cheerleader for the Thatcher government that closed them down.
Also doesn’t explain how he thinks it will be possible to magic up the hundreds of skilled mining engineers, pit electricians, pit deputies, drillers, blasters, pit joiners, linesmen, geologists and it’s going to be possible to recruit hundreds of pit workers (a skilled job itself) to risk their lives to go back underground for the pittance they would be offered to do it.
Another Faragist pipe dream.
That type of movement is becoming popular all over the world. Lumpenproletariats are electing them and they do not even care if they are criminals At the present time socialism is too far away
Not all lumpens. Many support Starmer et al, and believe “we” must “get ready” for war. At the moment, the populist parties in Europe are opposing the rush to war. And since war is the absolute worst of scenarios, from which there will be no return, I submit that the pro-war “liberal” parties are worse than the populists.
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