One of the consequences that I predicted would flow from Trump was that the far-right elsewhere would suffer serious reputational damage.
I suggested that this might arise from:
- Their inability to put clear water between their positions and those of Trump.
- Their own sense of grandeur from association with Trump, and the feeling of superiority that they might claim as a result, representing pride before a fall.
- Their own inability to manage fallout within their ranks, which is a characteristic of many extremist parties.
It looks as if all those expectations are proving to be justified. Last night The Guardian reported that:
Reform UK has erupted into open civil war after the party said its MP Rupert Lowe had received complaints about bullying and had made threats against the party chair, a day after Lowe criticised Nigel Farage for being “messianic”.
I will not repeat all aspects of the allegations - which look to be both serious for Lowe, if they prove to be true, which is not the case at present - and disastrous for Reform, which yet again proves that a party led by Farage is nothing more than a personal ego-trip on his part, lacking in any political substance, ideas, policy or ability to attract anyone with any significant political acumen to work in the shadow of his considerable ego.
It would be premature to suggest that yet another Farage vehicle is going to crash, but what is happening looks very dangerous for Reform. They want to be taken seriously. It is going to be very hard for anyone to really do that when it is so obvious that the kindest that can be said of them is that they are a complete shower, and anything only slightly less kind is pretty brutal.
I would be delighted to see the demise of Farage, yet again, but let's be clear that this:
- Might boost the Tories, except for the fact that Badenoch makes even Starmer look like a man of political genius, which I will make clear for the sake of first-time readers here, is not even remotely what I think him to be.
- Provides no answer to the real problem in UK politics, which is that there is no credible party that can win power from the left of centre in England now, given that Labour is well to the right of where David Caneron was and that the LibDems are neoliberal, meaning that very large parts of the UK electorate have no one to vote for, not least because the Greens seem unable to get their act together in any meaningful way.
The mess that is English politics does, then, deepen, but if Farage was to suffer a massive blow to his fortunes I will not pretend to be anything but pleased.
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Also worth mentioning Tice’s terrible performance on Question Time where he revealed himself(big surprise here) as an ignorant bully.
One needs to be sceptical of a left-right political spectrum (good ideas aren’t necessarily left or right), but even so
Left – Labour members – Greens – SNP – LibDem – Labour Government – Traditional Conservative – Current Conservative – Reform – Right
Unusual to have three political parties positioned between Labour members and their leaders
I’d say current Labour Govt are to the right of traditional Conservative. One almost feels nostalgic for the likes of Heseltine and Major these days.
@ Jim
You say “One almost feels nostalgic for the likes of Heseltine and Major these days.”
Agreed. In my opinion, Sir John Major is our President Jimmy Carter – derided while in office, and for some time thereafter, despite considerable achievements while in office
Major, remember, had done a lot of the heavy lifting that led to the Good Friday Agreement, while, in the Camp David Accords Carter did something no other American President has achieved, in bringing together Sadat and Begin and producing a workable agreement.
And please don’t brandish the 1993 Oslo Accords under Clinton, as those were “smoke and mirrors” to disguise further land grabs by the Israelis, which is why Ararat went for a renewed intifada),
Lke Carter, Sir John Major is often the only significant political voice talking reasoned sense – on BREXIT and Europe, and the defence of the NHS, to give only two examples.
I’d be only too happy if SKS were as reasoned and competent at Sir John Major, but as things stand, Starmer is far to the Right of Edward Heath, and wonder how long he would have lasted in a Heath goverrment.
I would say the Green party is to the left of most Labour members and Political Compass has the Green party far left of Labour. The difference is that Green party policy is for decentralisation rather than the centralisation of traditional socialism.
Unfortunately, even its own members admit that its policies are deeply confused on many issues.
There is grounds to be skeptical of any political party in the west that calls itself ‘left’. This is not my argument but an argument made by those who think about politics for a living. Ideologically the left stopped existing in 1990. Do they seriously believe that communism/socialism is inevitable? No. They believe fascism can happen again.
I believe social democracy can happen.
Heseltine – maybe.
Major – no!
You are right to point this out – Farage is an opportunist and sometimes that can blow up in your face. Trump is now very hard to call, very unpredictable, like all puppets. I remember being a kid and never liking Punch and Judy shows because Punch was very unpredictably violent and prone to flying off the handle.
As a puppet it looks like a sentient being but has no sentience. That is Trump. We can only hope that one day we will see his de-fenestration. But then again we may not, because it will implicate failure everywhere in the American democracy I bet you.
But one thing is for sure. There are people in the UK who like Trump and Farage what they stand for. I hear it everyday. Hannah Arendt warned us about people like that. There’s plenty of them.
Knowing his association with Putin, defenestration maybe has a more literal meaning than you imply.
Dear Pilgrim
Your reference to Hannah Arendt reminded me of something I saw earlier
Mr. Musk, in an interview, says he wants to save Western Civilisation from Empathy.
Hannah Arendt “the death of human empathy is one of the earliest and most telling signs of a culture on the verge of descending into barbarism.’
I agree with her 100%
I second your opinion.
IMHO Trump is deliberately provoking a reaction in order to bring about a state of emergency. The end of democracy in the USA?…
Very likely
Most lefty Labour have quit or been forced out, some standing as Independents successfully. TBH my experience of the Greens is that they are chaotic. I would not refer to current Labour as left, simply because at many CLPs and almost all Regions the very right wing Blairites have had a stranglehold for two decades. They kill any initiative or lefty ideas, usually inventing procedure and disliking challenge. Been there!
Re chaotic Greens. Yes there is damaging transgender ‘debate’ at the centre of the party but 100’s of local parties and around 1000 local councillors and in part control of a fair few councils and getting on and doing stuff.
But we suffer from lack of airtime and a system determined not to tell the truth about the upcoming collapse of the climate.
Where ever we have half a dozen activists, 3 newsletters a year, stalls, and door knocking we tend to get elected.
Come and help us !
I have not done party politics for decades and don’t want to change now. My role requires independence.
I know that you are a very serious environmentalist. You have also been critical of the Green Party on a number of occasions but without specifying in detail what you regard as the problems. As an active member of the Green Party I would be very interested to hear what your thoughts about them are.
Search my criticism of its economic policy.
The party cannot afford its democratic processes because it cannot afford conferences because its gender policy has caused so many problems.
That’s enough to get you going.
The public would not buy this confusion.
Green Party Conference being held in Bournemouth October 2025.
The first in 18 months, which has crippled decision making in a supposedly Democratic Party (which I can’t stop autocorrecting to capitals).
Hi Richard,
Many thanks for your work.
Minor correction the last GP conference was in Manchester in September 2024, just over 5 months ago..
But correct the cost of losing gender critical court cases is very expensive, with more in the pipeline, meaning Spring Conference has been cancelled.
Let’s say the level of management leaves much to be desired.
Frustrating as it I’m one of around Green Party cllrs plugging on around the country with some little victories here and there !
Thanks
David Byrne says:
The priority of the Reform Party UK Ltd and It’s 2 directors, Farage and Tice is making money for the company. Farage’s trips to the USA are about engaging with the far right moneyed, power class, principally Trump and Musk.
Unfortunately for Farage, Musk has suggested that he remove himself from the “Party”, ergo, no money for you mate!
You could not make it up.
It might appear to be going wrong for Farage/Reform, but according to the bookmakers they are massively odds on to overturn “Iron” Mike Amesbury’s huge majority if there’s a by election in my constituency soon.
Let’s see
Reform fired the starting gun a long time ago. They’ve been driving one of those large video screens around the Runcorn town area with pictures of Amesbury in convict gear. Also classing him as a Labour MP. Obviously got the money to spend on it.
The talk of Reform being in trouble does not reflect [yet] in their polling. I have no doubt Starmer and other neoliberals will be happy to hand over to a fully right wing neoliberal gang to complete the destruction of the NHS and welfare state. Or in other words, see the plan come to completion.