This was the view from Politico's most recent UK national poll tracker:
Three things stand out.
Firstly, there is no real enthusiasm for any political party in the UK at present. When the government just scrapes 21%, and the Conservatives 17%, disenchantment is the most obvious story that stands out from this poll.
Secondly, it is obvious that Farage is exploiting this. Let's not also beat around the bush: he is doing that successfully. It is a damning indictment of all other politicians that he has succeeded in doing so the absence of ideas is what is so clearly down the rest of the political domain.
Thirdly, we have to come to the reluctant conclusion that almost one in three people in the UK are willing to vote for a neo-fascist party. In a country that seems to define itself, in more than any other way, by its part in victory over fascism in World War II, no one should ignore the reality of the scale of change in public sympathy that this represents. Nor should we ignore the challenge implicit within the denial of the truth implicit in this, or the apparent suspension of the relationship between historical narratives and present political sentiment, often subscribed to by the same people simultaneously, that other politicians now have to address.
These are worrying times.
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Pushing a slightly softer form of austerity than the Tories still means Labour being labelled by many as just effectively being the same. If Labour leadership cannot recognise that it is not what people voted for last time, as demonstrated by the lows in support seen now, then it does not deserve to win the next election.
For many younger adults, some form of austerity is all they’ve known, so they are disillusioned with Labour as well as Tories.
For older adults, they have known times when opportunity seemed more present.
Both have a right to be angry at a system that has failed to provide opportunity or security.
Stone 30% are willing to roll the dice and hope for better. They don’t necessarily believe it will be better, but they hope it would be.
The thing is, it’s a mindset that thinks things can’t get worse. Reform (and Trump) play on the idea of inevitable decline without them.
What these supporters have missed are the lessons of the early 20th century and how much worse things can be, and what kind of leadership creates that.
Might one description/definition of early stage fascim be the detachment of a/the ruling elite, and its enablers, from the citizenry”?
Might that stage have been with us for some time and be made more obvious by the actions and lack of actions of the present government?
That might well be the case.
Post truth politics has been around 20+ years now. The type of populist politics of Victor Oban and Nigel Farage has been around 30 years. The type of national politics of Le Pen has been around since the 1960s. Farage followers are drifting from one of these groups to other and at the same time deny that they are doing so. The problem of truth that we have with these political parties is like this; they say that they are pro abortion rights and then also say that abortion is wrong and people should be free to protest it. They don’t give any clear answers but say that they are speaking ‘common sense’. They offer nothing but confusion and democratic collapse.
Much to agree with
Well, I would ask Fart-rage & his imbeciles one question:
What action will you take with respect to this:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/aug/19/most-of-windermere-polluted-with-sewage-bacteria-finds-biggest-survey-of-its-kind
which is symptomatic of the UK’s inability to ensure that even well known lakes are safe to swim in.
I guarantee that fart-rage will blather & bullshit and be incapable of any coherent response – which is typical of facists when presented with real-world problems like this.
The way to cut fascists down to size is concrete questions – watch em squirm.
Depressing and worrying is right. I believe that the Labour government’s Foreign policy is undermining their ability to combat Faragism at home. If Farage is to be beaten the way to do it is to hang Brexit and Trump around his neck. Both are now very unpopular in the polls and yet Farage is not suffering for it. When he is the principal instigator of Brexit and a Trump sycophant this is galling. At the moment the government cannot attack Farage on Brexit because they are stuck with the vacuous policy of “making Brexit work” . I have more sympathy with their increasingly humiliating attempts to appease Trump and and keep him in the Nato alliance because we truly are in a desperate situation when the President of our most important ally and on whom we over reliant for defence has gone to bat for the other side. At some stage though I believe there will be a rupture with Trump and we will have to face up to the reality of our situation, accept the need to pay more for our own defence, recognise who our true allies are and where our interests lie. it is not any longer with an Atlantic alliance. There is only one silver lining to an increasingly black cloud. At least one problem might be made redundant. Fighting fascism may leave very little wealth left to be taxed.
While all those people might be prepared to vote fora neo-fascist party, I don’t believe that means they are all neofascists. Yes, some will be ideologically committed, but some may just be desperate for change and will recklessly and perhaps unthinkingly vote for Farage without even realising it would likely be against their own interests let alone the wider consequences. Farage is the only politician currently in the public eye who promises to upend the established order (yes others are agitating in the wings, like – maybe – the Greens, but they don’t have the same traction in the media). So some unhappy souls will vote for any disruption even if that threatens disaster. My hope is that the possibility of a more positive disruption will enter the general discourse if and when Zack Polanski for the Greens and Your Party get their act together. Then, at the very least, Reform will have to work hard for the votes of the disaffected. They won’t be able to rely on Farage’s media profile and dissatisfaction with the mainstream parties, as they have done up to now. We could well see Reform’s polling position greatly diminished as a result.
Is this not the same phenomenon that got Trump elected?
Yes. In 2016 the Democrat establishment made sure that Bernie Sanders was sidelined, extinguishing the chance of a progressive capitalising on disaffection with the status quo. In 2029 in the UK there may be a chance for a progressive alternative to the fascists, the mainstream duopoly being completely dead in the water. The Tories are over and everyone knows it; Labour are over but they won’t realise until after the next general election. The fight for the future will be between Reform and Your Party/Greens.
“Firstly, there is no real enthusiasm for any political party in the UK at present.”
Well thats not true when reform are polling 31%. You can try and spin to your audience as much as you like but the facts are in front of you. Reform will get stronger as polls like this will give them more donor funding. You have completely misread the room with regard to the migrant crisis and two tier policing. Of course you call anyone not singing to your tune racist or fascist or hurl other insults when of course the vast majority are just normal hard working people.
31% is weak for a leading political party.
You can’t pretend otherwise: this is no big vote of confidence. This is usually a losing level of support for a losing party in a general election.
And you are supprting a neo-fascist, racist party, whether you like it or not. What’s it like to be duped if you aren’t either of those things, because these people are going to take you for the most massive ride, including taking away the NHS. Is that what you want?
You’re delusional if you think they are not fascist and racist.
“two tier policing.”
Are you seriously ok? From what I’ve been seeing, it’s people protesting against Israeli genocide that are being arrested while those holding signs saying to “kill ’em all” (refugees) are not for inciting violence. The two-tier policing benefits the likes of people like you, complete traitors to the country.
Yes, many are ‘ordinary working people’, as were those who reported their neighbours for being Jewish, for standing by and watching, boycotting the business with the yellow star, or cursing those wearing them
Yes, it’s those same people who support fascism and racism, ‘ordinary working people’.
If that’s your excuse, then certainly align with the ideology of the past.
Here are the vote shares for the winning party in recent elections since 2001.
2001 40.7
2005 35.4
2010 36.1 (Coalition)
2015 36.2
2017 42.3 (minority gov)
2019 43.6
2024 33.7
So polling at 31% one year after a GE is not certainty of victory.
Even with 42.3%, May didn’t have a majority.
It all depends on how your opponents do, and how scattered or concentrated the votes are.
Starmer got 33.7% in 2024, and only got so many seats because of the Tory collapse and tactical voting. His performance did not represent popular support.
31% for Reform is even poorer and in May 2026 his councillors will be trying to explain their incompetence in local gov’t. There will be less tarnished options available for protest voters.
Thank you.
Appreciated.
You make my point very well.
The writing will be on the wall for Labour and the Conservatives at the local – and Scotland and Wales – elections in May 2026. Labour did fairly well in 2022 but if Reform surge ahead again, what is their plan for the next general election? Only two to three years away. Where are the signs of delivery, the message of hope?
I could not really believe it when that lying slug Johnson became prime minister, and then Truss. But a government led by Farage, with all the discretionary power and patronage – and lack of safeguards – that entails? Sweet Jesus.
Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see how Trump deals with the US midterms. And four Supreme Court justices are aged 70 or older.
A challenge that will not be met unless we reinvest in the country big time. Fascism feeds well on unhappiness, political vacuums and no new ideas.
That is us done for then.
I’m actually looking forward to retiring so that I can get arrested for speaking my mind. To speak my mind now would mean me losing my job, but you’d be surprised (maybe not) at how many in the public sector simply want to ‘stop the boats’.
I wuld not be.
I guess it is 1 in 3.
Hmmm …………..feels more like two in every three where I work………………….
Shit…
It seems the 1 in 3 who are prepared to vote for neo-fascist parties would map onto the 1 in 3 who have an underlying authoritarian disposition. This is a well researched group.
The way to attend to authoritarians’ needs is though affordable housing and and an ability to live with dignity. Neoliberalism has de-housed millions, robbed us of our future and dignity. Neoliberalism is pushing is towards autocracies.
How to change this is covered in FtF. 🙂
Thanks
Agreed
Sharing a link, to follow.
Sorry to post twice,
The right are good at stirring up authoritarianism, we need to be as good and better if we are to protect democracy and our human rights.
I found this analysis of of authoritarianism by psychiatrist of Dr Razzaque very good, it explains how the right activates authoritarians by stoking fear ‘stop the boats’ and ‘build a wall’, and how through understanding we can protect democracy.
Highly recommend 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T8jF8BEeCM&t=72s
Thank you.
Very good. Thanks. Worth watching.
Isn’t seeking to confiscate assets at below market value (as Richard Murphy is recommending with regard to rental properties) a textbook sign of facist behaviour?
I’m not clear which Reform policies are actually facist, as Richard hasn’t provided and form of explaination, but it does look as though it simply refers to policies he doesn’t like.
Please explain to me why regulating markets that are out of control, and are creating poverty as a consequence of exploitation, is fascist.
Where is that in the standard defintions of fascism, because you are one of many to make this claim today?
And does this mean all market regulation that impacts prices (and all regulation does) is fascist? How? Detailed answers, please.
You haven’t explained how Reform’s policies are facist.
Forced confiscation without appropriate compensation is pretty much a definition of facist policies – you don’t have to look very far in history to confirm this. I.e. the evidence and the claim align closely.
In your case, not at all.
I will post on fascism 8n the morning.
You cm check off the list for yourself, if you are honest.
First of all, learn to spell “fascist” when you are trying to dictate what fascism is. But, no, forced buying of properties that are purchased mostly by foreign companies who are exploiting people is not fascism. Why don’t you read up on fascism and explain which part of it qualifies under that definition?
And it’s really semantics. If you think foreign companies exploiting people is a good thing, you are the problem.
Moderates in your country and mine are getting the response they deserve – your Labour, our Democrats. When you lose 1/3 of the voters’ interest, for failure to address inequality, you invite fascists to stir up animus.
Many years ago, when I was a bit player in California politics, I answered a state legislator with “Sadism does not become you, Senator.” It did diminish his stature for a while.
It appears to me that we either get immoderate politicians with sound policy proposals to rally the public, or we get rolled by the fascist tide.