In news that will surprise precisely no one, Suella Braverman has defected to Reform, a party her husband had, I think, been a member of for some time.
The real question here is not why Braverman left the Tories, whose right-wing she fell out of a long time ago, but why Farage wants her.
Farage is assembling a care home for ex-Tory ministers who are long past their sell-by date, some of whom are now claiming to be surprised that Britain is broken, whilst denying any responsibility for creating this outcome.
Robert Jenrick, Suella Braverman, Nadhim Zahawi, and Danny Kruger now represent a significant part of Reform's parliamentary representation. How, in that case, Farage can claim that he represents anything new is very hard to imagine. He does, instead, represent the perpetuation of everything about politics that has previously failed. A pile of people without an idea between them, all of whom have held office before, cannot represent the change that this country needs.
The questions are:
- Will the electorate notice?
- Who will point this out?
- When will the Tories give up altogether, and
- How long is it, at this rate, before the LibDems are the official opposition?
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Ed Davey had better start brushing up on how the economy really works then. His proposal about war bonds suggests he has some catching up to do.
The basic Liberal position in the 20thC was socially progressive within a conservative economic frame, they haven’t moved on much. The Whigs who proceeded them started out with protectionist leanings but became free market zealots, the Tory party was the nice party in comparison.
There’s no logic behind a Polanski led-Green coalition with the Lib-Dems other than political expediency. The Lib-Dems have more in common with the “right” of Labour, a more logical conclusion is theLib-Dems giving a Starmer government enough seats to hold onto power after a General Election with Reform as the official opposition. The Labour government might need to persuade the Greens as well and rely on SNP support, gained on the basis that the SNP enabling A Reform government would look bad at home, similarly for Plaid.
There are too many assumptions in your equation, including that Labour could lead a coalition.
Many of the people likely to vote for Reform won’t care about the Tory chancers now lining up behind Farage. What matters to them is the opportunity to punish the people they’ve been encouraged to hate. In this a significant part of Farage’s support resembles the MAGA movement in the States.
I recommend for those with time the triggernometry podcast with Suella Braverman. It’s a strange interview format where she is outnumbered two to one, but it seems to bring out more interesting answers than the one to one interview format.
I think she is going to be approached quite a bit for comment on reform uk policies now that they seem to be compiling natural spokespeople for different shadow roles rather than Farage being expected to know everything about everything. When I say natural spokespeople I mean that they fit the position in reform naturally, not that they are naturally going to be liked or good, that would be up to the public to decide of course.
I think I’m scared by what’s actually behind Reform more than SOME of the marginal characters sticking to its slimy sides. The Resolute 1850 money, the US ChristoFascists, the potential major characters in there like Tice, Jenrick, Kruger – all that points to a misogynist, fascist grouping that will import Project 2025 into UK. They are gaining traction, far too many people seem to be mouthing immigration tropes and quoting rubbish from social media. I was quite shocked by a close member of my wife’s family defending Farage (wrongly quoting) at the weekend, and her sister and husband ranting about immigration (I fact checked their assertions later – totally incorrect). These are nice people of middle England.
I think you’ve captured it. The “nice people of Middle England” don’t think beyond the various simple ‘dog whistles’ of Fart- rage…they aren’t looking at facts, they don’t recognise that Thatcher’s neoliberalism has damaged the country massively and they want someone/thing to blame. The various Tory defectors to De-form, have a proven inability to govern…immigration (not actually a real problem) increased under them, the economy suffered, privatisation of public services (e.g., Water) has been an unmitigated disaster, etc.
Why would you give these proven clowns a second chance to inflict their arrogance, entitlement, demonstrable incompetence and pure, unadulterated self-interest and narcissism on us? It is simple laziness, lack of intellectual rigour, the easy option to lay the blame on someone else instead of yourself – preferably if they don’t look or sound like us – for visiting neoliberal doctrine on us via Thatcher and her acolytes over the years. Frankly, Middle England and their bubbling under-current of racism and ‘I’m alright Jack, up yours’ attitude is what Farage is counting on. These Tory (proven) incompetents are simply trying to save their own precious skins and even if they only stay afloat for a few more weeks that is fine by them.
I think the current situation has highlighted a necessary change. If an MP changes party allegiance they should be forced to initiate a bye-election. Similarly a change in leader (unless death is the cause) should trigger an election. Right or wrong, we voted based on their party allegiance and nominated leader.
Over 100,000 people agree with that last paragraph.
Here’s a link for the official petition on the government’s website.
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/737660
Yes – the ‘nice people of middle England’ sums it up: apparently, about 1/3 of people who are (self-identified as) ‘Anglican’ said in a recent poll that they are minded to vote Reform. How far from the true teachings of Jesus will they go? No doubt influenced by the appalling misuse of crosses (not just on flags) and related rhetoric at some of the right-wing demonstrations.
It will need a hazmat suit to go anywhere near that toxic wasteland of washed-up Tories.
Heaven help us if they gain power. I cannot see they offer anything but barking mad policies
It doesn’t really matter to Reform
or its supporters how the current MPs shape up it is all about the next election. I think they will be the largest Party though doubt they will win a majority.
In that scenario, I anticipate that they’ll enter an unholy alliance with the Tories to ram through the most obscenely right-wing slate of policies Britain has ever seen.
Nope. No one. Never. No, please no.
According to news reports her husband resigned from Reform after they criticised both her and Robert Jenrick of being involved in a cover-up regarding “secret” Afghanistan immigration. At the time a Deform source quoted her as being “not a team player” and being “just too disruptive”. Maybe he will re-join again? I trust she will enjoy the den of vipers she now calls “home”. Of course the move comes as no surprise whatever, there is no bar low enough that a tory is unable to walk tall under.
According to Sue Ellen, her hubbie is already back in the Tory 2.0 Reform UK Ltd corporate fold.
Tory 1.0 – The Conservative Party (14 years of austerity 2010-2024 RIP)
Tory 1.1 – LibDem Party (5 years of Coalition Austerity, 2010-2015, exchanged for a plastic bag tax, now a political version of Jeux sans Frontiers, Ed does all his own neoliberal stunts)
Tory 2.0 – Reform UK Ltd. (with all the bugs of Tory 1.0 recycled, austerity with full fat fascism from Fa***e, MAGA waving a Union flag).
Tory 3.0 – The Labour Party (All the Tory policies, more austerity 2024 to present, but with hardly any of the Tory MPs – well, one or two, if I’m honest, which THEY aren’t, and semi-skimmed fascism, one oppressive law at a time).
OR…
A Politics of care, putting People first. Getting things done, to make the world a better place.
We ARE worth it, and we CAN afford it.
Thank you
I expect the electorate will notice and be constantly reminded of it by the gov and all other opposition parties.
Who will turn a blind eye? The usual suspects, I fear. Namely, the Mail, Express, and Telegraph and to a lesser extent, the Times and the Sun. This is the right-wing press, who cannot find the words to criticise the Tories or Reform.
The Tories will melt into Reform because otherwise they are defunct. The Libdems can mop up any voters who lean slightly to the right, or are old Tory.
In any event, I firmly believe Reform will lose popularity in the medium term(2 years), destroyed slowly by an affiliation to the fascist Trump) leaving the right-wing alliance as a rag-bag group of complainers with no coherent policies, but plenty of opinions on what the gov are doing wrong.
Where all this leaves the Labour Party, Greens, Libdems, Plaid, and SNP, is hard to speculate. Independence for Scotland, N. Ireland, perhaps Wales at a later date, are all in the mix.
I’m hoping something positive can emerge which rids the UK of neoliberalism at long last.
I wonder if this is all a cunning plan by Badenoch to push all the rubbish tories to Reform to scupper them from within. Just wondering when she will move over herself 🙂
Parties can make a cooperative link to govern in coalition. So why couldn’t the LibDems and the Greens (and maybe more) join together to form an opposition? Sadly the numbers don’t yet add up – but one can dream, right?
Paul
Keep dreaming. It’s the precursor to change.
Surely you mean – Reform – A care home for those who despise care!!!!
Well Braverman’s husband was an enthusiastic participant in the IDF so Reform was probably too left of Likud for him?
But I’m sure he’ll join Reform now the wife’s involved!
Reform, the British public don’t really know much about them but they’ll vote for them. Sad really.
BBC just gives Tories and Reform a free ride – to spout ‘we have now understood’ what we didn’t do – and then proceed to double down on the destruction by doing yet more – – quitting ECHR, slashing ‘welfare’ even more . Both fighting on the same far right ground.
Never even a mild query about the independent estimates that Brexit is costing …£150bn gdp and led to increased migration etc
Be careful..
Nationally migration isn’t bad. Why accept that rhetoric?
Structurally … With Migration probably essential.
Now …. If I’m a (3rd generation) white Briton with no education or history of work (that’s what 3rd generation stands for) and little prospect if improvement … I am definitely going to feel aggrieved.The vacuum in our political class is to identify the reasons … And it isn’t the better qualified immigrants…..
Bitter that the rhetoric of hatred and endless austerity cost your seat as MP? Frustrated that your leadership bid failed? Wanting to pretend that a lifetime of privilege is no barrier to claiming you’re a man of the people? Wanting to reassure yourself that being a British MP suggesting we should act more like MAGA isn’t just imbecility?
Never fear. Reform is here. Because they’re just as self centred and as keen to make promises they’ll never keep as you are.
A curious picture comes to mind: 18th century Italian scientist Galvani… and frogs legs.
When animated by electricity, the (dead) frogs legs twitched and kicked.
Farage is the electricity; cut-off ex-Tories are the legs.