I think its called The paradox of choice
There isn't choice, there are silos. It's very very easy these days to remain in a bunker of similar political thought to your own. We do not have have any more a single agreed arena where political ideas are debated, and metaphorically given a shake down in the "market-place of ideas". Go back to the 70's and 80's on You tube and compare the quality of debate across the political divide with the current.
You can convince yourself that 'everybody' thinks like you do, or that 'everybody' else is entirely wrong, or that because of what you see everyday any number of terrible things are happening; flags on every lamp-post, or Shira law in every town. When the reality is nothing like it.
Good old Shakira law 🙂
Sharia is just used as arbitration for civil stuff,both sides have to agree to it in contracts.
You’ve probably already got Sharia in every town if people doing business agree to it in the contracts they have as the arbitrator of dispute/conflict resolution .
Reform has no chance whatsoever in making any impact as long as their mate (DJT) continue to mess up the world.
The only way Reform can make an impact is for the main political parties to screw up in a major way.
A Reform landslide would be an earthquake. Polls suggest they could win over 1,500 council seats. Based on what Reform councils have already done, expect refugee resettlement schemes scrapped first. Council budgets cut next. Then culture war policies. Pride flags removed. DEI initiatives scrapped.
@jeffl I think you’ll find that road maintenance is the responsibility of the (reform) Derbyshire County Council. A lot of our local closures have been Cadent for gas renewal and connections and Severn Trent for connections to the new estates. They don’t have to plan these if they say it’s “urgent”.
A Reform landslide would be an earthquake. Polls suggest they could win over 1,500 council seats. Based on what Reform councils have already done, expect refugee resettlement schemes scrapped first. Council budgets cut next. Then culture war policies. Pride flags removed. DEI initiatives scrapped.
The sad thing is, the gammons will be cheering them on for doing it.
Hopefully with the local elections Reform will show what a bunch of grifters they are, and will become a nonentity.
Labour has managed to initially take the pensioner voting block away from the tories, then direct them to vote reform.
Who the **** is advising them ???
Reform has no chance whatsoever in making any impact as long as their mate (DJT) continue to mess up the world.
The only way Reform can make an impact is for the main political parties to screw up in a major way.
BBC news just now - "Reform has gained more than 300 seats so far'.
Trump had to start a war he promised not to do and tank the economy to lose popularity.. and the worse the economy gets or the greater the wealth gap the more Reform's playbook has to work with. A Trump US aids Farage.
Labour have screwed up. They screwed up by creating a situation where people want an alternative, because they stand for nothing that anyone can articulate. Zero message or charisma. They're capable yet ineffective.
Labour has managed to initially take the pensioner voting block away from the tories, then direct them to vote reform.
Who the **** is advising them ???
They didn't take that block, the shitshow the Tories became handed it to them. It always looked like a shaky position where perhaps half their voters weren't reliable long term supporters. One problem Labour has is thinking they had that much real support.
(If I sound anti-Labour here, I'm not. "I'm not angry, I'm just disappointed")
April UK General Election Polling Averages
The average (mean) vote shares from the most recent April poll by each of the ten polling companies who published a UK general election poll during April, is as follows:Reform UK: 26.4% (-0.7*)
Labour: 19.1% (+0.3)
Conservatives: 18.6% (+0.3)
Greens: 15.6% (-0.2)
Liberal Democrats: 12.2% (+0.1)
Others: 8.1% (+0.2)What do these mean?
The party with the highest vote share has the support of only just over a quarter of voters.
There is only a 14.2-point gap between the 1st and 5th placed parties, the smallest we have seen since we started collecting this data.
The combined Conservative and Labour vote share is just 37.7%, a significant drop on the combined 57.4% they achieved at the 2024 general election, itself a record low.
Reform UK’s vote share (26.4%) represents its lowest monthly average vote share in the last 12 months, since they recorded 24.9% in April 2025. They are down 5.4 points from their monthly average vote share peak, which was 31.8% in September 2025.April’s polling average was compiled using data from the following pollsters – BMG; Find Out Now; Freshwater Strategy; Good Growth Foundation; Ipsos; J.L. Partners; More In Common; Opinium; Techne; YouGov.
Interesting - Reform are down from a peak vote share of almost 32%, yet still top the average of a number of polls. If that doesn't tell you how poorly the trad parties are performing I don't know what can.
Also RE the point above about Labour not having a real support base - they're currently about the same level with the Conservatives. That support's disappeared.
From
https://electoral-reform.org.uk/what-did-the-uk-polls-say-in-april-2026/
Not unexpected, but still deeply disappointing. My worry is that even if Reform storm through this and take loads of councils they still won't be found out by their base until they've been in government. Its taken a second term in the States for the MAGA loons to start to realise Trump is a wrong un.
We're reaping 50 years of the main stream parties telling the electorate they can have more and more when it clearly wasn't true. We've hit the tipping point where even the thickest have realised the main stream parties haven't delivered on their promises. Unfortunately theres enough of the thickos out who are willing to give Farage a chance based on nothing more than a projected image, lots of completely unjustified promises and the whipping up of hate against minorities.
I think the only way out of this is a term or two of Reform in government for people to realise just how much they are not the answer followed by the major parties returning to more grown up politics and being more honest with the population about what is realistic. I am not optimistic.
Hopefully with the local elections Reform will show what a bunch of grifters they are, and will become a nonentity.
Nope. They will blame central govt for all their many, many, failings and offer a way to solve all that in a couple of years. Morons will be falling over themselves for change by the GE.
Buckle up.
So all the areas that voted for Brexit have all just voted for Reform. No surprises there then. The same politics of grievance that bought us that disaster are going to deliver us the next one.
I know that we're not meant to refer to Reform voters as morons, but these very same people - as a lot of ex-Tory ministers who delivered Brexit are now in Reform - are the ones who 10 years ago promised that Brexit would deliver the holy grail and solve all the countries problems. Taking Back Control and all that.
That's gone well, hasn't it?
Now the very same people don't want to talk about that any more or how it has utterly failed to deliver on fixing any of the things it said it would, and have asked the hard-of-thinking to vote for the same people a second time, to deliver on the same bullshit, economically-nonsensical promises
Looks like I'm going to have to try and avoid any media today so as not to have to witness that corrupt, morally-bankrupt frog-faced **** looking even smugger than ever.
Looks like that, as with American and Trump, we're destined to be cursed with our own bargain basement version of populism for thicko's
Hopefully with the local elections Reform will show what a bunch of grifters they are, and will become a nonentity.
Nope. They will blame central govt for all their many, many, failings and offer a way to solve all that in a couple of years. Morons will be falling over themselves for change by the GE.
Buckle up.
That was my fear after Reform took over here last year, but they have not used that excuse so far.
Hopefully with the local elections Reform will show what a bunch of grifters they are, and will become a nonentity.
Nope. They will blame central govt for all their many, many, failings and offer a way to solve all that in a couple of years. Morons will be falling over themselves for change by the GE.
Buckle up.
That was my fear after Reform took over here last year, but they have not used that excuse so far.
Probably not worth shouting about on a national scale for the councils they had prior to today and too far out from the GE, but now they have more, widely spread, seats the campaign will start now
I agree that we are in for a wild ride. The DJT model of lie, ignore, attack, blame everyone else, name calling, manoeuvring a cabal around you for protection, grifting, social and financial division and so much more is going to be unleashed. By the time we get to a general election this behaviour will be in full force and I don't think people will have yet woken up to what is going on. In fact Reform will ensure confusion and stupidity are promoted, and therefore the next general election could see a Reform government.
Oddly, the BBC news website won't open for me this morning, but I'm assuming we are ****ed?
Who the **** is advising them ???
There's a thread here from George Monbiot which explains most of it.
https://bsky.app/profile/georgemonbiot.bsky.social/post/3mld422htos2i
First results of the council elections are coming in, my local-ish council of Stockport has gone to Lib Dem after a previous stint of No Overall Control.
As well as the right wing space cadets I think a lot of people have joined reform as they've been convinced that it's super easy to do this government thing with a bit of common sense and not messing around being woke as it costs a load of money. Now they have to run a lot of local governments and take responsibility for decisions that impact people around them then they're in for a bit of a reality check.
Oddly, the BBC news website won't open for me this morning, but I'm assuming we are ****ed?
sadly - yes
I am astounded anyone who isn`t already very wealthy still feel Reform will benefit them.
The other week I had to listen as a patient banged on selling Reform to others in her vicinity. Both her and her late GenX husband were on PIP for various physical reasons - her daughter recently diagnosed with MS - and her local area probably seeing some of the least immigration in the whole UK.
So all the areas that voted for Brexit have all just voted for Reform. No surprises there then. The same politics of grievance that bought us that disaster are going to deliver us the next one.
I know that we're not meant to refer to Reform voters as morons, but these very same people - as a lot of ex-Tory ministers who delivered Brexit are now in Reform - are the ones who 10 years ago promised that Brexit would deliver the holy grail and solve all the countries problems. Taking Back Control and all that.
That's gone well, hasn't it?
Now the very same people don't want to talk about that any more or how it has utterly failed to deliver on fixing any of the things it said it would, and have asked the hard-of-thinking to vote for the same people a second time, to deliver on the same bullshit, economically-nonsensical promises
No point applying logic to an emotive issue.
Hypothetically/probably,
Farage - "Brexit was the first step in taking back control - now we need to scrap the Human Rights Act. Then we can stop the boats / send them back / make England great again. I've been on this crusade all my life and your support is .. blaaaah"
The classic marketing story, The Hero's Journey. Stories beat statistics. Farage is using the same tools as Disney.
Looks like that, as with American and Trump, we're destined to be cursed with our own bargain basement version of populism for thicko's
Redirecting blame is the populist's tool. Might you be redirecting the blame that you and I should take as voters for parties that did FA for those angry people who are second or third generation in an poverty-blighted area with zero opportunities? Parties that maintained a system where min wage has to be supported with in work benefits, essentially a rebate or handout of tax to business while the work market is so poor for so many people?
Perhaps relatively well off educated folk voting for our own needs is thick, because the needs of capitalist systems can only serve the minority and voting is a majority thing.
Who's sorry/stupid now.. You're not singing anymore.. etc.
Farage won't fix anything. What has given him such influence is more important - until we resolve that we'll get his sort in different styles and formats.
What would happen if we voted on the basis of "How can I be happy, when you are not?"
I agree that we are in for a wild ride. The DJT model of lie, ignore, attack, blame everyone else, name calling, manoeuvring a cabal around you for protection, grifting, social and financial division and so much more is going to be unleashed. By the time we get to a general election this behaviour will be in full force and I don't think people will have yet woken up to what is going on. In fact Reform will ensure confusion and stupidity are promoted, and therefore the next general election could see a Reform government.
I made a couple of tenner bets almost a year ago that Reform would get in at the next GE. I want to lose that money but the trajectory of the UK is too clear and it's as much the fault of the 2 main party BS as Reform's BS. The bet was about the lack of faith in the main parties to do better (in communications as much as anything), and that's the only political view I share with Reform voters. The problem is how common that lack of faith is, for such a wide range of reasons.
Strong smell of gammon in the air this morning.
Yup, the public are embracing the “new”, as a string of ex-Tory ministers are telling us with their new Reform hats on in BBC interviews this morning.
Fortunately, they haven't got in locally, and that includes my knob head BIL who is 'standing' as a candidate. Phew, common sense has prevailed.
In fact Reform will ensure confusion and stupidity are promoted, and therefore the next general election could see a Reform government.I made a couple of tenner bets almost a year ago that Reform would get in at the next GE. I want to lose that money
Probably and unfortunately likely to be successful bets now. Wonder what the odds will change to after today...
Correction, they got only one seat, but that's the most deprived area in Stockport.
A Reform landslide would be an earthquake. Polls suggest they could win over 1,500 council seats. Based on what Reform councils have already done, expect refugee resettlement schemes scrapped first. Council budgets cut next. Then culture war policies. Pride flags removed. DEI initiatives scrapped.
They're taking a lot of seats but it remains to be seen how many councils they will actually take control of. Take Wigan for example. The results map shows it as almost entirely blue, in reality Labour still have a majority in council.
https://britain.votes.now/local-elections/live/may-26
So all the areas that voted for Brexit have all just voted for Reform. No surprises there then. The same politics of grievance that bought us that disaster are going to deliver us the next one.
perhaps spending several years calling people you disagree with morons, thickos and racists wasn’t the best way to try amd win them over to your point of view, eh?
Oops double post.
a lot of people have joined reform as they've been convinced that it's super easy to do this government thing with a bit of common sense and not messing around being woke as it costs a load of money.
My mates mentality in a nutshell. He's a one man band landscape gardener. Does absolutely everything himself work wise. He can't understand why the entire world can't operate like that, particularly in politics. He's a smart, well travelled man with a wealth of experience but he can't see beyond his own simple views over things that are in fact incredibly complex.
perhaps spending several years calling people you disagree with morons, thickos and racists wasn’t the best way to try amd win them over to your point of view, eh?
People didn’t know what the effects of brexit would be, so fair enough. They’ve now seen what those effects are and have gone, ‘Yep, more of that please!’ I’m happy with my choice of phrase.
perhaps spending several years calling people you disagree with morons, thickos and racists wasn’t the best way to try amd win them over to your point of view, eh?
How do you win people over who believe in fairy story economics, want to blame everyone else for everything, mainly immigrants, now the EU can't be blamed any more and having been turkeys who voted for Christmas once, they fancy doing so again?
When I meet a Reform voter who isn't thick, racist or both, I'll stop calling them thick and racist
I've not met one yet and I've met plenty
but he can't see beyond his own simple views over things that are in fact incredibly complex.
Should be written on the side of Westminster palace
but he can't see beyond his own simple views over things that are in fact incredibly complex.
Should be written on the side of Westminster palace
equally true of voters as politicians tbh
You mean you can't just solve everything with this 'Common Sense' thing we seem to hear so much about?
There's a thread here from George Monbiot which explains most of it.
The far left - picking a fight with the wrong people since 1900. That should also be projected onto the side of Westminster.
Bye, bye NHS free health care; hello private health conglomerates and Americanisation. Like Brexit, its not a try before you buy.
MattGP Godwin bragging about Wigan’s results but failing to mention Labour maintain the majority sums up Reform’s grift. The beauty is if the Reform councillors follow form they will resign, become independent, get sacked or be totally useless.
Aren't all the local council elections going to be repeated in a year's time anyway? Naturally at vast expense.
I'd guess most of the reform "winners" will be forcing a repeat when they fulfil their manifest destiny.Aren't all the local council elections going to be repeated in a year's time anyway? Naturally at vast expense.
And get sacked, or arrested.
PM's are never that popular, but everything seems to have gone to sh1t since Brexit. We've had:
Therasa May
Boris Johnson
Liz Truss
Rishis Sunak
Kier Starmer
All been deeply unpopular despite quite different views.
Whats happened??
I'm not sure *any* party or leader can acutally fix the this??
Problems seem more structural, long term and global than any PM has got the power to deal with.
Aren't all the local council elections going to be repeated in a year's time anyway?
Not in the same places tho.....mid Sussex DC and west Sussex CC this year, but Brighton and Hove not voting for example
Libdems have 51 of 54 seats in Sutton, Tories now have 0 seats......lost 20
Richmond on Thames is 55/55 for libdems.
perhaps spending several years calling people you disagree with morons, thickos and racists wasn’t the best way to try amd win them over to your point of view, eh?
People didn’t know what the effects of brexit would be, so fair enough. They’ve now seen what those effects are and have gone, ‘Yep, more of that please!’ I’m happy with my choice of phrase.
To some, Brexit was not an event in isolation, it was a step. You say they're thick, they'd say 'it isn't working properly because we're not there yet'. We're not at their end point. And if we get there it'll be subjective, emotive reasons given for why it's right, not the objective logic that you or I would use. So you'll still be at loggerheads in a conversation that is the definition of insanity... round and round, over and over. And that's if it even is a conversation - when you start by thinking someone is thick, or any other prejudice whether based in fact or not, you're biased, and they will know because most of us are perceptive there, and you won't get anywhere.
We need to step back and see the system for it's fundamental flaws before we can hope to see change. Whether seeing them and acting on solutions will change anything I'm not sure, but like a Reform voter thinking 'this might work', all I know is what we have now and the way we all talk about 'the other side' now won't work.
