Apparently joined by Traditional Unionist Voice, Reform UK wants to ban Quantitative Easing, and wants to return to the Gold Standard. Yes, you did read that second part correctly. But Reform is relying on two groups to turn out for it and dislodge Labour from scores of seats. One is outright racial nationalists, who have never quite trusted Nigel Farage, and who are already thoroughly annoyed with him. By the time of the General Election, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon will have been free for four years, there will be candidates endorsed by him in perhaps hundreds of constituencies, and there will certainly be hundreds of Far Right candidates, mostly for seats held or targeted by Reform.
Reform's other hope is in switchers from the Conservative Party. But that has the most tribal electorate in the democratic world. Its supporters identify it with the nation. Hence the routine suggestion that to disagree with it is to "hate Britain". They may complain about it, but polling suggests that it might become the third party in a hung Parliament. It has never, ever come third at a General Election. Moreover, there is no Tory like a Tory in a Labour area, or in an area that was always Labour until 2019 and which is so again. Perhaps especially after five years of a Labour Government, Reform will be asking too much for them. They won't do it. They just won't.
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