Latest news with #Faragistas
Scotsman
31-05-2025
- Politics
- Scotsman
Labour take a leaf out of the Farage book
US ambassador praises a charity set up by Gordon Brown (Victoria Jones/PA) What should we say, as the sixth biggest economy in the world, about the fact that some children go to bed hungry in Britain? Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Last week the Child Poverty Action Group reported almost a third of UK children, 31 per cent, live in poverty. There's a map showing the worst affected neighbourhoods: 17 per cent of children in Leith were in poverty in 2024, compared with 5 per cent in Corstorphine/ Murrayfield, and 22 per cent across the UK. The government defines poverty as incomes under 60 per cent of the average - £33,800 - so you're in poverty if your household gets less than £20,280 a year, or £390 a week. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Last week Gordon Brown surprisingly praised the government for further delaying a decision to lift the two-child benefit limit. It beggars belief that Brown could support continuing it, whatever the excuse. Bruce Whitehead This harsh policy, dreamed up by that kindly fellow, George Osborne to fund tax cuts for rich people, was continued by Labour, after also removing winter fuel payments to some pensioners south of the Border. The language of Labour politicians is curious. Big Broon writes about "changing" the two-child rule - not scrapping it. And Keir Starmer's Merseyside speech mentioned "driving down" child poverty - not ending it. (They think no-one notices when they use weird words.) So it could become a three-child rule; try explaining that to your youngest quadruplet... The truth is that Gordon Brown had ten years as chancellor, and three as prime minister, to eradicate poverty; instead Labour left office with 17 per cent of children still in poverty. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He writes of polling he commissioned to confirm that, yes, dogs do bark, fish do swim and 75 per cent think poverty is morally wrong! Brown deserves credit for reducing it, for winter fuel payments and funding "Sure Start" to help families. But he inherited a buoyant economy and had ample time to banish poverty entirely, let alone child poverty. It's time Keir's party - Keir Hardie's that is - founded to help labour and workers, actually did so. Starmer's speech showed he'd finally got the message, but he's wasted a year trying to out-Tory the Tories; let's hope he doesn't now try to out-Farage the Faragistas. Bruce Whitehead, Journalist and former Labour council candidate
Scotsman
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Scotsman
Reform UK is on the rise, but don't dismiss Starmer as one-term PM
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... You can tell when governing politicians know they are in trouble, they immediately pivot to pick up on issues that are causing their support to haemorrhage. Yesterday provided a classic example. The Prime Minister decided to turn the volume control to 11 on the subject of legal immigration, calling some new, tighter rules one of Labour's core values. Readers might be forgiven for thinking about past Labour reassurances that the winter fuel allowance and protecting workers from damaging tax rises were core values – and a fat lot of good that did ten million pensioners and the thousands of workers now laid off. Changing those particular policies would cost the head of his Chancellor, for they were her policies, so for now Keir Starmer is not pivoting to change them. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Immigration is a different issue altogether, for the UK's intentionally loose approach to immigration was an (unstated) Conservative policy. Although successive Tory prime ministers often talked tough, they all ran administrations that found justifications for increasing visa issuance that was contrary to their promises of lowering the numbers. As Reform UK's popularity continues to rise, other parties are starting to sound like Nigel Farage (Picture: Chris J Ratcliffe) | Getty Images Reform ahead in the polls Unsurprisingly, with Reform UK moving into a clear lead over Labour in three recent UK polls last week, the Prime Minister is suddenly talking tough on immigration too. It would seem when it comes to UK party leaders they are all Faragistas now. First, a Find Out Now poll placed Reform on 33 per cent with Labour second on only 20 per cent. The Conservatives were on 16 per cent and Lib Dems below on 15 per cent. Then the Techne Westminster tracker placed Reform on 28 per cent against Labour's 23 per cent, Conservatives on 19 per cent, ahead of Lib Dems on 14 per cent. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Just to buttress the trend, the i newspaper published a BMG poll that placed Reform on 32 per cent, with Labour on 22 per cent, Conservatives on 19 per cent and Lib Dems on 13 per cent. This was all on the back of Labour losing the Runcorn by-election and suffering serious council losses in real polls the previous week. Second in Scotland and Wales For those doubting the salience of Reform's growing support, thinking it is an English preoccupation, the first YouGov/ITV Wales poll conducted since the general election has Plaid Cymru on 30 per cent, Reform on 25 per cent and Labour slumping to 18 per cent. In Scotland, a Survation poll last week also put Reform in second place with 19 per cent for constituencies and 20 per cent for lists, overtaking Labour on 19/18 with the SNP on 33/29. Such statistics suggest voting Labour, Tory or Lib Dem instead of Reform will split the pro-UK vote, enough to gift seats to the SNP. On Sunday an Ipsos poll put a cherry on top by reporting its polling showed the British public considered five-MP Reform the main opposition to the Labour government, not the 120-MP Conservatives. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad I've no doubt that Labour has been planning its immigration White Paper for some time but the way it is being pitched to the public and how it will now be given emphasis in coming months is all about trying to head off that growing support for Reform. 'Surrender Summit' Unfortunately for the Prime Minister he will find out quickly that the record number of illegal immigrants that are landing via inflatables on south coast beaches will undermine all the tough talk and tighter regulations he can muster. The next pitch to win hearts and minds will come on Monday next week when Starmer's 'Surrender Summit' is held in an attempt to reset relationships with the European Union. The central focus will be announcing a defence and security arrangement that will tie the UK up in various legal commitments, adding to the existing EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement (T&CA). The reason for this odd manner of delivering a defence pact is that when EU leaders 'invite' any UK Government to participate in a future military intervention, possibly against Russia or a proxy of Putin, it will be very difficult for the UK to decline as it will then raise the prospect of challenges through the protocols of the T&CA. Starmer is walking into a trap. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad For obtaining this unnecessary collective agreement (we are already in Nato after all), we are being asked to extend the preferential and generous access to our fishing waters for another four years and pay into joint defence funding so we can receive some money back. Smoking and vaping Starmer's reset is incoherent. While schmoozing the EU on defence, he is also following through with policies that deviate from the EU – such as continuing with his Tobacco and Vape Bill that would not be allowed under the EU's Tobacco Directive. The bill will criminalise the sale of all tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 – meaning in 2030 a 20-year-old would not be able to legally buy cigarettes, yet a 21-year-old friend who may only be one day older would be able to. Try policing that! The Bill also restricts the advertising and sale of many vapes products. All its measures combined are just the sort of legislation that plays right into Reform's hands and will drive people to support Nigel Farage. By reducing available alternatives to tobacco, it's not even good for public health and shows Labour remains out of touch with its core support. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad While Starmer is struggling against wholesale disenchantment of former supporters (a third of previous Labour voters now regret their choice) – a word of caution about believing he is already beat. Starmer is in power and, while unpopular, he can make things happen. Were he to do more things people liked (or not do things that annoy his own support), he cannot yet be dismissed as a one-term prime minister.
New European
19-05-2025
- Politics
- New European
Lee Anderson doesn't know Jack
Anderson – not noted as one of life's great readers – might want to reacquaint himself with the fairytale of Jack and the Beanstalk. Those magic beans allowed Jack to climb up to a giant's castle and return with such an abundance of treasure that he and his mother never had financial worries again. Reform were predictably up in arms about the UK-EU Brexit reset deal, with Lee Anderson fuming on X: 'Brexit Betrayal. Sir Keir Starmer went to the Single Market and came back with 5 magic beans.' Talking of unexpected financial windfalls, our thoughts are with the Reform think tank, established in 2002 to 'reimagine how the state operates in order to shape a new social settlement fit for today and the coming decades', but since rather overshadowed by a hard right party of the same name. The wonks lost their bid to stop Nigel Farage's merry band rebranding from the Brexit Party to Reform in 2021, and is now changing its own name up after receiving political donations in the post. 'We have had people sending us emails with their thoughts that they want to share with Nigel Farage,' Charlotte Pickles, its director, says. 'We've had some letters sent to our office building.' The think tank has also received a number of cheques (which it has destroyed). It has now rebranded itself Re:State in a bid to distance itself from the Faragistas. Let's hope none of Reform's current MPs nabs that one too when the inevitable split occurs and they're off to form a new party!
Scotsman
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Scotsman
Reform UK is on the rise, but don't dismiss Starmer as one-term PM
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... You can tell when governing politicians know they are in trouble, they immediately pivot to pick up on issues that are causing their support to haemorrhage. Yesterday provided a classic example. The Prime Minister decided to turn the volume control to 11 on the subject of legal immigration, calling some new, tighter rules one of Labour's core values. Readers might be forgiven for thinking about past Labour reassurances that the winter fuel allowance and protecting workers from damaging tax rises were core values – and a fat lot of good that did ten million pensioners and the thousands of workers now laid off. Changing those particular policies would cost the head of his Chancellor, for they were her policies, so for now Keir Starmer is not pivoting to change them. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Immigration is a different issue altogether, for the UK's intentionally loose approach to immigration was an (unstated) Conservative policy. Although successive Tory prime ministers often talked tough, they all ran administrations that found justifications for increasing visa issuance that was contrary to their promises of lowering the numbers. As Reform UK's popularity continues to rise, other parties are starting to sound like Nigel Farage (Picture: Chris J Ratcliffe) | Getty Images Reform ahead in the polls Unsurprisingly, with Reform UK moving into a clear lead over Labour in three recent UK polls last week, the Prime Minister is suddenly talking tough on immigration too. It would seem when it comes to UK party leaders they are all Faragistas now. First, a Find Out Now poll placed Reform on 33 per cent with Labour second on only 20 per cent. The Conservatives were on 16 per cent and Lib Dems below on 15 per cent. Then the Techne Westminster tracker placed Reform on 28 per cent against Labour's 23 per cent, Conservatives on 19 per cent, ahead of Lib Dems on 14 per cent. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Just to buttress the trend, the i newspaper published a BMG poll that placed Reform on 32 per cent, with Labour on 22 per cent, Conservatives on 19 per cent and Lib Dems on 13 per cent. This was all on the back of Labour losing the Runcorn by-election and suffering serious council losses in real polls the previous week. Second in Scotland and Wales For those doubting the salience of Reform's growing support, thinking it is an English preoccupation, the first YouGov/ITV Wales poll conducted since the general election has Plaid Cymru on 30 per cent, Reform on 25 per cent and Labour slumping to 18 per cent. In Scotland, a Survation poll last week also put Reform in second place with 19 per cent for constituencies and 20 per cent for lists, overtaking Labour on 19/18 with the SNP on 33/29. Such statistics suggest voting Labour, Tory or Lib Dem instead of Reform will split the pro-UK vote, enough to gift seats to the SNP. On Sunday an Ipsos poll put a cherry on top by reporting its polling showed the British public considered five-MP Reform the main opposition to the Labour government, not the 120-MP Conservatives. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad I've no doubt that Labour has been planning its immigration White Paper for some time but the way it is being pitched to the public and how it will now be given emphasis in coming months is all about trying to head off that growing support for Reform. 'Surrender Summit' Unfortunately for the Prime Minister he will find out quickly that the record number of illegal immigrants that are landing via inflatables on south coast beaches will undermine all the tough talk and tighter regulations he can muster. The next pitch to win hearts and minds will come on Monday next week when Starmer's 'Surrender Summit' is held in an attempt to reset relationships with the European Union. The central focus will be announcing a defence and security arrangement that will tie the UK up in various legal commitments, adding to the existing EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement (T&CA). The reason for this odd manner of delivering a defence pact is that when EU leaders 'invite' any UK Government to participate in a future military intervention, possibly against Russia or a proxy of Putin, it will be very difficult for the UK to decline as it will then raise the prospect of challenges through the protocols of the T&CA. Starmer is walking into a trap. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad For obtaining this unnecessary collective agreement (we are already in Nato after all), we are being asked to extend the preferential and generous access to our fishing waters for another four years and pay into joint defence funding so we can receive some money back. Smoking and vaping Starmer's reset is incoherent. While schmoozing the EU on defence, he is also following through with policies that deviate from the EU – such as continuing with his Tobacco and Vape Bill that would not be allowed under the EU's Tobacco Directive. The bill will criminalise the sale of all tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 – meaning in 2030 a 20-year-old would not be able to legally buy cigarettes, yet a 21-year-old friend who may only be one day older would be able to. Try policing that! The Bill also restricts the advertising and sale of many vapes products. All its measures combined are just the sort of legislation that plays right into Reform's hands and will drive people to support Nigel Farage. By reducing available alternatives to tobacco, it's not even good for public health and shows Labour remains out of touch with its core support. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad While Starmer is struggling against wholesale disenchantment of former supporters (a third of previous Labour voters now regret their choice) – a word of caution about believing he is already beat. Starmer is in power and, while unpopular, he can make things happen. Were he to do more things people liked (or not do things that annoy his own support), he cannot yet be dismissed as a one-term prime minister.
Daily Mail
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Is era of two-party politics at an end?
The demise of two-party politics in this country has been prophesied many times. To date, those prophecies have proved to be false. In 1981 and '82, the Social Democratic Party achieved seismic by-election victories. Yet in the 1983 general election, it barely registered. More recently, in the 2019 European elections Nigel Farage's Brexit Party won hands down, returning more MEPs than Labour and Conservative combined. Seven months later it failed to win a single Westminster seat, as Boris Johnson led the Tories to a landslide. So, will this time be different? The omens for Mr Farage are certainly looking good after yesterday. In a stellar election performance, Reform UK landed a flurry of brutal blows on both main parties, leaving them sprawled on the canvas gasping for breath. His remarkable triumph was nothing less than a cry of rage from an electorate which feels abandoned and ignored by the political establishment. On migration, Net Zero, the cost of living, free speech, respecting our heritage, defending the realm and protecting our streets they feel they have been failed, and failed, and failed again. Whether Mr Farage has the solution to any or all these burning issues remains to be seen. Sir Keir's right that people are ready for change, but the first thing they want to change is the PM and his clueless government How should Mrs Badenoch respond? Is her party holed below the waterline, or can it recover? But for many voters it's enough that he recognises the problems and has an apparently single-minded determination to solve them. Yesterday they turned out for him in overwhelming force. In the Runcorn and Helsby by-election, Reform's Sarah Pochin overturned a Labour majority of nearly 15,000 – and that was just the start of Sir Keir Starmer's day of misery. His party went on to lose some 80 per cent of sitting councillors in those wards being contested. It was an utter repudiation of his first ten months in power. Sir Keir's right that people are ready for change, but the first thing they want to change is the PM and his clueless government. Labour's ultimate humiliation came in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, where the Labour mayor was ousted by a Conservative. But for Kemi Badenoch it was the only glimmer of light in an otherwise bleak day. Her party lost every council they had previously controlled, some to huge Reform majorities. The average swing to the Faragistas was more than 30 per cent. There are mitigating factors for the Conservatives. These seats were last fought four years ago, when they were on a high after the vaccine roll-out. Equally, the majority of councils at stake were Tory, which meant they had most to lose. Nevertheless, this was a rout. So how should Mrs Badenoch respond? Is her party holed below the waterline, or can it recover? The first imperative is not to panic. We are four years from a general election and though Reform is now a formidable threat, it is completely untested in running any form of government. Faced with the difficulties of office, it may well struggle. These elections have shown once again that Britain is fundamentally a conservative nation with a small c, so if Reform's sheen does tarnish, the Tories will be the most likely beneficiaries. But they must understand that Reform's success is based on listening to the concerns of ordinary people, especially over migration and Net Zero. After the shambles of recent years, Mrs Badenoch must convince the voters she feels their anger and is on their side. If she fails, Mr Farage's boast that he will consign the Conservatives to history may yet come true.
