Mainly because there are structural economic and demographic problems that would need drastic and probably rather unpopular actions to actually resolve. Just look at how France is failing to achieve even moderate (and necessary) reform without riots.
Things like ending the triple lock, reforming social care, looking at other benefits and increasing general taxation - which generally is not actually that high in England compared to Europe - and probably taxing wealth to some extent. This is all whilst trying to improve things like childcare provision and dealing with the infrastructure deficit during a time of relatively high interest rates when borrowing isn’t cheap and the debt interest is already quite high - paying for COVID wasn’t that cheap! Trying to undo essentially 15 years of austerity is also not easy.
Of course Reform don’t really want to go into detail on any of this and would rather cheap scapegoating which attracts voters who want simple answers to deeply complex issues.
Totally agree on the first point. Britain, like most Western countries, has an unsustainable economic model because of demographics. Unlike what some think, at some point the music has to stop as it can not go on forever.
On taxation, you're sort of right, but there are fundamental differences with how we tax and how European countries tax. Essentially, most of them tax lower earners a lot more than we do whilst taxing higher earners comparably.
'Taxing the rich' simply doesn't work as the rich move activity offshore out of HMRC's reach. Instead, taxing the rich has come to mean slamming the middle class - even the lower middle class. Some people act as though £30k is a great salary. It was when John Major was PM, but is barely above national minimum wage nowadays and is poverty level stuff in central London. Slamming the middle class is the fastest way to harm productivity and harm growth.
Those in most need will need the greatest support, whether through ill-health or lack of opportunity, while unable to contribute. It’s a simple fact, weaponised by the wilfully divisive.
At the end of the day, Britain is fundamentally a country of fairness.
Nobody, even Farage or Lowe, wants to see the genuinely disabled and unable thrown to the wolves. Even with a Reform government, the revulsion would be too great if they tried.
But you fail to see the other side of the coin too.
There are young families who would love to have more children or would love to get on the property ladder, but simply can't. They are taxed to the hilt and live under a system that works against them.
At the same time, there are vast numbers of people who live under huge state largess with free council houses and free luxury cars simply as they can't be bothered to work and know how the system works.
And, yes, I said vast numbers. Since Covid, countries like Sweden, France and Germany saw their equivalent of PIP/ DLA see a bit of a bump, and then return to normal. Britain's has gone like a rocket to the moon. Clearly Britain is a huge outlier.
Some people take umbrage at Motability being called 'free', but that's what it is. PIP, the state pension, JSA, Universal Credit are not 'my/ your money'. It's the taxpayer's money which has been provided to you.
And I have fundmental issues with parts of the welfare state. Some are far too 'generous' whilst others simply aren't good enough. But we seem stuck in this cycle where nothing cut be cut.
Winter fuel allowance - why should millionaires who live in multi-million pound properties get a bung each winter whilst ordinary people struggle to put food on the table vs. heating their home? It's fundamentally unfair.
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