Reform UK discussion

[styles]

Reform UK learning that fixing public sector budget shortfalls is just a bit more complicated than DOGE.

 

[BAFRA77]

Meanwhile - back in Worcestershire...

https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/new...ncil-leader-pet-fears-8-hour-council-meeting/

Reform council leader pet fears over 8 hour council meeting​

A frustrated council leader came under fire after she complained on social media about the length of a marathon meeting while it was still ongoing.

Councillors expressed anger after members of the Reform UK administration decided to leave a marathon eight-hour Worcestershire County Council meeting before it was finished.

Reform UK's Cllr Jo Monk, the leader of Worcestershire County Council, wrote on social media during the meeting at Pershore Civic Centre on Thursday: '!! Still at full council !!'

In one of her comments, she said other councillors had struggled with childcare and care for sick relatives because of the 'unusual' duration of the meeting.

She also wrote: "The Green Party chair has allowed the meeting to be finished with another five hours to go leaving Councillors who have no provision for this inclusive of pets being left home longer than expected. Some animal friendly Party!"

Cllr Seb James, deputy party chair of Worcester Conservatives, was among those to take a swipe at the Reform UK leaders for leaving the meeting before it had concluded.

Cllr James, a Conservative county councillor for Bowbrook, said the length of the debate was 'a testament to the scale of issues we face and the importance of robust democratic debate'.
He added: "Yet, it was overshadowed by the actions of several members of the Reform administration who chose to leave early, without apology or explanation.

"Their premature departure wasn’t just discourteous—it actively disrupted the democratic process.

"We were unable to proceed with two scheduled questions during question time because both the cabinet member responsible and the councillor who submitted the question had left the chamber. This is a clear failure to represent the residents who elected them and a dereliction of duty.

"What’s most troubling is the absence of accountability.

"There has been no public apology, no recognition of the impact their actions had on the functioning of the council.

"If councillors cannot commit to the responsibilities of their role, then they should follow the advice of their own party leader, who said: ‘If you’re not able to commit, you should resign."

Cllr Matt Jenkins, a Green Party county councillor, representing the St Stephen division, said: "Towards the end of the meeting, there were only 15 out of 26 Reform councillors present. Those absent included members of the cabinet.

"Nearly all the opposition councillors were still there. This reflects the poor attitude that many in Reform have toward the work of being a councillor.

"The leader of the council, councillor Jo Monk, was even posting on social media during the meeting, criticising the Green Chair for the meeting length, because her dogs were home alone."

A spokesperson for Worcestershire County Council, said: “The full council meeting on 6 November covered all scheduled business on the agenda and concluded in accordance with the council’s constitution.

"As with all lengthy meetings, some members occasionally need to leave before the close due to other commitments. The meeting proceeded in line with normal governance processes.”

 

[Ant1966]

Graphic showing % of MPs by party that were prviately educated, vs State Educated. Range from Reform (80% Private) down throuh Tories. Lib Dems and Labour to Green (0% Private)
Source is the Sutton Trust, as at 2024

 

[jon0844]

View attachment 192295

True men of the people right there.

 

[MatthewE707]

Do we know what Reform's plans for rail are?

 

[alex397]

Reform are now targeting SEND children in their latest hate speech.

Reform UK’s Richard Tice says children wearing ear defenders in school is ‘insane’

Reform UK’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, has controversially described children wearing ear defenders in school as "insane", claiming neurodiverse conditions like ADHD are overdiagnosed.

At a Westminster press conference on Monday, Tice, outlining Reform’s Doge (Department of government efficiency) unit’s progress, warned of a "crisis" in the special educational needs and disabilities (Send) system. He asserted that if this remains unresolved, there will be "no bins collected".

Mr Tice said that there is a “crisis of overdiagnosis of children with neurodiverse issues”.

Asked what Reform can do to tackle this, he said: “The best thing to do actually, is to push almost all of it back to the schools. The schools know best, the teachers know best.

“And stop labelling people, just say ‘you need a bit of extra support, you might need a bit of extra time’.

“You’ve got to the mad situation now where children who don’t have any form of label are starting to feel left out.

“They’re feeling that in inverted commas, they’re the normal minority, it’s insane and it’s becoming a sort of school joke.

“I’ll just raise one more point, the sight of children in classes wearing ear defenders, I’m sorry, this is just insane. It’s got to stop. The teachers want it to stop. Heads want it to stop. It’s not the right way forward.”

Recent research from the County Councils Network (CCN) and Isos Partnership projects that Send debts will reach £17.8 billion by 2029 — nearly £1,000 per child and young person in England and more than councils spent on children’s social care last year.

Councils have kept these high-needs deficits off their balance sheets using a statutory override, now extended to March 2028, but more than half of councils surveyed (59) said they would go bankrupt as soon as the override ends.


Mr Tice also said that annual reviews of education, health and care plans (EHCPs), which are legal documents setting out support required for young people with Send, are “unnecessary” and are costing “two to four grand a pop”.

He added: “It’s just not fair and it’s not fair to the children most in need, who are not getting the provision they require in the speed they require it.”

Joey Nettleton Burrows of the National Autistic Society said: “Parents aren’t profiting from the education system, they are spending time and money fighting against a broken Send system, just to get the most basic support at school.

“Claiming there is ‘overdiagnosis’ couldn’t be further from the truth. The system needs reform to meet the needs of all children, so that Send children, including autistic young people, can access a suitable school place and thrive.

“Spreading these kinds of lies stigmatises autistic people and makes life harder for them and their families.”

Mr Tice also set out that the Reform’s local authorities are making savings totalling “well over” £300 million by tackling wasteful spending and that more than 136,000 potholes had been filled in since May.

Reform UK secured 677 seats at the local elections in May and took over several formerly Conservative-controlled authorities including Derbyshire, Kent, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, North Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and West Northamptonshire.

The party also gained Doncaster from Labour

Clearly the delightful man is saying this to whip up anger about schools, teachers and pupils, so that Reform-led councils can justify cutting funding for SEND children.

In regards to the ear defenders, they are a very small thing which can make a massive difference. For some children it can prevent them from having a ‘meltdown’ and allow them to actually focus and do some excellent work.
Why would anyone want to prevent SEND children from being able to have a small thing which helps them just get on with learning?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Do we know what Reform's plans for rail are?

Do Reform have plans for very much?

Logically it would be cuts and a pro-road policy, though.

 

[Sorcerer]

Do we know what Reform's plans for rail are?

Scrap HS2 and Northern Powerhouse and also automate the London Underground to be completely driverless. I would say the third idea merits at least some debate (though undoubtedly one that's been had lots on these forums so I'll not be starting one here) but the other two are just easy solutions to complex problems that ultimately won't achieve anything good in the long term, quite a common theme among the populist right as it so happens.

 

[STINT47]

Do we know what Reform's plans for rail are?

Stop the boats.

 

[class ep-09]

Do we know what Reform's plans for rail are?

It’s all EU’s fault …

 

[styles]

Stop the boats.

So no more Rail & Sail tickets?

 

[Class73Electro]

Do we know what Reform's plans for rail are?

Something that would make the Beeching Cuts seem minute?

Trains are all part of the war against motorists... as per bikes and buses and unicorns...

 

[3141]

True men of the people right there.

There are only five reform MPs, which doesn't provide a basis for any statistically significant conclusions.

 

[brad465]

There are only five reform MPs, which doesn't provide a basis for any statistically significant conclusions.

Going by how their councillors are turning out, if they won a lot more seats, there could be a high share of MPs with "incomplete" education. Other parties typically have sufficient vetting to stop those running. The 5 MPs in parliament who were elected as Reform happened to be the most capable of winning and stood in the best seats they could.

 

[Gloster]

Going by how their councillors are turning out, if they won a lot more seats, there could be a high share of MPs with "incomplete" education. Other parties typically have sufficient vetting to stop those running. The 5 MPs in parliament who were elected as Reform happened to be the most capable of winning and stood in the best seats they could.

But they have lost two of the five, gained one in a by-election and one by defection in a seat that would be a surprising Reform gain in a general election. However, I fear that by the next election, if Farage can be bothered, they will have vetted those who are going to stand in the most promising seats and weeded out the biggest nutters. Is Kruger going to fight East Wiltshire or will he suddenly find that he has roots in Essex, Lincolnshire or County Durham?

 

[generalnerd]

Reform are now targeting SEND children in their latest hate speech.

Reform UK’s Richard Tice says children wearing ear defenders in school is ‘insane’

Clearly the delightful man is saying this to whip up anger about schools, teachers and pupils, so that Reform-led councils can justify cutting funding for SEND children.

In regards to the ear defenders, they are a very small thing which can make a massive difference. For some children it can prevent them from having a ‘meltdown’ and allow them to actually focus and do some excellent work.
Why would anyone want to prevent SEND children from being able to have a small thing which helps them just get on with learning?

Is he in his right mind?

i don’t know how he found out about all this ‘ear defenders in schools’ and ‘kids feeing left out for not being normal’ (which I must say is completely false) because unless he is peeping into schools as he passes them, he sends his children to school in Dubai

 

[BAFRA77]

Nathan Gill (one of Farage's acolytes) just got sent down for a 10 stretch for receiving at least £40,000 while he was an MEP from Oleg Voloshyn, an alleged Russian asset

 

[Gloster]

Nathan Gill (one of Farage's acolytes) just got sent down for a 10 stretch for receiving at least £40,000 while he was an MEP from Oleg Voloshyn, an alleged Russian asset

Farage will no doubt say that he hardly knows or ever met him. Of course, few are going to bother to look at Byline Times‘ Supplement (found by googling ‘ Farage Gill comments ‘), which gives a completely different impression. Quite unfair, fake news, I’m sure.

 

[Railwaycat]

Nathan Gill (one of Farage's acolytes) just got sent down for a 10 stretch for receiving at least £40,000 while he was an MEP from Oleg Voloshyn, an alleged Russian asset

I spy, with my little eye....Nigel Farage!

 

[Acfb]

Reform topped the poll narrowly in a local by election in Scotland for the first time yesterday with 34% of 1st preferences in Stranraer and the Rhins but the Tories narrowly held the seat on transfers.

Prior to yesterday, Reform hadn't got more than 26% anywhere in Scotland.

This is an area where you'd expect Reform to do well but it's interesting that the SNP vote went down more than the Tory vote from a much lower base.

On the basis of this result I can easily see Reform getting up to 20 MSPs at Holyrood unfortunately.

 

[oldman]

Reform topped the poll narrowly in a local by election in Scotland for the first time yesterday with 34% of 1st preferences in Stranraer and the Rhins but the Tories narrowly held the seat on transfers.

Thank goodness for PR. The detailed results show that Reform were in the lead until the final elimination when SNP voters gave 68 to Reform but 148 to the Tories (514 not transferred to either). The Tories won by 42. For what it's worth Reform got 8 Libdem, 4 Green and 26 Labour transfers.

 

[styles]

Thank goodness for PR. The detailed results show that Reform were in the lead until the final elimination when SNP voters gave 68 to Reform but 148 to the Tories (514 not transferred to either). The Tories won by 42. For what it's worth Reform got 8 Libdem, 4 Green and 26 Labour transfers.

That is a tight result! 21 preference swaps would've meant a different result.

I used to canvass with a political party and a lot of people really didn't believe you when you said 'every vote counts'. A handful of votes really can make or break an election.

 

[martin butler]

As regards rail, Whilst Reform have not said what their intended policy would be, they are very much anti-government spending, so from that, I would imagine they would seek to sell off everything Track, land, Trains,

we would end up with a fully private owned system, possibly with no state help whatsoever, Routes that don't make a profit, just won't run, maintenance will be at best patchy, and with little spent on modernisation,

The end result will be a much-reduced network, of core routes, that are unaffordable to many,

The impact will be increased car use, local road networks starved of funds, except for trunk toll roads, and I would not rule out pay per mile charges imposed either.

 

[Omnidekkalover]

See if the Serpel Report is suddenly remembered about by Farage

 

[uglymonkey]

I was just thinking that

 

[Harpo]

Just as Farage is Tice’s useful idiot to get him into power, so the hard of thinking who swallow the line that immigration is the cause of all their financial woes, are Farage's useful idiots.

Brexit was the first great deception - an even bigger one beckons.

 

[martin butler]

I wonder if compulsory ID cards will come into play, after all, in order to deport people, you have to establish their ID and what a better way for the Racist thugs to play their chosen game, than to say to everyone, ID please,

I can just hear the justification, in order to control numbers we have to have ID, and it has to be compulsory to carry. reforms version of ICE, racist thugs, in uniform, to have the power to stop and demand it, and arrest anyone without it, or who they want to, that will please the hard of thinking, the NHS will collapse, living standards will plummet public transport will be either non-existent or expensive, but hey we are rounding up immigrants.

 

[greatkingrat]

If you want to criticise Reform, try doing it based on what they have actually said, rather than what you have made up. In case you haven't noticed, it is Labour who are pushing ID cards, and Reform are clearly opposed.

 

[jon0844]

The impact will be increased car use, local road networks starved of funds, except for trunk toll roads, and I would not rule out pay per mile charges imposed either.

I expect they'd also find a way to ensure that drivers of luxury and performance cars don't have to pay too much more than someone driving a efficient A-segment car.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Nov 2025 ==

Just as Farage is Tice’s useful idiot to get him into power, so the hard of thinking who swallow the line that immigration is the cause of all their financial woes, are Farage's useful idiots.

Brexit was the first great deception - an even bigger one beckons.

As I've said before, if you're representing the wealthy elite - which is maybe a couple of percent of the national population - you are never going to get the votes needed to take power and give all those nice tax breaks, as well as getting rid of regulations (and, like with DOGE, getting rid of the regulators too).

So you need to act like you represent the people, which basically means you become a populist and tell gullible people what they want to hear. Making a group of people become scapegoats for all the issues the working class suffer daily is not exactly a new trick! It works time and time again.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Nov 2025 ==

If you want to criticise Reform, try doing it based on what they have actually said, rather than what you have made up. In case you haven't noticed, it is Labour who are pushing ID cards, and Reform are clearly opposed.

Over the years, other parties have been pro ID cards - but all of a sudden they're coming out against them when Labour suggested doing it. I can't cite anything but I'm pretty sure Reform (or UKIP) had suggested ID cards in the past.

I am pretty certain every party is pro ID cards behind closed doors.

We all speak of using passports or driving licences for ID, but people aren't necessarily going to have either, so the idea of a recognised ID card isn't a terrible idea. They work fine in many other countries and they haven't become police states. Of course, there's a big difference in having a secure method of proving your identity when you need to prove who you are, and being stopped on the street and made to 'show your papers'.

 

[ainsworth74]

Just to say we have a long running thread on the pros and cons of ID cards so unless someone has something to say about Reform and their policy regarding ID cards I think that the linked thread is the best place to take that discussion.

Should we have a universal ID card?

Moderator note: Split from https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/where-are-the-ticket-inspectors.288883/ Like with universal ID I can continue to dream...

www.railforums.co.uk