Reform Party Watch

[Forever_Winter]

So Lee Anderson leaves the Tories and joins Reform.

What do the PS folks think? I like the political direction of Reform (i.e. a good center right party) but in other areas they are bonkers. Plus, they deny climate change is a thing.....what do you lot think?

[UndercoverElephant]

If they are in it for the long game then British politics will be transformed. It will have a major influence on how the tories rebuild after their coming collapse. There is not enough room on the right of UK politics for both of them. Not with Labour smack bang in the centre.

[Mark]

I wouldn't describe Reform as 'good' or 'centre right', but they are polling about 12%...
Personally, I think they have scope to get up around the 20% mark, but even at that level, they won't win too many seats...
The UK's Electoral System is rigged against the smaller parties...

Even so, a good showing may well influence the policies of the two major parties...
Hopefully not on climate change though - changing course on that would be a disaster....

[UndercoverElephant]

Hopefully not on climate change though - changing course on that would be a disaster....

Globally, we're currently going full steam ahead towards maximum climate catastrophe, and the probability of changing course is nil. Therefore what the UK actually does is irrelevant to the outcome. I am obviously not saying this because I think "we shouldn't do anything". I'm saying it because I believe it is true, and for no other reason.

[clv101]

Hopefully not on climate change though - changing course on that would be a disaster....

Globally, we're currently going full steam ahead towards maximum climate catastrophe, and the probability of changing course is nil. Therefore what the UK actually does is irrelevant to the outcome. I am obviously not saying this because I think "we shouldn't do anything". I'm saying it because I believe it is true, and for no other reason.

I mostly agree with that, in that we (globally) certainly aren't going to proactively deal with emissions and climate change. However, what the UK does really does matter - not so much for global atmospheric concentrations but for the general wellbeing of the population/economy. For example - if, under the guise of addressing climate change, we make the UK economy significantly more energy efficient, insulate buildings, generate the majority of our energy from indigenous sources etc, that improves wellbeing, and reduces risks associated with imported oil and gas.

Improving efficiency and resilience are big domestic wins, even if globally it makes virtually no impact on CO2 concentrations.