What is on show from Farage, ahead of whatever admiration for Putin is a blind hatred for Europeanism in all its forms. Blaming NATO is blaming the EU, and my enemy's enemy....
One day, sir, maybe not that soon, Moscow WILL be the eastern pole of Western European integrationism and you will have to stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
What Farage is either unwilling, or just too ignorant to admit, is that what ‘provoked’ Putin was Ukraine’s desire to join the EU.
What is on show from Farage, ahead of whatever admiration for Putin is a blind hatred for Europeanism in all its forms. Blaming NATO is blaming the EU, and my enemy's enemy....
One day, sir, maybe not that soon, Moscow WILL be the eastern pole of Western European integrationism and you will have to stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
What Farage is either unwilling, or just too ignorant to admit, is that what ‘provoked’ Putin was Ukraine’s desire to join the EU.
I am one of the few figures that have been consistent & honest about the war in Russia.
Putin was wrong to invade a sovereign nation, and the EU was wrong to expand eastward.
The sooner we realise this, the closer we will be to ending the war and delivering peace.
I would trace the moment Corbyn lost the British electorate back to his equivocation over the Salisbury poisonings.
Others may minimise it, but I think Farage misjudges Britain having spent too much time with Trump and his MAGA band. Isolationism is a long established American tradition. It’s not a British one.
I think that probably Farage spends more time chatting to and gauging the mood of the left behind voters in pubs, working men's clubs and provincial high streets even than you Tim. We should at least consider the possibility.
So just to clarify, you think there’s a big groundswell among the “working men’s clubs” that you presumably frequent and which represent the majority of British public opinion, for an accommodating approach towards Putin. Whose defensive war against the marauding Ukrainians is understandable because of the gross provocation by the EU.
Right? That’s the real voice of the people?
Maybe I don’t understand my country after all.
I think there *might* be a little more Ukraine fatigue than is publicly visible, given that any wavering on financial support for Ukraine tends to get you called scum in fairly short order. Yet you can't get a doctors appointment for shit, and taxes are at an all time high. Making the expression of some opinions socially unacceptable does tend to make the spread of those opinions hard to monitor. That does not equate to support for Putin, who I think there's widespread revulsion toward.
What is on show from Farage, ahead of whatever admiration for Putin is a blind hatred for Europeanism in all its forms. Blaming NATO is blaming the EU, and my enemy's enemy....
One day, sir, maybe not that soon, Moscow WILL be the eastern pole of Western European integrationism and you will have to stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
What Farage is either unwilling, or just too ignorant to admit, is that what ‘provoked’ Putin was Ukraine’s desire to join the EU.
I am one of the few figures that have been consistent & honest about the war in Russia.
Putin was wrong to invade a sovereign nation, and the EU was wrong to expand eastward.
The sooner we realise this, the closer we will be to ending the war and delivering peace.
The EU can expand wherever it likes. It's a club where membership is voluntary. In fact, you have to work fucking hard to join. If a country wants in, and the EU will take them, 🤝, it's a deal. Do your neighbours not like it? Tough shit. The thing about sovereignty is that you can listen to your neighbours' advice if you want but in the end you do what you like.
Normal people get this. A lot of people who voted for Brexit got this. It's kinda weird that Nigel Fartrage doesn't get it. He can fuck off to Moscow.
Quite. In one answer Farage has blown the entire basis of his decades of argument. He has always argued that it is about freedom and choice, but it turns out it was not. It was about the protection of an out of date established world order of which Farage sees himself as a part. The suggestion that the countries of eastern Europe should not have been allowed to freely decide their own future but should have been tied for ever and a day to Putin and Russia is pathetic, although to be fair I am not surprised to see it coming from Farage.
What is on show from Farage, ahead of whatever admiration for Putin is a blind hatred for Europeanism in all its forms. Blaming NATO is blaming the EU, and my enemy's enemy....
One day, sir, maybe not that soon, Moscow WILL be the eastern pole of Western European integrationism and you will have to stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
What Farage is either unwilling, or just too ignorant to admit, is that what ‘provoked’ Putin was Ukraine’s desire to join the EU.
So we know constituency polls are unreliable. But is there anything in the fact that they seem to all be suggesting, consistently, Labour outperforming and the Tories underperforming the overall MRP picture nationally?
What is on show from Farage, ahead of whatever admiration for Putin is a blind hatred for Europeanism in all its forms. Blaming NATO is blaming the EU, and my enemy's enemy....
One day, sir, maybe not that soon, Moscow WILL be the eastern pole of Western European integrationism and you will have to stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
What Farage is either unwilling, or just too ignorant to admit, is that what ‘provoked’ Putin was Ukraine’s desire to join the EU.
I am one of the few figures that have been consistent & honest about the war in Russia.
Putin was wrong to invade a sovereign nation, and the EU was wrong to expand eastward.
The sooner we realise this, the closer we will be to ending the war and delivering peace.
I would trace the moment Corbyn lost the British electorate back to his equivocation over the Salisbury poisonings.
Others may minimise it, but I think Farage misjudges Britain having spent too much time with Trump and his MAGA band. Isolationism is a long established American tradition. It’s not a British one.
I think that probably Farage spends more time chatting to and gauging the mood of the left behind voters in pubs, working men's clubs and provincial high streets even than you Tim. We should at least consider the possibility.
If Farage came into my pub I think all the voters would leave him behind, actually.
Leon posts as Heathener (come on guys, he admits the fact frequently) and I believe has a new one called Double Dutch. He can rarely resist drawing attention to his own comic creations and I noticed him doing that today. Heathener is a satire on a censorious leftie woman and Double Dutch is a green loon. I don't know where he finds the energy.
Leon posts as Heathener (come on guys, he admits the fact frequently) and I believe has a new one called Double Dutch. He can rarely resist drawing attention to his own comic creations and I noticed him doing that today. Heathener is a satire on a censorious leftie woman and Double Dutch is a green loon. I don't know where he finds the energy.
Leon posts as Heathener (come on guys, he admits the fact frequently) and I believe has a new one called Double Dutch. He can rarely resist drawing attention to his own comic creations and I noticed him doing that today. Heathener is a satire on a censorious leftie woman and Double Dutch is a green loon. I don't know where he finds the energy.
What is on show from Farage, ahead of whatever admiration for Putin is a blind hatred for Europeanism in all its forms. Blaming NATO is blaming the EU, and my enemy's enemy....
One day, sir, maybe not that soon, Moscow WILL be the eastern pole of Western European integrationism and you will have to stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
What Farage is either unwilling, or just too ignorant to admit, is that what ‘provoked’ Putin was Ukraine’s desire to join the EU.
I am one of the few figures that have been consistent & honest about the war in Russia.
Putin was wrong to invade a sovereign nation, and the EU was wrong to expand eastward.
The sooner we realise this, the closer we will be to ending the war and delivering peace.
I would trace the moment Corbyn lost the British electorate back to his equivocation over the Salisbury poisonings.
Others may minimise it, but I think Farage misjudges Britain having spent too much time with Trump and his MAGA band. Isolationism is a long established American tradition. It’s not a British one.
I think that probably Farage spends more time chatting to and gauging the mood of the left behind voters in pubs, working men's clubs and provincial high streets even than you Tim. We should at least consider the possibility.
So just to clarify, you think there’s a big groundswell among the “working men’s clubs” that you presumably frequent and which represent the majority of British public opinion, for an accommodating approach towards Putin. Whose defensive war against the marauding Ukrainians is understandable because of the gross provocation by the EU.
Right? That’s the real voice of the people?
Maybe I don’t understand my country after all.
I think there *might* be a little more Ukraine fatigue than is publicly visible, given that any wavering on financial support for Ukraine tends to get you called scum in fairly short order. Yet you can't get a doctors appointment for shit, and taxes are at an all time high. Making the expression of some opinions socially unacceptable does tend to make the spread of those opinions hard to monitor. That does not equate to support for Putin, who I think there's widespread revulsion toward.
What is on show from Farage, ahead of whatever admiration for Putin is a blind hatred for Europeanism in all its forms. Blaming NATO is blaming the EU, and my enemy's enemy....
One day, sir, maybe not that soon, Moscow WILL be the eastern pole of Western European integrationism and you will have to stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
What Farage is either unwilling, or just too ignorant to admit, is that what ‘provoked’ Putin was Ukraine’s desire to join the EU.
I am one of the few figures that have been consistent & honest about the war in Russia.
Putin was wrong to invade a sovereign nation, and the EU was wrong to expand eastward.
The sooner we realise this, the closer we will be to ending the war and delivering peace.
What a twat. The arrogance of the guy thinking he gets to say what a sovereign country can or can’t do.
A country can’t unilaterally join the EU. It’s legitimate to comment on the foreign policy of its members (which included us at the time).
Don’t be absurd. It’s fuck all to do with Farage what either Ukraine or the EU want.
The point is just that it's not as simple as the right of a sovereign country to decide for itself.
Our membership was initially vetoed by France, for example. Was that an infringement of our sovergeign right to decide?
It was fine for France to veto our application because they were a member (and our membership of their club would have an impact on them). The fact that you even seem to be trying to make the comparison is absurd. What you are suggesting is that it would have been fine for the USA to oppose us being in the EU simply because they did not like it? Now why would anyone think they should have that right?
Leon posts as Heathener (come on guys, he admits the fact frequently) and I believe has a new one called Double Dutch. He can rarely resist drawing attention to his own comic creations and I noticed him doing that today. Heathener is a satire on a censorious leftie woman and Double Dutch is a green loon. I don't know where he finds the energy.
⚡️Former U.S. President Donald Trump said on June 20 that the possibility of Ukraine's entry into NATO was "really why this (full-scale) war started" and blamed President Joe Biden's alleged support for Ukraine's accession as a trigger to the invasion.
A good attack line against NF would be “I see your lips move but I hear Donald Trump”
Leon posts as Heathener (come on guys, he admits the fact frequently) and I believe has a new one called Double Dutch. He can rarely resist drawing attention to his own comic creations and I noticed him doing that today. Heathener is a satire on a censorious leftie woman and Double Dutch is a green loon. I don't know where he finds the energy.
What is on show from Farage, ahead of whatever admiration for Putin is a blind hatred for Europeanism in all its forms. Blaming NATO is blaming the EU, and my enemy's enemy....
One day, sir, maybe not that soon, Moscow WILL be the eastern pole of Western European integrationism and you will have to stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
What Farage is either unwilling, or just too ignorant to admit, is that what ‘provoked’ Putin was Ukraine’s desire to join the EU.
I am one of the few figures that have been consistent & honest about the war in Russia.
Putin was wrong to invade a sovereign nation, and the EU was wrong to expand eastward.
The sooner we realise this, the closer we will be to ending the war and delivering peace.
I would trace the moment Corbyn lost the British electorate back to his equivocation over the Salisbury poisonings.
Others may minimise it, but I think Farage misjudges Britain having spent too much time with Trump and his MAGA band. Isolationism is a long established American tradition. It’s not a British one.
I think that probably Farage spends more time chatting to and gauging the mood of the left behind voters in pubs, working men's clubs and provincial high streets even than you Tim. We should at least consider the possibility.
So just to clarify, you think there’s a big groundswell among the “working men’s clubs” that you presumably frequent and which represent the majority of British public opinion, for an accommodating approach towards Putin. Whose defensive war against the marauding Ukrainians is understandable because of the gross provocation by the EU.
Right? That’s the real voice of the people?
Maybe I don’t understand my country after all.
I think there *might* be a little more Ukraine fatigue than is publicly visible, given that any wavering on financial support for Ukraine tends to get you called scum in fairly short order. Yet you can't get a doctors appointment for shit, and taxes are at an all time high. Making the expression of some opinions socially unacceptable does tend to make the spread of those opinions hard to monitor. That does not equate to support for Putin, who I think there's widespread revulsion toward.
There has been practically zero evidence of Ukraine fatigue in Britain. There has been a lot in the USA. Indeed there appears to be less than zero on the right of British politics, including those who long for Boris back. “Ukraine fatigue” is, outside a very niche circle, largely a far-left preoccupation in Britain. Leave it to Owen Jones and his mates.
Some culture wars just don’t translate across the Atlantic. Farage has just revealed a tell, which he probably now regrets.
What is on show from Farage, ahead of whatever admiration for Putin is a blind hatred for Europeanism in all its forms. Blaming NATO is blaming the EU, and my enemy's enemy....
One day, sir, maybe not that soon, Moscow WILL be the eastern pole of Western European integrationism and you will have to stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
What Farage is either unwilling, or just too ignorant to admit, is that what ‘provoked’ Putin was Ukraine’s desire to join the EU.
I am one of the few figures that have been consistent & honest about the war in Russia.
Putin was wrong to invade a sovereign nation, and the EU was wrong to expand eastward.
The sooner we realise this, the closer we will be to ending the war and delivering peace.
I would trace the moment Corbyn lost the British electorate back to his equivocation over the Salisbury poisonings.
Others may minimise it, but I think Farage misjudges Britain having spent too much time with Trump and his MAGA band. Isolationism is a long established American tradition. It’s not a British one.
I think that probably Farage spends more time chatting to and gauging the mood of the left behind voters in pubs, working men's clubs and provincial high streets even than you Tim. We should at least consider the possibility.
So just to clarify, you think there’s a big groundswell among the “working men’s clubs” that you presumably frequent and which represent the majority of British public opinion, for an accommodating approach towards Putin. Whose defensive war against the marauding Ukrainians is understandable because of the gross provocation by the EU.
Right? That’s the real voice of the people?
Maybe I don’t understand my country after all.
I think there *might* be a little more Ukraine fatigue than is publicly visible, given that any wavering on financial support for Ukraine tends to get you called scum in fairly short order. Yet you can't get a doctors appointment for shit, and taxes are at an all time high. Making the expression of some opinions socially unacceptable does tend to make the spread of those opinions hard to monitor. That does not equate to support for Putin, who I think there's widespread revulsion toward.
“I admire him as a politician.”
NF had to own that as another poster said. He's done a good job this campaign of blasting through obstacles rather than going into retreat over them.
Leon posts as Heathener (come on guys, he admits the fact frequently) and I believe has a new one called Double Dutch. He can rarely resist drawing attention to his own comic creations and I noticed him doing that today. Heathener is a satire on a censorious leftie woman and Double Dutch is a green loon. I don't know where he finds the energy.
Leon posts as Heathener (come on guys, he admits the fact frequently) and I believe has a new one called Double Dutch. He can rarely resist drawing attention to his own comic creations and I noticed him doing that today. Heathener is a satire on a censorious leftie woman and Double Dutch is a green loon. I don't know where he finds the energy.
Leon posts as Heathener (come on guys, he admits the fact frequently) and I believe has a new one called Double Dutch. He can rarely resist drawing attention to his own comic creations and I noticed him doing that today. Heathener is a satire on a censorious leftie woman and Double Dutch is a green loon. I don't know where he finds the energy.
What is on show from Farage, ahead of whatever admiration for Putin is a blind hatred for Europeanism in all its forms. Blaming NATO is blaming the EU, and my enemy's enemy....
One day, sir, maybe not that soon, Moscow WILL be the eastern pole of Western European integrationism and you will have to stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
What Farage is either unwilling, or just too ignorant to admit, is that what ‘provoked’ Putin was Ukraine’s desire to join the EU.
I am one of the few figures that have been consistent & honest about the war in Russia.
Putin was wrong to invade a sovereign nation, and the EU was wrong to expand eastward.
The sooner we realise this, the closer we will be to ending the war and delivering peace.
What a twat. The arrogance of the guy thinking he gets to say what a sovereign country can or can’t do.
A country can’t unilaterally join the EU. It’s legitimate to comment on the foreign policy of its members (which included us at the time).
Don’t be absurd. It’s fuck all to do with Farage what either Ukraine or the EU want.
The point is just that it's not as simple as the right of a sovereign country to decide for itself.
Our membership was initially vetoed by France, for example. Was that an infringement of our sovergeign right to decide?
It was fine for France to veto our application because they were a member (and our membership of their club would have an impact on them). The fact that you even seem to be trying to make the comparison is absurd. What you are suggesting is that it would have been fine for the USA to oppose us being in the EU simply because they did not like it? Now why would anyone think they should have that right?
If you think it’s not legitimate to seek to influence the decisions of other countries then should foreign policy in general be seen as an anachronism and we should close the foreign office?
Leon posts as Heathener (come on guys, he admits the fact frequently) and I believe has a new one called Double Dutch. He can rarely resist drawing attention to his own comic creations and I noticed him doing that today. Heathener is a satire on a censorious leftie woman and Double Dutch is a green loon. I don't know where he finds the energy.
Errr.
Leon is not Heathener.
No, he can never stay in character long enough.
He doesn't. The mask slips frequently. She was getting excited over a high poll for Reform the other evening.
What is on show from Farage, ahead of whatever admiration for Putin is a blind hatred for Europeanism in all its forms. Blaming NATO is blaming the EU, and my enemy's enemy....
One day, sir, maybe not that soon, Moscow WILL be the eastern pole of Western European integrationism and you will have to stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
What Farage is either unwilling, or just too ignorant to admit, is that what ‘provoked’ Putin was Ukraine’s desire to join the EU.
I am one of the few figures that have been consistent & honest about the war in Russia.
Putin was wrong to invade a sovereign nation, and the EU was wrong to expand eastward.
The sooner we realise this, the closer we will be to ending the war and delivering peace.
I would trace the moment Corbyn lost the British electorate back to his equivocation over the Salisbury poisonings.
Others may minimise it, but I think Farage misjudges Britain having spent too much time with Trump and his MAGA band. Isolationism is a long established American tradition. It’s not a British one.
I think that probably Farage spends more time chatting to and gauging the mood of the left behind voters in pubs, working men's clubs and provincial high streets even than you Tim. We should at least consider the possibility.
lol, is that how you really think Farage spends his spare time. Hanging around in working men's clubs? Good grief.
A journo posted the other day that he accidentally bumped into our 'man of the people' staggering out of one of the most expensive restaurants in London.
Leon posts as Heathener (come on guys, he admits the fact frequently) and I believe has a new one called Double Dutch. He can rarely resist drawing attention to his own comic creations and I noticed him doing that today. Heathener is a satire on a censorious leftie woman and Double Dutch is a green loon. I don't know where he finds the energy.
Errr.
Leon is not Heathener.
No, he can never stay in character long enough.
He doesn't. The mask slips frequently. She was getting excited over a high poll for Reform the other evening.
I’m not sure Leon is that sophisticated at VPNs. I would assume the mods know if someone has multiple IDs on here.
What is on show from Farage, ahead of whatever admiration for Putin is a blind hatred for Europeanism in all its forms. Blaming NATO is blaming the EU, and my enemy's enemy....
One day, sir, maybe not that soon, Moscow WILL be the eastern pole of Western European integrationism and you will have to stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
What Farage is either unwilling, or just too ignorant to admit, is that what ‘provoked’ Putin was Ukraine’s desire to join the EU.
I am one of the few figures that have been consistent & honest about the war in Russia.
Putin was wrong to invade a sovereign nation, and the EU was wrong to expand eastward.
The sooner we realise this, the closer we will be to ending the war and delivering peace.
I would trace the moment Corbyn lost the British electorate back to his equivocation over the Salisbury poisonings.
Others may minimise it, but I think Farage misjudges Britain having spent too much time with Trump and his MAGA band. Isolationism is a long established American tradition. It’s not a British one.
I think that probably Farage spends more time chatting to and gauging the mood of the left behind voters in pubs, working men's clubs and provincial high streets even than you Tim. We should at least consider the possibility.
So just to clarify, you think there’s a big groundswell among the “working men’s clubs” that you presumably frequent and which represent the majority of British public opinion, for an accommodating approach towards Putin. Whose defensive war against the marauding Ukrainians is understandable because of the gross provocation by the EU.
Right? That’s the real voice of the people?
Maybe I don’t understand my country after all.
I think there *might* be a little more Ukraine fatigue than is publicly visible, given that any wavering on financial support for Ukraine tends to get you called scum in fairly short order. Yet you can't get a doctors appointment for shit, and taxes are at an all time high. Making the expression of some opinions socially unacceptable does tend to make the spread of those opinions hard to monitor. That does not equate to support for Putin, who I think there's widespread revulsion toward.
“I admire him as a politician.”
NF had to own that as another poster said. He's done a good job this campaign of blasting through obstacles rather than going into retreat over them.
He’s done a great job condemning himself out of his own mouth. No doubt there’s a hard core which will continue to be impressed by his bullshit.
What is it about living next to an aggressive militarised dictatorship that makes people of neighbouring states want to band together for mutual protection and co-operation? I can't put my finger on it.
What is on show from Farage, ahead of whatever admiration for Putin is a blind hatred for Europeanism in all its forms. Blaming NATO is blaming the EU, and my enemy's enemy....
One day, sir, maybe not that soon, Moscow WILL be the eastern pole of Western European integrationism and you will have to stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
What Farage is either unwilling, or just too ignorant to admit, is that what ‘provoked’ Putin was Ukraine’s desire to join the EU.
I am one of the few figures that have been consistent & honest about the war in Russia.
Putin was wrong to invade a sovereign nation, and the EU was wrong to expand eastward.
The sooner we realise this, the closer we will be to ending the war and delivering peace.
I would trace the moment Corbyn lost the British electorate back to his equivocation over the Salisbury poisonings.
Others may minimise it, but I think Farage misjudges Britain having spent too much time with Trump and his MAGA band. Isolationism is a long established American tradition. It’s not a British one.
I think that probably Farage spends more time chatting to and gauging the mood of the left behind voters in pubs, working men's clubs and provincial high streets even than you Tim. We should at least consider the possibility.
So just to clarify, you think there’s a big groundswell among the “working men’s clubs” that you presumably frequent and which represent the majority of British public opinion, for an accommodating approach towards Putin. Whose defensive war against the marauding Ukrainians is understandable because of the gross provocation by the EU.
Right? That’s the real voice of the people?
Maybe I don’t understand my country after all.
I think there *might* be a little more Ukraine fatigue than is publicly visible, given that any wavering on financial support for Ukraine tends to get you called scum in fairly short order. Yet you can't get a doctors appointment for shit, and taxes are at an all time high. Making the expression of some opinions socially unacceptable does tend to make the spread of those opinions hard to monitor. That does not equate to support for Putin, who I think there's widespread revulsion toward.
There has been practically zero evidence of Ukraine fatigue in Britain. There has been a lot in the USA. Indeed there appears to be less than zero on the right of British politics, including those who long for Boris back. “Ukraine fatigue” is, outside a very niche circle, largely a far-left preoccupation in Britain. Leave it to Owen Jones and his mates.
Some culture wars just don’t translate across the Atlantic. Farage has just revealed a tell, which he probably now regrets.
What is on show from Farage, ahead of whatever admiration for Putin is a blind hatred for Europeanism in all its forms. Blaming NATO is blaming the EU, and my enemy's enemy....
One day, sir, maybe not that soon, Moscow WILL be the eastern pole of Western European integrationism and you will have to stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
What Farage is either unwilling, or just too ignorant to admit, is that what ‘provoked’ Putin was Ukraine’s desire to join the EU.
I am one of the few figures that have been consistent & honest about the war in Russia.
Putin was wrong to invade a sovereign nation, and the EU was wrong to expand eastward.
The sooner we realise this, the closer we will be to ending the war and delivering peace.
What a twat. The arrogance of the guy thinking he gets to say what a sovereign country can or can’t do.
A country can’t unilaterally join the EU. It’s legitimate to comment on the foreign policy of its members (which included us at the time).
Don’t be absurd. It’s fuck all to do with Farage what either Ukraine or the EU want.
The point is just that it's not as simple as the right of a sovereign country to decide for itself.
Our membership was initially vetoed by France, for example. Was that an infringement of our sovergeign right to decide?
It was fine for France to veto our application because they were a member (and our membership of their club would have an impact on them). The fact that you even seem to be trying to make the comparison is absurd. What you are suggesting is that it would have been fine for the USA to oppose us being in the EU simply because they did not like it? Now why would anyone think they should have that right?
Indeed, I remember some people getting awfully cross when our American friends said that the Brexit decision was absolutely up to us but maybe wasn't a good idea.
So we know constituency polls are unreliable. But is there anything in the fact that they seem to all be suggesting, consistently, Labour outperforming and the Tories underperforming the overall MRP picture nationally?
Depends which MRP you look at, most have the Tories failing to win the 3 cited. On UNS the MRPs are underestimating the Tory seat total.
Hartlepool and Clacton should also have amongst the highest Reform voteshares in the UK, even Gillingham was also strong Leave and likely strong above average Reform share
What is on show from Farage, ahead of whatever admiration for Putin is a blind hatred for Europeanism in all its forms. Blaming NATO is blaming the EU, and my enemy's enemy....
One day, sir, maybe not that soon, Moscow WILL be the eastern pole of Western European integrationism and you will have to stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
What Farage is either unwilling, or just too ignorant to admit, is that what ‘provoked’ Putin was Ukraine’s desire to join the EU.
I am one of the few figures that have been consistent & honest about the war in Russia.
Putin was wrong to invade a sovereign nation, and the EU was wrong to expand eastward.
The sooner we realise this, the closer we will be to ending the war and delivering peace.
The EU can expand wherever it likes. It's a club where membership is voluntary. In fact, you have to work fucking hard to join. If a country wants in, and the EU will take them, 🤝, it's a deal. Do your neighbours not like it? Tough shit. The thing about sovereignty is that you can listen to your neighbours' advice if you want but in the end you do what you like.
Normal people get this. A lot of people who voted for Brexit got this. It's kinda weird that Nigel Fartrage doesn't get it. He can fuck off to Moscow.
Why does Farage think that Putin is worried about EU expansion?
What could it be about the european union that Putin doesn't like?
What does PB make of the missing lad in Tenerife? Sky going with the "aren't all the conspiracy theories awful" angle, but, curiously, Sky aren't being open about his background.
What is on show from Farage, ahead of whatever admiration for Putin is a blind hatred for Europeanism in all its forms. Blaming NATO is blaming the EU, and my enemy's enemy....
One day, sir, maybe not that soon, Moscow WILL be the eastern pole of Western European integrationism and you will have to stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
What Farage is either unwilling, or just too ignorant to admit, is that what ‘provoked’ Putin was Ukraine’s desire to join the EU.
I am one of the few figures that have been consistent & honest about the war in Russia.
Putin was wrong to invade a sovereign nation, and the EU was wrong to expand eastward.
The sooner we realise this, the closer we will be to ending the war and delivering peace.
What a twat. The arrogance of the guy thinking he gets to say what a sovereign country can or can’t do.
A country can’t unilaterally join the EU. It’s legitimate to comment on the foreign policy of its members (which included us at the time).
Don’t be absurd. It’s fuck all to do with Farage what either Ukraine or the EU want.
The point is just that it's not as simple as the right of a sovereign country to decide for itself.
Our membership was initially vetoed by France, for example. Was that an infringement of our sovergeign right to decide?
It was fine for France to veto our application because they were a member (and our membership of their club would have an impact on them). The fact that you even seem to be trying to make the comparison is absurd. What you are suggesting is that it would have been fine for the USA to oppose us being in the EU simply because they did not like it? Now why would anyone think they should have that right?
If you think it’s not legitimate to seek to influence the decisions of other countries then should foreign policy in general be seen as an anachronism and we should close the foreign office?
What is on show from Farage, ahead of whatever admiration for Putin is a blind hatred for Europeanism in all its forms. Blaming NATO is blaming the EU, and my enemy's enemy....
One day, sir, maybe not that soon, Moscow WILL be the eastern pole of Western European integrationism and you will have to stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
What Farage is either unwilling, or just too ignorant to admit, is that what ‘provoked’ Putin was Ukraine’s desire to join the EU.
I am one of the few figures that have been consistent & honest about the war in Russia.
Putin was wrong to invade a sovereign nation, and the EU was wrong to expand eastward.
The sooner we realise this, the closer we will be to ending the war and delivering peace.
I would trace the moment Corbyn lost the British electorate back to his equivocation over the Salisbury poisonings.
Others may minimise it, but I think Farage misjudges Britain having spent too much time with Trump and his MAGA band. Isolationism is a long established American tradition. It’s not a British one.
I think that probably Farage spends more time chatting to and gauging the mood of the left behind voters in pubs, working men's clubs and provincial high streets even than you Tim. We should at least consider the possibility.
lol, is that how you really think Farage spends his spare time. Hanging around in working men's clubs? Good grief.
A journo posted the other day that he accidentally bumped into our 'man of the people' staggering out of one of the most expensive restaurants in London.
That’s the joys of our class system though isn’t it. The Uber posh like Farage get to cosplay working class. It’s the petit Trianon.
What is on show from Farage, ahead of whatever admiration for Putin is a blind hatred for Europeanism in all its forms. Blaming NATO is blaming the EU, and my enemy's enemy....
One day, sir, maybe not that soon, Moscow WILL be the eastern pole of Western European integrationism and you will have to stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
What Farage is either unwilling, or just too ignorant to admit, is that what ‘provoked’ Putin was Ukraine’s desire to join the EU.
What does PB make of the missing lad in Tenerife? Sky going with the "aren't all the conspiracy theories awful" angle, but, curiously, Sky aren't being open about his background.
Leon posts as Heathener (come on guys, he admits the fact frequently) and I believe has a new one called Double Dutch. He can rarely resist drawing attention to his own comic creations and I noticed him doing that today. Heathener is a satire on a censorious leftie woman and Double Dutch is a green loon. I don't know where he finds the energy.
Errr.
Leon is not Heathener.
No, he can never stay in character long enough.
He doesn't. The mask slips frequently. She was getting excited over a high poll for Reform the other evening.
I’m not sure Leon is that sophisticated at VPNs. I would assume the mods know if someone has multiple IDs on here.
He has flat out admitted it on more than one occasion. But hey ho.
Newsnight reduced to 30 mins just as an election campaign starts. You'd have thought they might have extended it for an extra 4 weeks to cater for election news.
What is on show from Farage, ahead of whatever admiration for Putin is a blind hatred for Europeanism in all its forms. Blaming NATO is blaming the EU, and my enemy's enemy....
One day, sir, maybe not that soon, Moscow WILL be the eastern pole of Western European integrationism and you will have to stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
What Farage is either unwilling, or just too ignorant to admit, is that what ‘provoked’ Putin was Ukraine’s desire to join the EU.
I am one of the few figures that have been consistent & honest about the war in Russia.
Putin was wrong to invade a sovereign nation, and the EU was wrong to expand eastward.
The sooner we realise this, the closer we will be to ending the war and delivering peace.
What a twat. The arrogance of the guy thinking he gets to say what a sovereign country can or can’t do.
A country can’t unilaterally join the EU. It’s legitimate to comment on the foreign policy of its members (which included us at the time).
Don’t be absurd. It’s fuck all to do with Farage what either Ukraine or the EU want.
The point is just that it's not as simple as the right of a sovereign country to decide for itself.
Our membership was initially vetoed by France, for example. Was that an infringement of our sovergeign right to decide?
It was fine for France to veto our application because they were a member (and our membership of their club would have an impact on them). The fact that you even seem to be trying to make the comparison is absurd. What you are suggesting is that it would have been fine for the USA to oppose us being in the EU simply because they did not like it? Now why would anyone think they should have that right?
Indeed, I remember some people getting awfully cross when our American friends said that the Brexit decision was absolutely up to us but maybe wasn't a good idea.
I remember some of our Remain supporters rather pompously opining that we live in a world of large blocs, and that a small independent country on the periphery of a large bloc would always be subservient, that the whole concept of national sovereignty was an outdated illusory notion. 'Government by fax' I think was the phrase. But apparently that doesn't apply to Ukraine and their big neighbour.
What is on show from Farage, ahead of whatever admiration for Putin is a blind hatred for Europeanism in all its forms. Blaming NATO is blaming the EU, and my enemy's enemy....
One day, sir, maybe not that soon, Moscow WILL be the eastern pole of Western European integrationism and you will have to stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
What Farage is either unwilling, or just too ignorant to admit, is that what ‘provoked’ Putin was Ukraine’s desire to join the EU.
I am one of the few figures that have been consistent & honest about the war in Russia.
Putin was wrong to invade a sovereign nation, and the EU was wrong to expand eastward.
The sooner we realise this, the closer we will be to ending the war and delivering peace.
I would trace the moment Corbyn lost the British electorate back to his equivocation over the Salisbury poisonings.
Others may minimise it, but I think Farage misjudges Britain having spent too much time with Trump and his MAGA band. Isolationism is a long established American tradition. It’s not a British one.
I think that probably Farage spends more time chatting to and gauging the mood of the left behind voters in pubs, working men's clubs and provincial high streets even than you Tim. We should at least consider the possibility.
Absolute lol. You mean man of the people Nige isn’t a complete fucking act, after all!
He’s the biggest fake in my political lifetime. By some margin.
Leon posts as Heathener (come on guys, he admits the fact frequently) and I believe has a new one called Double Dutch. He can rarely resist drawing attention to his own comic creations and I noticed him doing that today. Heathener is a satire on a censorious leftie woman and Double Dutch is a green loon. I don't know where he finds the energy.
Errr.
Leon is not Heathener.
No, he can never stay in character long enough.
He doesn't. The mask slips frequently. She was getting excited over a high poll for Reform the other evening.
I’m not sure Leon is that sophisticated at VPNs. I would assume the mods know if someone has multiple IDs on here.
He has flat out admitted it on more than one occasion. But hey ho.
Should be easy enough for one of our moderators to confirm or not. Indeed I think one already has.
They share certain attention seeking tendencies but very different written styles, which even for a writer are pretty difficult to fake.
Incidentally one of the joys of this site is recognising a writing style before seeing the poster. It takes about 5 words to know it’s a BigG post or a HYUFD post for example.
What does PB make of the missing lad in Tenerife? Sky going with the "aren't all the conspiracy theories awful" angle, but, curiously, Sky aren't being open about his background.
What is on show from Farage, ahead of whatever admiration for Putin is a blind hatred for Europeanism in all its forms. Blaming NATO is blaming the EU, and my enemy's enemy....
One day, sir, maybe not that soon, Moscow WILL be the eastern pole of Western European integrationism and you will have to stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
What Farage is either unwilling, or just too ignorant to admit, is that what ‘provoked’ Putin was Ukraine’s desire to join the EU.
I am one of the few figures that have been consistent & honest about the war in Russia.
Putin was wrong to invade a sovereign nation, and the EU was wrong to expand eastward.
The sooner we realise this, the closer we will be to ending the war and delivering peace.
What a twat. The arrogance of the guy thinking he gets to say what a sovereign country can or can’t do.
A country can’t unilaterally join the EU. It’s legitimate to comment on the foreign policy of its members (which included us at the time).
Don’t be absurd. It’s fuck all to do with Farage what either Ukraine or the EU want.
The point is just that it's not as simple as the right of a sovereign country to decide for itself.
Our membership was initially vetoed by France, for example. Was that an infringement of our sovergeign right to decide?
It was fine for France to veto our application because they were a member (and our membership of their club would have an impact on them). The fact that you even seem to be trying to make the comparison is absurd. What you are suggesting is that it would have been fine for the USA to oppose us being in the EU simply because they did not like it? Now why would anyone think they should have that right?
Indeed, I remember some people getting awfully cross when our American friends said that the Brexit decision was absolutely up to us but maybe wasn't a good idea.
I remember some of our Remain supporters rather pompously opining that we live in a world of large blocs, and that a small independent country on the periphery of a large bloc would always be subservient, that the whole concept of national sovereignty was an outdated illusory notion. 'Government by fax' I think was the phrase. But apparently that doesn't apply to Ukraine and their big neighbour.
Indeed it doesn't, for four bloody good reasons.
1: Its a stupid conceit. 2: Ukraine's biggest geopolitical neighbour is the EU, not Russia. 3: Ukraine's biggest military neighbour is NATO, not Russia. 4: Russia is a tinpot failing dictatorship, not a large bloc.
Just visited a pub for 10 mins, which consisted of a lot of fat men saying how awful all politicians are. Not very inspiring.
I visited a pub tonight too, for rather longer than 10 mins. I don’t think any of us mentioned the election in any way. Holidays in Cornwall was the main topic.
Leon posts as Heathener (come on guys, he admits the fact frequently) and I believe has a new one called Double Dutch. He can rarely resist drawing attention to his own comic creations and I noticed him doing that today. Heathener is a satire on a censorious leftie woman and Double Dutch is a green loon. I don't know where he finds the energy.
Errr.
Leon is not Heathener.
No, he can never stay in character long enough.
He doesn't. The mask slips frequently. She was getting excited over a high poll for Reform the other evening.
I’m not sure Leon is that sophisticated at VPNs. I would assume the mods know if someone has multiple IDs on here.
He has flat out admitted it on more than one occasion. But hey ho.
Should be easy enough for one of our moderators to confirm or not. Indeed I think one already has.
They share certain attention seeking tendencies but very different written styles, which even for a writer are pretty difficult to fake.
Incidentally one of the joys of this site is recognising a writing style before seeing the poster. It takes about 5 words to know it’s a BigG post or a HYUFD post for example.
She uses full stops. That's about the only difference in style (as opposed to content). There's the same meter, the same little flourishes at the end of posts.
Leon posts as Heathener (come on guys, he admits the fact frequently) and I believe has a new one called Double Dutch. He can rarely resist drawing attention to his own comic creations and I noticed him doing that today. Heathener is a satire on a censorious leftie woman and Double Dutch is a green loon. I don't know where he finds the energy.
Errr.
Leon is not Heathener.
No, he can never stay in character long enough.
He doesn't. The mask slips frequently. She was getting excited over a high poll for Reform the other evening.
I’m not sure Leon is that sophisticated at VPNs. I would assume the mods know if someone has multiple IDs on here.
He has flat out admitted it on more than one occasion. But hey ho.
Should be easy enough for one of our moderators to confirm or not. Indeed I think one already has.
They share certain attention seeking tendencies but very different written styles, which even for a writer are pretty difficult to fake.
Incidentally one of the joys of this site is recognising a writing style before seeing the poster. It takes about 5 words to know it’s a BigG post or a HYUFD post for example.
Robert has flat out said so. But there’s very little point trying to actually convince Luckyguy of anything, once he’s made his mind up.
What is on show from Farage, ahead of whatever admiration for Putin is a blind hatred for Europeanism in all its forms. Blaming NATO is blaming the EU, and my enemy's enemy....
One day, sir, maybe not that soon, Moscow WILL be the eastern pole of Western European integrationism and you will have to stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
What Farage is either unwilling, or just too ignorant to admit, is that what ‘provoked’ Putin was Ukraine’s desire to join the EU.
I am one of the few figures that have been consistent & honest about the war in Russia.
Putin was wrong to invade a sovereign nation, and the EU was wrong to expand eastward.
The sooner we realise this, the closer we will be to ending the war and delivering peace.
I would trace the moment Corbyn lost the British electorate back to his equivocation over the Salisbury poisonings.
Others may minimise it, but I think Farage misjudges Britain having spent too much time with Trump and his MAGA band. Isolationism is a long established American tradition. It’s not a British one.
I think that probably Farage spends more time chatting to and gauging the mood of the left behind voters in pubs, working men's clubs and provincial high streets even than you Tim. We should at least consider the possibility.
Absolute lol. You mean man of the people Nige isn’t a complete fucking act, after all!
He’s the biggest fake in my political lifetime. By some margin.
I didn't say anything wasn't an act. I suggested a small possibility that he may know that what he's said in the Nick Robinson interview won't go down as awfully with his target voters as we think. Could be wrong.
What does PB make of the missing lad in Tenerife? Sky going with the "aren't all the conspiracy theories awful" angle, but, curiously, Sky aren't being open about his background.
We did but it was taken yesterday and Wednesday, another even more recent poll was taken yesterday and today and has Labour 43%, Tories 22%, Reform 13%, LDs 8%, Greens 7% https://x.com/wethinkpolling/status/1804152514545099071
Iain Martin @iainmartin1 · 2h Farage says the West provoked Putin with NATO’s eastward expansion. By this logic, which of our allies who asked to join NATO were being provocative? Poland? Baltic states? Who else? Is Farage saying they should not have been allowed to join a defensive alliance of democracies?
Just visited a pub for 10 mins, which consisted of a lot of fat men saying how awful all politicians are. Not very inspiring.
I visited a pub tonight too, for rather longer than 10 mins. I don’t think any of us mentioned the election in any way. Holidays in Cornwall was the main topic.
I have been at the pub also. For several hours. A tiny bit of politics, a lot of sport.
So anyway we have our postal votes and duty has been done. I thought about it and discussed it with my family and in the end I decided to vote Conservative.
No - not really. For the first time since 1997 we have three generations all voting Lab
What type of seat - marginal?
Well - it depends. Liz Truss currently has a 26,000 majority so that probably makes South West Norfolk now a marginal!
'Finally, if the party leaders were cars, what kind of car would they be? “Nigel Farage would be a classic Triumph Dolomite with brown leather seats. Cigar-smelling. No seatbelts. Five and drive from the pub”; “A Hillman Imp. The green one with wooden sides down it”; “The one out of Only Fools and Horses, a plastic Robin Reliant”; “A rusty old Jag;” “A Land Rover. Rough and ready. It can drive over anything or anyone to get where he wants”; “A tank, leaving a trail of destruction behind it”; “A transit van, loaded full of crap”; and:
“A Porschey-type car, flashy but a horrible drive. Looks good but if you’re going from one end of the M6 to the other, you’d rather be in an Audi. All talk and no trousers.”
How about Rishi Sunak? “A Mini Cooper. Small and mighty”; “An Alfa Romeo. Hardly anyone’s got one and they’re not reliable. But they think they’re posher than the rest of the cars”; “A Fiat Panda. Little and square”; “A BMW. Prestigious body but no guts”; and:
“A Rolls-Royce with tinted windows. Looks good but you’re not looking out, just sneering above everyone. With bulletproof windows and his little Sky TV in the dash to make up for lost time.”
What about Keir Starmer? “Well it couldn’t be an open-topped car because it would ruin his hair”; “Something you’d get from a used car salesman with no guarantee”; “Something boring like a Nissan Micra or a Fiesta. Something you get when you first pass”; “An electric Toyota. The opposite of whatever Rishi’s doing”; and:
“Oh he’s got two. A Ford because he’s a man of the people, but he’s also got a Bugatti somewhere that’s registered to his wife.”
Leon posts as Heathener (come on guys, he admits the fact frequently) and I believe has a new one called Double Dutch. He can rarely resist drawing attention to his own comic creations and I noticed him doing that today. Heathener is a satire on a censorious leftie woman and Double Dutch is a green loon. I don't know where he finds the energy.
Errr.
Leon is not Heathener.
No, he can never stay in character long enough.
He doesn't. The mask slips frequently. She was getting excited over a high poll for Reform the other evening.
I’m not sure Leon is that sophisticated at VPNs. I would assume the mods know if someone has multiple IDs on here.
He has flat out admitted it on more than one occasion. But hey ho.
Should be easy enough for one of our moderators to confirm or not. Indeed I think one already has.
They share certain attention seeking tendencies but very different written styles, which even for a writer are pretty difficult to fake.
Incidentally one of the joys of this site is recognising a writing style before seeing the poster. It takes about 5 words to know it’s a BigG post or a HYUFD post for example.
Robert has flat out said so. But there’s very little point trying to actually convince Luckyguy of anything, once he’s made his mind up.
Wikipedia bans sockpuppets, the same person having more than one persona. Perhaps PB should too.
What is on show from Farage, ahead of whatever admiration for Putin is a blind hatred for Europeanism in all its forms. Blaming NATO is blaming the EU, and my enemy's enemy....
One day, sir, maybe not that soon, Moscow WILL be the eastern pole of Western European integrationism and you will have to stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
What Farage is either unwilling, or just too ignorant to admit, is that what ‘provoked’ Putin was Ukraine’s desire to join the EU.
I am one of the few figures that have been consistent & honest about the war in Russia.
Putin was wrong to invade a sovereign nation, and the EU was wrong to expand eastward.
The sooner we realise this, the closer we will be to ending the war and delivering peace.
What a twat. The arrogance of the guy thinking he gets to say what a sovereign country can or can’t do.
A country can’t unilaterally join the EU. It’s legitimate to comment on the foreign policy of its members (which included us at the time).
Don’t be absurd. It’s fuck all to do with Farage what either Ukraine or the EU want.
The point is just that it's not as simple as the right of a sovereign country to decide for itself.
Our membership was initially vetoed by France, for example. Was that an infringement of our sovergeign right to decide?
It was fine for France to veto our application because they were a member (and our membership of their club would have an impact on them). The fact that you even seem to be trying to make the comparison is absurd. What you are suggesting is that it would have been fine for the USA to oppose us being in the EU simply because they did not like it? Now why would anyone think they should have that right?
Indeed, I remember some people getting awfully cross when our American friends said that the Brexit decision was absolutely up to us but maybe wasn't a good idea.
I remember some of our Remain supporters rather pompously opining that we live in a world of large blocs, and that a small independent country on the periphery of a large bloc would always be subservient, that the whole concept of national sovereignty was an outdated illusory notion. 'Government by fax' I think was the phrase. But apparently that doesn't apply to Ukraine and their big neighbour.
Indeed it doesn't, for four bloody good reasons.
1: Its a stupid conceit. 2: Ukraine's biggest geopolitical neighbour is the EU, not Russia. 3: Ukraine's biggest military neighbour is NATO, not Russia. 4: Russia is a tinpot failing dictatorship, not a large bloc.
One other thing, which I suspect is the important one.
If the people of Ukraine really took a free decision to align themselves with Russia, ultimately, that's up to them. I'd want to dispatch as many psychatrists to Kyiv and points east as I could muster, but... ultimately... that would be up to them. That's not what is happening. So if Russia wants to be surrounded by friendly states, it needs to act in a friendlier way.
Oh, and while I'm here. Anyone who tries to say that 'government by fax' is like the way that Moscow treats its satellites. Anyone who chortles about the EUSSR. Get in the sea. And once you're done with that, find a deeper sea, get into that and repeat.
Leon posts as Heathener (come on guys, he admits the fact frequently) and I believe has a new one called Double Dutch. He can rarely resist drawing attention to his own comic creations and I noticed him doing that today. Heathener is a satire on a censorious leftie woman and Double Dutch is a green loon. I don't know where he finds the energy.
Errr.
Leon is not Heathener.
No, he can never stay in character long enough.
He doesn't. The mask slips frequently. She was getting excited over a high poll for Reform the other evening.
I’m not sure Leon is that sophisticated at VPNs. I would assume the mods know if someone has multiple IDs on here.
He has flat out admitted it on more than one occasion. But hey ho.
Should be easy enough for one of our moderators to confirm or not. Indeed I think one already has.
They share certain attention seeking tendencies but very different written styles, which even for a writer are pretty difficult to fake.
Incidentally one of the joys of this site is recognising a writing style before seeing the poster. It takes about 5 words to know it’s a BigG post or a HYUFD post for example.
Robert has flat out said so. But there’s very little point trying to actually convince Luckyguy of anything, once he’s made his mind up.
Wikipedia bans sockpuppets, the same person having more than one persona. Perhaps PB should too.
What does PB make of the missing lad in Tenerife? Sky going with the "aren't all the conspiracy theories awful" angle, but, curiously, Sky aren't being open about his background.
Anyone got any thoughts about Witney? DC's old stomping ground although boundary changes have made exact comps a bit harder.
On the ground observation: LD candidate (Charlie Maynard) is very energetic, lots of leaflets and very visible. Conservative (Robert Courts) largely anonymous. LD throwing the kitchen sink at it, it seems. But I can't see Con losing given the LD/Labour vote split and the obvious immunity to Farage out in the Oxfordshire countryside.
Con are 9/4 on Oddschecker and 2/1 on William Hill.
Anyone got any thoughts about Witney? DC's old stomping ground although boundary changes have made exact comps a bit harder.
On the ground observation: LD candidate (Charlie Maynard) is very energetic, lots of leaflets and very visible. Conservative (Robert Courts) largely anonymous. LD throwing the kitchen sink at it, it seems. But I can't see Con losing given the LD/Labour vote split and the obvious immunity to Farage out in the Oxfordshire countryside.
Con are 9/4 on Oddschecker and 2/1 on William Hill.
If the opposition to the Tories wasn't split they could easily lose it, but not sure how that would happen.
“A chief constable who lied and exaggerated his naval rank, length of service and achievements has been dismissed for gross misconduct.
“Nick Adderley, of Northamptonshire Police, claimed he had reached the rank of lieutenant in the military and that he was a military negotiator in Haiti in the 1980s.”
Interesting that Starmer’s cars are not posh in the Ashcroft focus group. Surprising. Maybe the son of a toolmaker thing is working.
I’d have SKS down as a VW Passat or Audi A4 (or whatever the current versions are).
Isn't the new Primeministerial car going to be an Audi A8 because Jaguar cancelled the XJ? The only remaining british-built large saloons are from Bentley and RR and presumanly they're deemed too posh. Why not an SUV?
'Finally, if the party leaders were cars, what kind of car would they be? “Nigel Farage would be a classic Triumph Dolomite with brown leather seats. Cigar-smelling. No seatbelts. Five and drive from the pub”; “A Hillman Imp. The green one with wooden sides down it”; “The one out of Only Fools and Horses, a plastic Robin Reliant”; “A rusty old Jag;” “A Land Rover. Rough and ready. It can drive over anything or anyone to get where he wants”; “A tank, leaving a trail of destruction behind it”; “A transit van, loaded full of crap”; and:
“A Porschey-type car, flashy but a horrible drive. Looks good but if you’re going from one end of the M6 to the other, you’d rather be in an Audi. All talk and no trousers.”
How about Rishi Sunak? “A Mini Cooper. Small and mighty”; “An Alfa Romeo. Hardly anyone’s got one and they’re not reliable. But they think they’re posher than the rest of the cars”; “A Fiat Panda. Little and square”; “A BMW. Prestigious body but no guts”; and:
“A Rolls-Royce with tinted windows. Looks good but you’re not looking out, just sneering above everyone. With bulletproof windows and his little Sky TV in the dash to make up for lost time.”
What about Keir Starmer? “Well it couldn’t be an open-topped car because it would ruin his hair”; “Something you’d get from a used car salesman with no guarantee”; “Something boring like a Nissan Micra or a Fiesta. Something you get when you first pass”; “An electric Toyota. The opposite of whatever Rishi’s doing”; and:
“Oh he’s got two. A Ford because he’s a man of the people, but he’s also got a Bugatti somewhere that’s registered to his wife.”
Interesting that Starmer’s cars are not posh in the Ashcroft focus group. Surprising. Maybe the son of a toolmaker thing is working.
I’d have SKS down as a VW Passat or Audi A4 (or whatever the current versions are).
Isn't the new Primeministerial car going to be an Audi A8 because Jaguar cancelled the XJ? The only remaining british-built large saloons are from Bentley and RR and presumanly they're deemed too posh. Why not an SUV?
'Finally, if the party leaders were cars, what kind of car would they be? “Nigel Farage would be a classic Triumph Dolomite with brown leather seats. Cigar-smelling. No seatbelts. Five and drive from the pub”; “A Hillman Imp. The green one with wooden sides down it”; “The one out of Only Fools and Horses, a plastic Robin Reliant”; “A rusty old Jag;” “A Land Rover. Rough and ready. It can drive over anything or anyone to get where he wants”; “A tank, leaving a trail of destruction behind it”; “A transit van, loaded full of crap”; and:
“A Porschey-type car, flashy but a horrible drive. Looks good but if you’re going from one end of the M6 to the other, you’d rather be in an Audi. All talk and no trousers.”
How about Rishi Sunak? “A Mini Cooper. Small and mighty”; “An Alfa Romeo. Hardly anyone’s got one and they’re not reliable. But they think they’re posher than the rest of the cars”; “A Fiat Panda. Little and square”; “A BMW. Prestigious body but no guts”; and:
“A Rolls-Royce with tinted windows. Looks good but you’re not looking out, just sneering above everyone. With bulletproof windows and his little Sky TV in the dash to make up for lost time.”
What about Keir Starmer? “Well it couldn’t be an open-topped car because it would ruin his hair”; “Something you’d get from a used car salesman with no guarantee”; “Something boring like a Nissan Micra or a Fiesta. Something you get when you first pass”; “An electric Toyota. The opposite of whatever Rishi’s doing”; and:
“Oh he’s got two. A Ford because he’s a man of the people, but he’s also got a Bugatti somewhere that’s registered to his wife.”
Starmer: Honda Jazz Sunak: Tesla Davey: Fiat Multipla Swinney: Volvo 960 Estate Farage: some fucking clown car
Spot on, though don't know Swinney. Apparently some of those lovely old Volvo estates are rather dangerous now because they can't cope with a slip road - 0-60 times of more than 20s...
'Finally, if the party leaders were cars, what kind of car would they be? “Nigel Farage would be a classic Triumph Dolomite with brown leather seats. Cigar-smelling. No seatbelts. Five and drive from the pub”; “A Hillman Imp. The green one with wooden sides down it”; “The one out of Only Fools and Horses, a plastic Robin Reliant”; “A rusty old Jag;” “A Land Rover. Rough and ready. It can drive over anything or anyone to get where he wants”; “A tank, leaving a trail of destruction behind it”; “A transit van, loaded full of crap”; and:
“A Porschey-type car, flashy but a horrible drive. Looks good but if you’re going from one end of the M6 to the other, you’d rather be in an Audi. All talk and no trousers.”
How about Rishi Sunak? “A Mini Cooper. Small and mighty”; “An Alfa Romeo. Hardly anyone’s got one and they’re not reliable. But they think they’re posher than the rest of the cars”; “A Fiat Panda. Little and square”; “A BMW. Prestigious body but no guts”; and:
“A Rolls-Royce with tinted windows. Looks good but you’re not looking out, just sneering above everyone. With bulletproof windows and his little Sky TV in the dash to make up for lost time.”
What about Keir Starmer? “Well it couldn’t be an open-topped car because it would ruin his hair”; “Something you’d get from a used car salesman with no guarantee”; “Something boring like a Nissan Micra or a Fiesta. Something you get when you first pass”; “An electric Toyota. The opposite of whatever Rishi’s doing”; and:
“Oh he’s got two. A Ford because he’s a man of the people, but he’s also got a Bugatti somewhere that’s registered to his wife.”
Starmer: Honda Jazz Sunak: Tesla Davey: Fiat Multipla Swinney: Volvo 960 Estate Farage: some fucking clown car
Spot on, though don't know Swinney. Apparently some of those lovely old Volvo estates are rather dangerous now because they can't cope with a slip road - 0-60 times of more than 20s...
I deliberately chose an older, less swish looking Volvo. Boxy, safe, apologetic and dated.
Rowling is one of those younger lefties who eventually end up as fascists in old age. She's nearly there. Not quite, but give it four years.
She got involved over Scottish independence and Trans issues, and was a former big Labour donor. But no peep out of her over Brexit. Closet supporter or better part of valour?
Rowling is one of those younger lefties who eventually end up as fascists in old age. She's nearly there. Not quite, but give it four years.
It is sad that you label anyone you disagree with as a fascist. Rowling has a perfect valid position with regard to women's rights - one that only a few years ago would have been considered solidly left wing. The fact that Labour are losing the support of people like her says everything you need to know about how extreme they have become on some of the more fanatical social issues. You like to think of gthem as a centre left party but when it comes to these sorts of debates they are far out on the extremes
'Finally, if the party leaders were cars, what kind of car would they be? “Nigel Farage would be a classic Triumph Dolomite with brown leather seats. Cigar-smelling. No seatbelts. Five and drive from the pub”; “A Hillman Imp. The green one with wooden sides down it”; “The one out of Only Fools and Horses, a plastic Robin Reliant”; “A rusty old Jag;” “A Land Rover. Rough and ready. It can drive over anything or anyone to get where he wants”; “A tank, leaving a trail of destruction behind it”; “A transit van, loaded full of crap”; and:
“A Porschey-type car, flashy but a horrible drive. Looks good but if you’re going from one end of the M6 to the other, you’d rather be in an Audi. All talk and no trousers.”
How about Rishi Sunak? “A Mini Cooper. Small and mighty”; “An Alfa Romeo. Hardly anyone’s got one and they’re not reliable. But they think they’re posher than the rest of the cars”; “A Fiat Panda. Little and square”; “A BMW. Prestigious body but no guts”; and:
“A Rolls-Royce with tinted windows. Looks good but you’re not looking out, just sneering above everyone. With bulletproof windows and his little Sky TV in the dash to make up for lost time.”
What about Keir Starmer? “Well it couldn’t be an open-topped car because it would ruin his hair”; “Something you’d get from a used car salesman with no guarantee”; “Something boring like a Nissan Micra or a Fiesta. Something you get when you first pass”; “An electric Toyota. The opposite of whatever Rishi’s doing”; and:
“Oh he’s got two. A Ford because he’s a man of the people, but he’s also got a Bugatti somewhere that’s registered to his wife.”
Starmer: Honda Jazz Sunak: Tesla Davey: Fiat Multipla Swinney: Volvo 960 Estate Farage: some fucking clown car
Spot on, though don't know Swinney. Apparently some of those lovely old Volvo estates are rather dangerous now because they can't cope with a slip road - 0-60 times of more than 20s...
I deliberately chose an older, less swish looking Volvo. Boxy, safe, apologetic and dated.
Anyone got any thoughts about Witney? DC's old stomping ground although boundary changes have made exact comps a bit harder.
On the ground observation: LD candidate (Charlie Maynard) is very energetic, lots of leaflets and very visible. Conservative (Robert Courts) largely anonymous. LD throwing the kitchen sink at it, it seems. But I can't see Con losing given the LD/Labour vote split and the obvious immunity to Farage out in the Oxfordshire countryside.
Con are 9/4 on Oddschecker and 2/1 on William Hill.
I would say Didcot and Wantage, Henley, even Banbury and Bicester and Woodstock are more likely to be lost by the Tories in Oxfordshire than Witney
Clearly a lot of people want Farage's comments to be a turning point but I can't see them doing more than minor damage. In fact if everyone goes over the top it'll just play into his infamy, infamy, they've all got it in for me.
Rowling is one of those younger lefties who eventually end up as fascists in old age. She's nearly there. Not quite, but give it four years.
She got involved over Scottish independence and Trans issues, and was a former big Labour donor. But no peep out of her over Brexit. Closet supporter or better part of valour?
Just another person driven mad by social media and plenty of spare time. She's no deep thinker and not worth worrying much about. She was, in her prime, incredibly effective at assimilating a huge array of unoriginal thoughts and presenting them in an acceptable way.
What is on show from Farage, ahead of whatever admiration for Putin is a blind hatred for Europeanism in all its forms. Blaming NATO is blaming the EU, and my enemy's enemy....
One day, sir, maybe not that soon, Moscow WILL be the eastern pole of Western European integrationism and you will have to stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
What Farage is either unwilling, or just too ignorant to admit, is that what ‘provoked’ Putin was Ukraine’s desire to join the EU.
I am one of the few figures that have been consistent & honest about the war in Russia.
Putin was wrong to invade a sovereign nation, and the EU was wrong to expand eastward.
The sooner we realise this, the closer we will be to ending the war and delivering peace.
I would trace the moment Corbyn lost the British electorate back to his equivocation over the Salisbury poisonings.
Others may minimise it, but I think Farage misjudges Britain having spent too much time with Trump and his MAGA band. Isolationism is a long established American tradition. It’s not a British one.
I think that probably Farage spends more time chatting to and gauging the mood of the left behind voters in pubs, working men's clubs and provincial high streets even than you Tim. We should at least consider the possibility.
Absolute lol. You mean man of the people Nige isn’t a complete fucking act, after all!
He’s the biggest fake in my political lifetime. By some margin.
I didn't say anything wasn't an act. I suggested a small possibility that he may know that what he's said in the Nick Robinson interview won't go down as awfully with his target voters as we think. Could be wrong.
The question is which target voters (and what's Farage's game)? There's little doubt that there's a not insignificant tranche of people who are "stop the world I want to get off" voters who dislike modern Britain/the world so much they go down the rabbithole of "Putin's not such a bad bloke", WEF conspiracy theories, and far right stuff. You will hear it in pubs from time to time, you're right.
They also exist on the left too as well - which is why even at its low ebbs the SWP or the assorted alphabet soup of intermingling organisations can stage some pretty large protests when there's a cause to provide the excuse to hit the streets.
But it's not that large amid the wider sea of the electorate (though maybe grew a bit in the pandemic, or certainly got louder) - and importantly everyone else really can't stand that nonsense. For every two or three blokes boring on about "the government and MSM don't want us to say it, you'll get arrested", there are 15 others who want them to shut up and go away. They're also a pretty unreliable voting bloc - even if you're an outsider tailoring your appeal to them.
Which brings us to the question, what's his game? If we accept Reform are polling at 15-20%, and Farage's aim is to replace the Tories - either now or deal them such a fatal blow they have to beg him to rule over the ashes - then the next step is to keep/move on to persuading those who aren't among those people, that Reform are a good bet. It's the more traditionally conservative, patriotic voters rather than the blokes who think all politicians are "in on it" (whatever it is), who are disillusioned that he needs to be reassuring or persuading by hammering the Reform policies they like - namely hardline immigration ones.
I doubt "Putin's not so bad and it's partly Britain's fault" plays particularly well with that group. For whom security and standing up to our enemies - and Putin is very much perceived as that, remember Salisbury and its effect on Corbyn - has some importance. Who should be who Reform are targeting if they want to break out of being a bit of a Cult of Nige populated by the very angry about everything.
Includes Giles Brandreth's daughter Aphra, who might just be able to hold Cheshire South & Eddisbury. She contested Kingston & Surbiton last time against Ed Davey.
Rowling is one of those younger lefties who eventually end up as fascists in old age. She's nearly there. Not quite, but give it four years.
It is sad that you label anyone you disagree with as a fascist. Rowling has a perfect valid position with regard to women's rights - one that only a few years ago would have been considered solidly left wing. The fact that Labour are losing the support of people like her says everything you need to know about how extreme they have become on some of the more fanatical social issues. You like to think of gthem as a centre left party but when it comes to these sorts of debates they are far out on the extremes
When I said she's nearly there, I think you misinterpreted that as meaning her opinions are close to fascism. That's not what I meant. What I meant was that she's reaching an angle of repose that will result in an avalanche into utter madness. Think of Spiked. The cracks are there. She's on the brink of madness. It's the sort of thing you see every so often. Hippies that wake up one day wanting to exterminate Gypsies. She's mixing in the right crowds. In a few years time it'll be leather boots and barbed-wire fantasies.
Rowling is one of those younger lefties who eventually end up as fascists in old age. She's nearly there. Not quite, but give it four years.
It is sad that you label anyone you disagree with as a fascist. Rowling has a perfect valid position with regard to women's rights - one that only a few years ago would have been considered solidly left wing. The fact that Labour are losing the support of people like her says everything you need to know about how extreme they have become on some of the more fanatical social issues. You like to think of gthem as a centre left party but when it comes to these sorts of debates they are far out on the extremes
When I said she's nearly there, I think you misinterpreted that as meaning her opinions are close to fascism. That's not what I meant. What I meant was that she's reaching an angle of repose that will result in an avalanche into utter madness. Think of Spiked. The cracks are there. She's on the brink of madness. It's the sort of thing you see every so often. Hippies that wake up one day wanting to exterminate Gypsies. She's mixing in the right crowds. In a few years time it'll be leather boots and barbed-wire fantasies.
Come back in 2028 and tell me I was wrong.
Well, you're a fucking lunatic NOW so perhaps you can tell us how you got there? And that might enlighten us as to JKR's likely evolution
What is on show from Farage, ahead of whatever admiration for Putin is a blind hatred for Europeanism in all its forms. Blaming NATO is blaming the EU, and my enemy's enemy....
One day, sir, maybe not that soon, Moscow WILL be the eastern pole of Western European integrationism and you will have to stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
What Farage is either unwilling, or just too ignorant to admit, is that what ‘provoked’ Putin was Ukraine’s desire to join the EU.
I am one of the few figures that have been consistent & honest about the war in Russia.
Putin was wrong to invade a sovereign nation, and the EU was wrong to expand eastward.
The sooner we realise this, the closer we will be to ending the war and delivering peace.
I would trace the moment Corbyn lost the British electorate back to his equivocation over the Salisbury poisonings.
Others may minimise it, but I think Farage misjudges Britain having spent too much time with Trump and his MAGA band. Isolationism is a long established American tradition. It’s not a British one.
I think that probably Farage spends more time chatting to and gauging the mood of the left behind voters in pubs, working men's clubs and provincial high streets even than you Tim. We should at least consider the possibility.
Absolute lol. You mean man of the people Nige isn’t a complete fucking act, after all!
He’s the biggest fake in my political lifetime. By some margin.
I didn't say anything wasn't an act. I suggested a small possibility that he may know that what he's said in the Nick Robinson interview won't go down as awfully with his target voters as we think. Could be wrong.
The question is which target voters (and what's Farage's game)? There's little doubt that there's a not insignificant tranche of people who are "stop the world I want to get off" voters who dislike modern Britain/the world so much they go down the rabbithole of "Putin's not such a bad bloke", WEF conspiracy theories, and far right stuff. You will hear it in pubs from time to time, you're right.
They also exist on the left too as well - which is why even at its low ebbs the SWP or the assorted alphabet soup of intermingling organisations can stage some pretty large protests when there's a cause to provide the excuse to hit the streets.
But it's not that large amid the wider sea of the electorate (though maybe grew a bit in the pandemic, or certainly got louder) - and importantly everyone else really can't stand that nonsense. For every two or three blokes boring on about "the government and MSM don't want us to say it, you'll get arrested", there are 15 others who want them to shut up and go away. They're also a pretty unreliable voting bloc - even if you're an outsider tailoring your appeal to them.
Which brings us to the question, what's his game? If we accept Reform are polling at 15-20%, and Farage's aim is to replace the Tories - either now or deal them such a fatal blow they have to beg him to rule over the ashes - then the next step is to keep/move on to persuading those who aren't among those people, that Reform are a good bet. It's the more traditionally conservative, patriotic voters rather than the blokes who think all politicians are "in on it" (whatever it is), who are disillusioned that he needs to be reassuring or persuading by hammering the Reform policies they like - namely hardline immigration ones.
I doubt "Putin's not so bad and it's partly Britain's fault" plays particularly well with that group. For whom security and standing up to our enemies - and Putin is very much perceived as that, remember Salisbury and its effect on Corbyn - has some importance. Who should be who Reform are targeting if they want to break out of being a bit of a Cult of Nige populated by the very angry about everything.
Putin is a WEF alumnus, so the anti WEF grouping wouldn't be keen.
Rowling is one of those younger lefties who eventually end up as fascists in old age. She's nearly there. Not quite, but give it four years.
It is sad that you label anyone you disagree with as a fascist. Rowling has a perfect valid position with regard to women's rights - one that only a few years ago would have been considered solidly left wing. The fact that Labour are losing the support of people like her says everything you need to know about how extreme they have become on some of the more fanatical social issues. You like to think of gthem as a centre left party but when it comes to these sorts of debates they are far out on the extremes
When I said she's nearly there, I think you misinterpreted that as meaning her opinions are close to fascism. That's not what I meant. What I meant was that she's reaching an angle of repose that will result in an avalanche into utter madness. Think of Spiked. The cracks are there. She's on the brink of madness. It's the sort of thing you see every so often. Hippies that wake up one day wanting to exterminate Gypsies. She's mixing in the right crowds. In a few years time it'll be leather boots and barbed-wire fantasies.
Come back in 2028 and tell me I was wrong.
Perhaps a bit longer, but I think you are on the right track.
Comments
William is arguing that he has some kind of standing in the matter - but he’s just another arsehole with an opinion. In this case a very stupid one.
https://x.com/DmitryOpines/status/1804241852520108399
Oh no, another Reform UK candidate the vetting company failed to flag might be a colossal wanker.
So we know constituency polls are unreliable. But is there anything in the fact that they seem to all be suggesting, consistently, Labour outperforming and the Tories underperforming the overall MRP picture nationally?
Leon is not Heathener.
Neutral bastard.
Vovchansk now.
The plague of Russian fascism has come.
https://x.com/IAPonomarenko/status/1804140335687160144
Funny old world.
Some culture wars just don’t translate across the Atlantic. Farage has just revealed a tell, which he probably now regrets.
No doubt there’s a hard core which will continue to be impressed by his bullshit.
Whitestone Insight for Daily Mirror:
🔴Labour - 39% (-2)
🟣Reform - 20% (+2)
🔵Tories - 19 (-)
🟡Lib Dem - 12% (+1)
🟢Green - 6% (-)
https://x.com/ashcowburn/status/1804182490711531878?t=aRO81pbeLAXQNFO3uVZ23A&s=19
Farage has dabbled with anti-vax as well.
A big issue among MAGA but not in this country.
Hartlepool and Clacton should also have amongst the highest Reform voteshares in the UK, even Gillingham was also strong Leave and likely strong above average Reform share
What could it be about the european union that Putin doesn't like?
Clue for the hard of learning: they've lived under the thumb of Moscow's totalitarian kleptocrats before and it wasn't much fun.
He’s the biggest fake in my political lifetime. By some margin.
They share certain attention seeking tendencies but very different written styles, which even for a writer are pretty difficult to fake.
Incidentally one of the joys of this site is recognising a writing style before seeing the poster. It takes about 5 words to know it’s a BigG post or a HYUFD post for example.
1: Its a stupid conceit.
2: Ukraine's biggest geopolitical neighbour is the EU, not Russia.
3: Ukraine's biggest military neighbour is NATO, not Russia.
4: Russia is a tinpot failing dictatorship, not a large bloc.
(I mean, that’s what I quite like about him, even though I think him a…)
But there’s very little point trying to actually convince Luckyguy of anything, once he’s made his mind up.
https://x.com/wethinkpolling/status/1804152514545099071
@iainmartin1
·
2h
Farage says the West provoked Putin with NATO’s eastward expansion. By this logic, which of our allies who asked to join NATO were being provocative? Poland? Baltic states? Who else? Is Farage saying they should not have been allowed to join a defensive alliance of democracies?
SOUTHGATE
“A Porschey-type car, flashy but a horrible drive. Looks good but if you’re going from one end of the M6 to the other, you’d rather be in an Audi. All talk and no trousers.”
How about Rishi Sunak? “A Mini Cooper. Small and mighty”; “An Alfa Romeo. Hardly anyone’s got one and they’re not reliable. But they think they’re posher than the rest of the cars”; “A Fiat Panda. Little and square”; “A BMW. Prestigious body but no guts”; and:
“A Rolls-Royce with tinted windows. Looks good but you’re not looking out, just sneering above everyone. With bulletproof windows and his little Sky TV in the dash to make up for lost time.”
What about Keir Starmer? “Well it couldn’t be an open-topped car because it would ruin his hair”; “Something you’d get from a used car salesman with no guarantee”; “Something boring like a Nissan Micra or a Fiesta. Something you get when you first pass”; “An electric Toyota. The opposite of whatever Rishi’s doing”; and:
“Oh he’s got two. A Ford because he’s a man of the people, but he’s also got a Bugatti somewhere that’s registered to his wife.”
And Ed Davey? “Just a bog-standard car that you’d just drive past and not know someone important was in it”; “He’d actually be in a boat. But he’d fall out.”
https://conservativehome.com/2024/06/21/lord-ashcroft-what-matters-is-that-theyll-try-my-focus-groups-in-doncaster-morecambe-and-tatton/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jun/21/british-billionaire-hindujas-sentenced-to-jail-in-swiss-exploitation-case
If the people of Ukraine really took a free decision to align themselves with Russia, ultimately, that's up to them. I'd want to dispatch as many psychatrists to Kyiv and points east as I could muster, but... ultimately... that would be up to them. That's not what is happening. So if Russia wants to be surrounded by friendly states, it needs to act in a friendlier way.
Oh, and while I'm here. Anyone who tries to say that 'government by fax' is like the way that Moscow treats its satellites. Anyone who chortles about the EUSSR. Get in the sea. And once you're done with that, find a deeper sea, get into that and repeat.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balloon_boy_hoax
A sort of Michael Mosley copycat.
On the ground observation: LD candidate (Charlie Maynard) is very energetic, lots of leaflets and very visible. Conservative (Robert Courts) largely anonymous. LD throwing the kitchen sink at it, it seems. But I can't see Con losing given the LD/Labour vote split and the obvious immunity to Farage out in the Oxfordshire countryside.
Con are 9/4 on Oddschecker and 2/1 on William Hill.
“This is 1938, but Czechoslovakia has decided to fight.”
https://x.com/United24media/status/1804058295595856313
I’d have SKS down as a VW Passat or Audi A4 (or whatever the current versions are).
“A chief constable who lied and exaggerated his naval rank, length of service and achievements has been dismissed for gross misconduct.
“Nick Adderley, of Northamptonshire Police, claimed he had reached the rank of lieutenant in the military and that he was a military negotiator in Haiti in the 1980s.”
I remember this was discussed on PB a while back.
Sunak: Tesla
Davey: Fiat Multipla
Swinney: Volvo 960 Estate
Farage: some fucking clown car
Keir Starmer has failed to convince me that his party has changed its position on the rights of women — it struggles to say what a woman is at all"
https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/jk-rowling-labour-has-dismissed-women-like-me-ill-struggle-to-vote-for-it-rrgbcrkd6
Dunno.
But I'd trust a Citroen Saxo to do a better fucking job than this lot.
They also exist on the left too as well - which is why even at its low ebbs the SWP or the assorted alphabet soup of intermingling organisations can stage some pretty large protests when there's a cause to provide the excuse to hit the streets.
But it's not that large amid the wider sea of the electorate (though maybe grew a bit in the pandemic, or certainly got louder) - and importantly everyone else really can't stand that nonsense. For every two or three blokes boring on about "the government and MSM don't want us to say it, you'll get arrested", there are 15 others who want them to shut up and go away. They're also a pretty unreliable voting bloc - even if you're an outsider tailoring your appeal to them.
Which brings us to the question, what's his game? If we accept Reform are polling at 15-20%, and Farage's aim is to replace the Tories - either now or deal them such a fatal blow they have to beg him to rule over the ashes - then the next step is to keep/move on to persuading those who aren't among those people, that Reform are a good bet. It's the more traditionally conservative, patriotic voters rather than the blokes who think all politicians are "in on it" (whatever it is), who are disillusioned that he needs to be reassuring or persuading by hammering the Reform policies they like - namely hardline immigration ones.
I doubt "Putin's not so bad and it's partly Britain's fault" plays particularly well with that group. For whom security and standing up to our enemies - and Putin is very much perceived as that, remember Salisbury and its effect on Corbyn - has some importance. Who should be who Reform are targeting if they want to break out of being a bit of a Cult of Nige populated by the very angry about everything.
https://conservativehome.com/2024/06/18/sunaks-survivors-our-list-of-new-conservative-candidates-in-winnable-seats/
Includes Giles Brandreth's daughter Aphra, who might just be able to hold Cheshire South & Eddisbury. She contested Kingston & Surbiton last time against Ed Davey.
Come back in 2028 and tell me I was wrong.
She's falling down the rabbit hole.