The By-elections Thread: 2025-2029 edition

[ZjermGiraffe]

The insanity GRAPHED

 

[ZjermGiraffe]

Well, as this is just for councillors, this could be their big chance to prove themselves as actually caring about their local communities. Start small and all that.

One of my friends at work is a Lib Dem Councillor in his area (not in London) and he was showing me their Reform candidate who actually posted on Facebook, as a new “I’m not racist but…” type statement, by saying that he grew up in Hackney, likes eating curry and has an autistic grandchild. Within days this guy was already having petty arguments and being aggressive in response to perfectly polite questions.

Oh we're going to have some delightful stories of who has slipped through background checks in the next few years

 

[ZjermGiraffe]

Where were these pictures from yesterday please?

Actually, nevermind. I don't want to see a bunch of racists in Speedos.

 

[AGinAg (38)]

Fucking hell Reform now run seven councils.

 

[AGinAg (38)]

We're heading into coalition territory at the next election.

As it appears RIGHT NOW.

 

[Indie]

We're heading into coalition territory at the next election.

As it appears RIGHT NOW.

Based on the councillor numbers, i wouldn't rule out a Reform majority.

 

[AGinAg (38)]

Based on the councillor numbers, i wouldn't rule out a Reform majority.

These are just council elections. I agree the Reform vote will be terrifying, enough for a majority? Not sure. I think it will all be horribly split and either a left or right coalition. Current polling puts Tory/ Reform about 48% and Lab/ LD/ Green about 47%

 

[Indie]

These are just council elections. I agree the Reform vote will be terrifying, enough for a majority? Not sure. I think it will all be horribly split and either a left or right coalition. Current polling puts Tory/ Reform about 48% and Lab/ LD/ Green about 47%

I didn't say i thought it was likely, but i wouldn't rule it out.

One of the things holding them (and many other new parties back) is the credibility of actually winning / "wasted vote" syndrome. Winning many entire councils will make that disappear quickly.

 

[Shirley]

Didn't UKIP run a council in Kent at one point? I don't remember that ENDING WELL

 

[jivafox]

Didn't UKIP run a council in Kent at one point? I don't remember that ENDING WELL

Investigated for FRAUD.

Good luck to all those with Reform councils!

 

[octophone]

Reform are going to replace the Tories if the Tories carry on as they are. They have a useless leader whose only hobby horse (transphobia) has been fully adopted by Labour so she's pretty much howling into the wind. People are not going to take harsh rhetoric on immigration from a black woman because people who want harsh rhetoric on imigration are racist, misogynist or both.

 

[GNL]

Didn't UKIP run a council in Kent at one point? I don't remember that ENDING WELL

And now Reform run the entirety of Kent County Council.

My hope is that they prove themselves to be entirely incapable of managing BIN DAY and put the men of Kent off, but I won't hold my breath.

 

[auretz]

A dreadful set of results, my silver lining being the Tories losing control of Wiltshire for the first time ever (due to the Lib Dems) and neither Wiltshire nor Gloucestershire having many Reform councillors at all - for whatever reason, the west don’t seem as interested in them.

 

[PercyPig]

Hasn’t Reforms thing (because they never thought they’d actually be able to do something meaningful) been make everything better (spend more) but tax less?

Let’s see how that goes

 

[jivafox]

All they’re going to do on council is get into legal wranglings over asylum seeker accommodation. Brain dead racist rot.

 

[Ellie]

I hope they enjoy their endless meetings about car park permits.

 

[lolly]

I find West of England difficult to call as although Bristol is very much Green/Labour, a lot of the seat and half the electorate is more surrounding small towns and rural. The Labour leaflet we received a week or two ago was very much 'vote anyone else, get Reform' though, which I scoffed at after seeing the poll last week, but convinced Mr L to vote Labour.

That's not to say I don't think there will have been some kickback in Bristol, particularly in view of some city council decisions and issues, but I suspect Reform did better outside of the city.

The absolute ignorance of what the West Of England Combined Authority is, or is responsible for, is staggering though - most obviously from the gammon and their STOP THE BOATS comments on all social media coverage.

In Bristoi itself, 1st Labour, 2nd Green, 3rd Reform, 4th Conservative, 5th LibDem, 6th Independent

Bath & NE Somerset 1st LibDem, 2nd Labour, 3rd Reform, 4th Conservative, 5th Green, 6th Independent

South Gloucestershire 1st Reform, 2nd Conservative, 3rd Labour, 4th LibDem, 5th Green, 6th Independent