First published in the Morning Star July 19th
Like many Morning Star readers I had to do a ‘double take’ when the General Election exit poll predicted Reform would win 13 seats.
The final figure turned out to be five – all of them middle-aged blokes with short attention spans, who get rattled at tough questioning, whose economic policies are “shallow and inconsistent” to quote political commentator Steve Richards and which fail to stand up to any scrutiny – coupled with a half baked view of the world – based winding the clock back to 1950s.
The coverage of Reform in the media following the election result on July 4th was at times staggering.
Anyone would think Nigel Farage had been elected Prime Minister. The fact is that too many media outlets still give him an easy ride and indulge his ‘cheeky chappie’ image.
Farage is a clever communicator, who can turn a phrase into a slogan, seize on unfounded prejudices and push the envelope as far he can go.
He admits to nothing – including Brexit – which he said had nothing to so with him and blames everyone else for running an organisation of individuals who pay a fee to be candidates and who appear to be misfits, cranks, ex National Front supporters, UKIP and Brexit Party veterans, racists, mysoginists and pub bores.
Reform is one-man band, a company of which he is the main shareholder – not a political party with a financial sugar daddy in Richard Tice (among others) who Farage elbowed out of the way to take over the leadership.
Despite this Reform polled14%. TV vox pops still show he has support among working people who buy into the easy slogans and prejudices, often saying Farage speaks ‘common sense’.
The current investigatory work being undertaken by Byline Times journalists into bogus Reform candidates and electoral irregularities is to be commended.
I had to laugh when Ben Habib, one of Farage’s most trusted supporters – who failed to win a seat but had dutifully appeared at every opportunity on breakfast time sofa’s and on late night panels defending Farage and Reform was unceremoniously dumped from his job as Farage’s deputy – claiming not to know why.
The new Labour Government now has enormous powers and opportunities to tackle the grievances Reform exploits head on and challenge their lies and the BBC’s love affair with Farage has to change too.
His easy access to the airwaves must stop and he should be treated just like the leaders of other small parties as well as facing robust scrutiny.
In the meantime, expect the Mail, Express, Sun, Telegraph and GB News to regroup and become the opposition to Labour as the Tory electoral catastrophe hits home.
