[roenxi]

Just wandering in to this as a relative political bystander, but as I look at the polling out of the UK [0] I see that the party currently leading is some group called "REF" and I gather they did pretty well in the latest round of elections. I assume they're an old-established party who represent the deep contentment the British have with how the public service has been run.

I suppose they do seem a little unpopular, they aren't breaking 30% but they seem relatively popular compared to the more fringe groups like, say, LAB and CON. Have they, in what I assume is decades of stable political governance, made any mistakes that might have engendered this ideological distrust in how well the political system is managed?

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_next_U...

[pjc50]

While you've clearly mastered the tone of supercilious sarcasm that is the mainstay of British politics, I should point out to the audience that the Farage party is entirely the billionaire and foreign propaganda party, which is why they are successful.

See eg https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c072prlxlddo

Meanwhile, at least eight of their councilors elected last week have quit already due to comedy levels of misconduct. https://www.markpack.org.uk/176783/how-many-councillors-has-...

[roenxi]

So, in a moment of clarification, your official position on this one is going to be that the 2 majors are at high risk of being knocked into 3rd/4th place by the greens, and this isn't a reflection on their failures of governance over the decades?

I'm not actually sure what you're proposing you think the major reasons are, since that article is just a reminder that people with money have noticed what a disaster the EU is too, not just average voters.

> While you've clearly mastered the tone of supercilious sarcasm that is the mainstay of British politics...

I will admit a feeling of loss that I couldn't work in "unstained escutcheon" but that would be too obscure a reference. I doubt Rees-Mogg would have baulked.

> Meanwhile, at least eight of their councilors elected last week have quit already due to comedy levels of misconduct.

And a supplementary question - do you feel this is "ideological mistrust of the public sector" coming through? Or is it something else when you do it?

[tim333]

Reform are the new Trump like, kick the immigrants out party. I don't know if they'd achieve the operational excellence that Trump and DOGE have.