[News] Nigel Farage and Reform

[Brovion]

Who were the fictitious candidates? I’ve seen one example of a suspected phantom candidate but they turned out to be real.

I don't know and I never said there were, I was just asking how it was possible. (And pointing out that it should be relatively easy to track them down even if they don't have a social media presence, as 'paper candidates' are a long-established electoral practice).

 

[Bodian]

The candidates might be real but some of their ‘voters’ were already dead.

And him too...

 

[Pinkie Brown]

That’s on the basis that he makes full and honest disclosure. You think he will?

He won't. But sooner or later there will be a scandal evolving with either his outside interest declarations or his expenses. Like all scandals ie partygate, they start with accusations and denial, then eventually snowball into an avalanche. Previously he could fudge any accusations with his usual bluster. Now he's under the official spotlight and answerable. If he gets hauled before the privileges committee and suspended for a period, he's up for a recall. Not that I'd be confident of a recall by-election being successful in his case given the demographic of his constituency.

 

[zefarelly]

He won't. But sooner or later there will be a scandal evolving with either his outside interest declarations or his expenses. Like all scandals ie partygate, they start with accusations and denial, then eventually snowball into an avalanche. Previously he could fudge any accusations with his usual bluster. Now he's under the official spotlight and answerable. If he gets hauled before the privileges committee and suspended for a period, he's up for a recall. Not that I'd be confident of a recall by-election being successful in his case given the demographic of his constituency.

The best thing about him getting elected is that for the first time he is accountable.

Given the tories recent record the accountability bar is pretty low, but its better than none.

 

[Zeberdi]

My mum used to stand as a 'paper candidate' for the Lib-Dems in Council elections in unwinnable Tory wards. She allowed her name to be entered on the ballot paper, but there would be no campaigning, it was just so that when you turned up at the polling booth you at least had a non-Conservative to vote for. She too has no social media presence, but the slightest bit of digging (by checking her name and address on the Electoral Roll for example), would reveal that she was a real person.

Is that any better than a fictitious candidate?

Getting people to vote for a Candidate that had absolutely no intention of keeping up their end of the agreement seems duplicitous to me whether it’s local elections or not,

Paper Candidates or Fictitious candidates just seems to completely go against the whole ethos of representative Government.

We elect MPs and Councillors to represent us - if a party has no one to stand in a ward or Constituency who are prepared to do the job (whether they stand a chance of winning or not) then they shouldn’t be on the ballot sheet.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

 

[Berty23]

He won't. But sooner or later there will be a scandal evolving with either his outside interest declarations or his expenses. Like all scandals ie partygate, they start with accusations and denial, then eventually snowball into an avalanche. Previously he could fudge any accusations with his usual bluster. Now he's under the official spotlight and answerable. If he gets hauled before the privileges committee and suspended for a period, he's up for a recall. Not that I'd be confident of a recall by-election being successful in his case given the demographic of his constituency.

He will already have planned his “I am being stitched up by the establishment” speech.

 

[Billy the Fish]

Some of the twitter accounts you lot follow are complete lunatics! Absolute conspiracy theorists who are so desperate for this to be true they'll state it as fact without any proof.

 

[Peteinblack]

Yet Farage (and Trump) supporters accuse all the other parties and leaders of being corrupt and dishonest!

 

[Brovion]

Is that any better than a fictitious candidate?

Getting people to vote for a Candidate that had absolutely no intention of keeping up their end of the agreement seems duplicitous to me whether it’s local elections or not,

Paper Candidates or Fictitious candidates just seems to completely go against the whole ethos of representative Government.

We elect MPs and Councillors to represent us - if a party has no one to stand in a ward or Constituency who are prepared to do the job (whether they stand a chance of winning or not) then they shouldn’t be on the ballot sheet.

Well yes, it's a lot better. They exist for a start! (I can't believe you're able to equate the two).

And yes, my mum would have served as a councillor if she'd been elected - and would have been happy and proud to have done so. However the chances were incredibly slim, so she and her fellow Lib-Dems campaigned in wards where they thought they had a chance.

I actually feel slightly insulted on her behalf. How dare you say she had 'absolutely no intention of keeping their end of the agreement'

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Presumably Farage paid for all these ‘paper’ Candidates‘ £500 deposit (or they themselves were willing to effectively ‘donate’ money to Reform) in order for Reform to get votes in a Constituency that they otherwise would not have done?

Talking about undermining the system.

When it was the Brexit Party, Farage withdrew his candidates, just before the 2019 election, he refused to refund deposits.

Nigel Farage tells Eddie Mair he will not refund dropped Brexit Party candidates

Nigel Farage told Eddie Mair "of course" he will not refund the dropped Brexit Party candidates, after deciding not to stand his party against the Conservatives in 317 seats.

www.lbc.co.uk

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

The best thing about him getting elected is that for the first time he is accountable.

Given the tories recent record the accountability bar is pretty low, but its better than none.

How soon before he is done for lying to the house? I'll be generous and give it 2 years.

(AKA the equivalent of 20 appearances in the house. He'll manage 10 appearances in a year....surely?)

 

[Peteinblack]

How soon before he is done for lying to the house? I'll be generous and give it 2 years.

(AKA the equivalent of 20 appearances in the house. He'll manage 10 appearances in a year....surely?)

He certainly won't last a full 5-year term. I agree with you, he wont serve as an MP for more than a couple of years.

But when he's hounded-out for corruption or blatant dishonesty, he'll complain that it's an Establishment stitch-up, or vengeance by the 'liberal elite' and 'Left-wing media'. Just like his mate Trump.

 

[Right Brain Ronnie]

Nice start from Nigel, reminding them all of the Ex Speaker.

 

[TomandJerry]

The man of the people telling us how it is

Nigel Farage uses first speech in Commons as MP to attack John Bercow, claiming he tried to 'overturn' Brexit

We can judge you from the way the outside world sees you. I don’t just mean United Kingdom, I mean the world because Prime Minister’s Questions time is global box office politics, and it’s pretty clear everybody that you act with great neutrality. You have bought tremendous dignity to the role as speaker so we absolutely endorse you entirely for this job.

Farage goes on to say that Hoyle is better than “the little man that was there before you” – John Bercow. He says he disgraced his office “dreadfully’. He did his best “to overturn the biggest democratic result in the history of the country”.

 

[ROSM]

Who'd have thought that Nigel bears a grudge.

It's great to know that bercow still gets under his skin

 

[A1X]

God he's such a ghastly individual, fortunately I'll be very surprised if he lasts the five years

 

[rogersix]

Nice start from Nigel, reminding them all of the Ex Speaker.

are you still pro, monster raving loony party?

 

[BHANSC]

Great first speech.

 

[BHANSC]

Who'd have thought that Nigel bears a grudge.

It's great to know that bercow still gets under his skin

Great to know that Nigel gets under the skin of everyone on here