Strong piece Fraser. But although Reform’s rise is troubling, being old, as I am, gives one the advantage of a real historical perspective. I lived in Coventry in the early 60s when the BNP was also rising and fast. It targeted working class areas where immigrants, mainly Pakistani, were settling in large numbers. True, the media was less wildfire swift in spreading news and social media did not exist but although there was certainly hostility in general the local citizens learned by experience that their neighbours were just that. They worked extraordinarily hard and mainly they prospered. In general, the first generations did not integrate. They kept their own languages and customs and looked inwards, clinging to what they knew. But things changed as children and grandchildren and on, went to school and then work in the community in which they were born. The problems were often health ones. TB which was close to being eradicated spread again, largely because of families packed together in close quarters. I had a GP friend who worked largely among that community and he often despaired, yet knew that time, integration and prosperity would solve many initial medical problems like this. The blood running down our streets which Enoch Powell predicted did not run. The BNP failed and faded. There were always bully boys trying to start trouble and sometimes they succeeded. Some immigrants never integrated because they did not want to. But overwhelmingly most did. I have daily talked to local shopkeepers and others who are their grandchildren grown up and as British as I am and regard the early generations with some sadness for the hardships they endured, not to mention the hostility, but also with the view that they were history, that was then. Let us hope so. But I am optimistic. Old age does have its benefits
To Mark B & W Hagerup…you are missing FN’s main point.
Farage has been brilliant at hiding the iron fists in tweed gloves.
Yusuf has torn those off & may be preaching successfully to you guys in the choir…but every time he drags Reform Rupert Lowe’s way he hardens the resolve of the rest of us (which is still the majority BY FAR) to do WHATEVER it takes to stop such would be authoritarians.
And for every one of the people like you who clearly have no idea what is happening in the country (I guess conservative voters), there are ten who understand that drastic action is needed if the country we loved is somehow to be be brought back from the brink.
Interesting. Orwell described the British (or English, he made little distinction) as fundamentally tolerant, decent averse to bullying and violence in politics. But as in America, a sort of self-willed ignorant, hate-filled, racist, pseudo nostalgist soft fascism has been loosed, and turns out to have a wide market. The Left think it's enough just to denounce the far right. It isn't. We need to offer something equally compelling. That must include growth, and fair shares in that growth. But it must also include championing those values and behaviours that Orwell described, and portraying them as the real Englishness. Definitely not the sort of constant obesiance towards the far right that we saw with Starmer .
You forgot the part about "not dismissing the entire working class who keep the country running, because they are not-very-clever racist bigots not worth listening to".
Fair shares includes a fair distribution of the 20% of immigrants to the UK across the nation, doesn't it? Instead of clustered in some of the poorest parts of the UK.
Something else to consider. You, like many progressives, only mention the far right and fascism. Do you really believe that anybody not fully onboard with the full progressive agenda, is fascist and far right? Are they the only 2 choices? What would the "centre" even look like?
It's either 250,000 immigrants a year, every year, or "fascism". That is how your world view comes across. Is that it? Borders controlled like how they were in 99% of countries for 99% of history is "far right"? Left and right are relative to the viewer. Anyone who sees 70% of the UK population as far right, I would suggest is actually on the far left. Believing things that only the most extreme radicals believed. e.g. open borders, close the prisons, all problems are systemic because humans are blank slates.
In a state than has nearly 2 million unemployed, a severe housing shortage, public services pushed to the limits years ago, prisons so full, offenders have to be let out etc etc , why is any doubt that bringing in 250,000+ more every year, "fascist" and "far right"?
When you talk about "hate filled", you seem unaware that the real hate being seen in recent years is coming from the far left and growing. Across Europe, the far left is now getting close to Islamism as the instigators of violent terror, with the far right nowhere to be seen.
The real problem is that the things the "far right" warned would happen, are happening. DEI policies are creating problems, bad news and tragedies every week. The cures proposed by 20 years of progressivism have dug us in to this position. They have solved nothing, while adding a whole layer of further problems.
Disclosure: I used to be a far left progressive. You can't tell me anything I wouldn't have said myself 10 years ago. Then I grew up and stopped living in fluffy head land!
I'm afraid you are quite out of touch, Fraser. Yusuf is spot on with his policies, and the Tories are now the biggest problem this country faces to turn around the mismanagement caused by the Tories and Labour (the Uniparty) over the past decades.
Fraser, in your comfortable and cosy bubble you clearly have no idea it is how bad things are out here. For us, who are experiencing the slide of our country into third world status, your liberal quasi socialist world view just confirms how much we need Reform. Remember the Weimar Republic gave birth to Hitler, welcomed by the German people desperate for respite from the rapacious allies. To avoid that happening in the UK we need a strong government who meets the peoples needs and rescues us from rapacious socialism and liberal sensibilities. Continue fiddling but the UK is burning, literally.
other alternatives and why fascism is a false choice.
As I understand it from a very different perspective, which I shall not go into here, binaries are not inherently bad or harmful or good and beneficial but intelligence demands that we reflect, think and understand, before we jump to judgement and prescription or categorisation.
Agree. Yusef is the best thing that has happened to this country. All the years we have had all these politicians attending the right private school, jolly old boys with the same agenda, ‘let anyone into this country dear boy it will mean more taxes for us to spend’ and ‘let the peasants deal with it’ attitudes. We need someone who can see beyond all their speeches and broken promises. The last PM who realised this was Margaret Thatcher, that dear lady was castigated and almost lost her life in a bomb explosion. She kept her promises and the country grew. She could see what was needed and by me at least is sadly missed. I think Farage has been knocked back by the Ann Widdicombe horrendous murder and his daughter being called on by the press and the endless death threats. It’s all down to Yusef now, he can do it but it will mean a strong will, which I think he has. He and Farage will make history and it will be good history.
Just my opinion, feel free to politely disagree if you wish.
Fraser. I challenge you to spend 7 nights in a small hotel close to a major railway station in any major UK city, eating only in local cafes and travelling only on public transport. Then write about your experience on sub stack. Then I believe you will understand the appeal of Reform. This is your chance to contribute rather than being part of the problem.
Have you, in fact, recently spent "7 nights in a small hotel close to a major railway station in any major UK city, eating only in local cafes and travelling only on public transport"? If so, why, and what was it like? Most people, after all, live in private accommodation rather than small hotels, and eat at home rather than in local cafes -- I struggle to see the point of your challenge.
Zia Yusuf does realise he's a Muslim right? Personally no issues with that, but there are certain people that would happily see him reimmagrated along with others no amount of tough guy posturing will win them over they'll never see past his skin colour or religion. Not my opinion but I know people who think this way
Ben Wallace is the architect of the Afghan resettlement scheme, and led the court application to injunct media from reporting it. Yusuf's language is mild relative to that act of betrayal.
The centre ground of British politics has shifted in the past few years. The measures he's calling for enjoy widespread support.
They may or may not enjoy widespread support, but Farage and Reform do not. Both are disliked by a majority of the British public according to the polls, and are suffering from negative polarisation as Fraser points out. Voters seem highly motivated to vote for anyone but reform.
In which an argument that the British electorate will use tactical voting to prevent a proposed migrant deportation program is met with comments arguing that it's a great policy. Such comments do not engage with the thrust of the piece. They think the writer is ‘out of touch’, presumably because he is not in their bubble.
The piece seems correct to me. There is no majority in Britain favouring the kind of steps taken in the US against undocumented migrants. But the supporters of such a policy don't want to address that problem. They just want it to happen. They're going to be disappointed, come the next GE.
I believe the real Farage problem is something completely different. His pitch is entirely negative. While immigration and the diluting of our national character is a big issue, people want to vote for something positive and hopeful. I wish he would pitch himself as wanting to help more people prosper. To build up the poor rather than tear down the rich. To widen opportunity. To reward talent and endeavour. Say that and I’ll vote for you. Moan on endlessly about deporting immigrants and I’ll think that’s not enough and turn to Kemi probably instead although I think she’s not half the leader he could be.
With respect I don't think he wants to help people prosper, I'd be very surprised if we're all in a better place under a reform government. He talks like a man of the people but he's a private school educated ex hedge fund manager who's party had a crypto policy but has no defence spokesman, says very little about the cost of living other then deport immigrants. Maybe I'm wrong but I think if you want a centre right government that isn't into racial purity vote conservative (I probably won't vote personally)
Traitors is a perfectly acceptable word for the people that have ruined Britain. We've had 30 years of a disastrous open borders policy from the Uniparty, a policy that never had any democratic mandate. The days of the legacy media policing acceptable speech are over im sorry Fraser. A hard rain is going to fall in due course champ.
There’s an expression in business that goes something like, “Is there a gap in the market, and is there a market in the gap?” Yusuf appears to understand this very well - there obviously are issues for Reform to get traction on, and plenty of people are susceptible to influence by extreme views. Although his excesses may for the moment be cause for some of the more morally balanced Reform supporters to question their allegiance (not to mention the allegations surrounding Farage’s finances), I dare say he might feel that the continual rightwards movement of the Overton Window will help assuage their doubts by the next General Election.
For anyone who would like to consider how right wing tactics in the US, the UK and Europe (and other countries besides) seem to be converging towards a quite unified, narrow style, I would recommend, “The Nazi Mind: 12 Warnings from History” by Laurence Rees.
There is no evidence that I am aware of that Yusuf is particularly popular with Reform voters ( or those inclined to vote Reform). As a dark skinned Muslim ( unlike Laila Cunningham, who,while of Muslim heritage,is white enough to “ pass”, as one would have said in the parlance of mid 20th century US), he is an anomaly within the Reform leadership. He is not an electoral asset to them : whether or not one believes the rumour that no “ winnable” parliamentary constituency wants him as their Reform candidate.His departure to “ spend more time on his business interests “ is well on the cards and could smooth the way for a closer relationship between Reform & Lowe’s Party ( as well as pleasing Jenrick). There will be huge risks for Farage in “ crossing the line” from the “ nationalist Right” to the Extreme Right ( where the likes of Yaxley-Lennon forage) but given that the Tory recovery has closed the space on Reform’s Left, that is the only space open to them to “grow”,notwithstanding the risks, which you identify.
Thank you for this piece. However, you really didn't need to praise Yusuf as intelligent, accomplished and energetic before going in for the kill. Surely this man is a dangerously nasty piece of work? Or does he have a good side he keeps well hidden?
Strong piece Fraser. But although Reform’s rise is troubling, being old, as I am, gives one the advantage of a real historical perspective. I lived in Coventry in the early 60s when the BNP was also rising and fast. It targeted working class areas where immigrants, mainly Pakistani, were settling in large numbers. True, the media was less wildfire swift in spreading news and social media did not exist but although there was certainly hostility in general the local citizens learned by experience that their neighbours were just that. They worked extraordinarily hard and mainly they prospered. In general, the first generations did not integrate. They kept their own languages and customs and looked inwards, clinging to what they knew. But things changed as children and grandchildren and on, went to school and then work in the community in which they were born. The problems were often health ones. TB which was close to being eradicated spread again, largely because of families packed together in close quarters. I had a GP friend who worked largely among that community and he often despaired, yet knew that time, integration and prosperity would solve many initial medical problems like this. The blood running down our streets which Enoch Powell predicted did not run. The BNP failed and faded. There were always bully boys trying to start trouble and sometimes they succeeded. Some immigrants never integrated because they did not want to. But overwhelmingly most did. I have daily talked to local shopkeepers and others who are their grandchildren grown up and as British as I am and regard the early generations with some sadness for the hardships they endured, not to mention the hostility, but also with the view that they were history, that was then. Let us hope so. But I am optimistic. Old age does have its benefits
To Mark B & W Hagerup…you are missing FN’s main point.
Farage has been brilliant at hiding the iron fists in tweed gloves.
Yusuf has torn those off & may be preaching successfully to you guys in the choir…but every time he drags Reform Rupert Lowe’s way he hardens the resolve of the rest of us (which is still the majority BY FAR) to do WHATEVER it takes to stop such would be authoritarians.
Driver Andy
And for every one of the people like you who clearly have no idea what is happening in the country (I guess conservative voters), there are ten who understand that drastic action is needed if the country we loved is somehow to be be brought back from the brink.
Interesting. Orwell described the British (or English, he made little distinction) as fundamentally tolerant, decent averse to bullying and violence in politics. But as in America, a sort of self-willed ignorant, hate-filled, racist, pseudo nostalgist soft fascism has been loosed, and turns out to have a wide market. The Left think it's enough just to denounce the far right. It isn't. We need to offer something equally compelling. That must include growth, and fair shares in that growth. But it must also include championing those values and behaviours that Orwell described, and portraying them as the real Englishness. Definitely not the sort of constant obesiance towards the far right that we saw with Starmer .
You forgot the part about "not dismissing the entire working class who keep the country running, because they are not-very-clever racist bigots not worth listening to".
Fair shares includes a fair distribution of the 20% of immigrants to the UK across the nation, doesn't it? Instead of clustered in some of the poorest parts of the UK.
Something else to consider. You, like many progressives, only mention the far right and fascism. Do you really believe that anybody not fully onboard with the full progressive agenda, is fascist and far right? Are they the only 2 choices? What would the "centre" even look like?
It's either 250,000 immigrants a year, every year, or "fascism". That is how your world view comes across. Is that it? Borders controlled like how they were in 99% of countries for 99% of history is "far right"? Left and right are relative to the viewer. Anyone who sees 70% of the UK population as far right, I would suggest is actually on the far left. Believing things that only the most extreme radicals believed. e.g. open borders, close the prisons, all problems are systemic because humans are blank slates.
In a state than has nearly 2 million unemployed, a severe housing shortage, public services pushed to the limits years ago, prisons so full, offenders have to be let out etc etc , why is any doubt that bringing in 250,000+ more every year, "fascist" and "far right"?
When you talk about "hate filled", you seem unaware that the real hate being seen in recent years is coming from the far left and growing. Across Europe, the far left is now getting close to Islamism as the instigators of violent terror, with the far right nowhere to be seen.
The real problem is that the things the "far right" warned would happen, are happening. DEI policies are creating problems, bad news and tragedies every week. The cures proposed by 20 years of progressivism have dug us in to this position. They have solved nothing, while adding a whole layer of further problems.
Disclosure: I used to be a far left progressive. You can't tell me anything I wouldn't have said myself 10 years ago. Then I grew up and stopped living in fluffy head land!
I'm afraid you are quite out of touch, Fraser. Yusuf is spot on with his policies, and the Tories are now the biggest problem this country faces to turn around the mismanagement caused by the Tories and Labour (the Uniparty) over the past decades.
Fraser, in your comfortable and cosy bubble you clearly have no idea it is how bad things are out here. For us, who are experiencing the slide of our country into third world status, your liberal quasi socialist world view just confirms how much we need Reform. Remember the Weimar Republic gave birth to Hitler, welcomed by the German people desperate for respite from the rapacious allies. To avoid that happening in the UK we need a strong government who meets the peoples needs and rescues us from rapacious socialism and liberal sensibilities. Continue fiddling but the UK is burning, literally.
So let’s turn to Fascism instead?
I think that is what we in debating call a false choice. Other alternatives do exist.
Please expand about the
other alternatives and why fascism is a false choice.
As I understand it from a very different perspective, which I shall not go into here, binaries are not inherently bad or harmful or good and beneficial but intelligence demands that we reflect, think and understand, before we jump to judgement and prescription or categorisation.
So you really want a Hitler v2.0?
Spot on.
Agree. Yusef is the best thing that has happened to this country. All the years we have had all these politicians attending the right private school, jolly old boys with the same agenda, ‘let anyone into this country dear boy it will mean more taxes for us to spend’ and ‘let the peasants deal with it’ attitudes. We need someone who can see beyond all their speeches and broken promises. The last PM who realised this was Margaret Thatcher, that dear lady was castigated and almost lost her life in a bomb explosion. She kept her promises and the country grew. She could see what was needed and by me at least is sadly missed. I think Farage has been knocked back by the Ann Widdicombe horrendous murder and his daughter being called on by the press and the endless death threats. It’s all down to Yusef now, he can do it but it will mean a strong will, which I think he has. He and Farage will make history and it will be good history.
Just my opinion, feel free to politely disagree if you wish.
I have …politely disagreed with you.
Fair enough.
Fraser. I challenge you to spend 7 nights in a small hotel close to a major railway station in any major UK city, eating only in local cafes and travelling only on public transport. Then write about your experience on sub stack. Then I believe you will understand the appeal of Reform. This is your chance to contribute rather than being part of the problem.
Have you, in fact, recently spent "7 nights in a small hotel close to a major railway station in any major UK city, eating only in local cafes and travelling only on public transport"? If so, why, and what was it like? Most people, after all, live in private accommodation rather than small hotels, and eat at home rather than in local cafes -- I struggle to see the point of your challenge.
Well said Jon Burrows.
Zia Yusuf does realise he's a Muslim right? Personally no issues with that, but there are certain people that would happily see him reimmagrated along with others no amount of tough guy posturing will win them over they'll never see past his skin colour or religion. Not my opinion but I know people who think this way
Fraser Nelson: reliably wrong about most things. Like many who live in the SW1 bubble. Tim Stanley is another like him.
Ben Wallace is the architect of the Afghan resettlement scheme, and led the court application to injunct media from reporting it. Yusuf's language is mild relative to that act of betrayal.
The centre ground of British politics has shifted in the past few years. The measures he's calling for enjoy widespread support.
They may or may not enjoy widespread support, but Farage and Reform do not. Both are disliked by a majority of the British public according to the polls, and are suffering from negative polarisation as Fraser points out. Voters seem highly motivated to vote for anyone but reform.
Vote REFORM 🩵
It is Farage himself who is beyond the pale, the rest always were.
In which an argument that the British electorate will use tactical voting to prevent a proposed migrant deportation program is met with comments arguing that it's a great policy. Such comments do not engage with the thrust of the piece. They think the writer is ‘out of touch’, presumably because he is not in their bubble.
The piece seems correct to me. There is no majority in Britain favouring the kind of steps taken in the US against undocumented migrants. But the supporters of such a policy don't want to address that problem. They just want it to happen. They're going to be disappointed, come the next GE.
I believe the real Farage problem is something completely different. His pitch is entirely negative. While immigration and the diluting of our national character is a big issue, people want to vote for something positive and hopeful. I wish he would pitch himself as wanting to help more people prosper. To build up the poor rather than tear down the rich. To widen opportunity. To reward talent and endeavour. Say that and I’ll vote for you. Moan on endlessly about deporting immigrants and I’ll think that’s not enough and turn to Kemi probably instead although I think she’s not half the leader he could be.
With respect I don't think he wants to help people prosper, I'd be very surprised if we're all in a better place under a reform government. He talks like a man of the people but he's a private school educated ex hedge fund manager who's party had a crypto policy but has no defence spokesman, says very little about the cost of living other then deport immigrants. Maybe I'm wrong but I think if you want a centre right government that isn't into racial purity vote conservative (I probably won't vote personally)
Traitors is a perfectly acceptable word for the people that have ruined Britain. We've had 30 years of a disastrous open borders policy from the Uniparty, a policy that never had any democratic mandate. The days of the legacy media policing acceptable speech are over im sorry Fraser. A hard rain is going to fall in due course champ.
There’s an expression in business that goes something like, “Is there a gap in the market, and is there a market in the gap?” Yusuf appears to understand this very well - there obviously are issues for Reform to get traction on, and plenty of people are susceptible to influence by extreme views. Although his excesses may for the moment be cause for some of the more morally balanced Reform supporters to question their allegiance (not to mention the allegations surrounding Farage’s finances), I dare say he might feel that the continual rightwards movement of the Overton Window will help assuage their doubts by the next General Election.
For anyone who would like to consider how right wing tactics in the US, the UK and Europe (and other countries besides) seem to be converging towards a quite unified, narrow style, I would recommend, “The Nazi Mind: 12 Warnings from History” by Laurence Rees.
There is no evidence that I am aware of that Yusuf is particularly popular with Reform voters ( or those inclined to vote Reform). As a dark skinned Muslim ( unlike Laila Cunningham, who,while of Muslim heritage,is white enough to “ pass”, as one would have said in the parlance of mid 20th century US), he is an anomaly within the Reform leadership. He is not an electoral asset to them : whether or not one believes the rumour that no “ winnable” parliamentary constituency wants him as their Reform candidate.His departure to “ spend more time on his business interests “ is well on the cards and could smooth the way for a closer relationship between Reform & Lowe’s Party ( as well as pleasing Jenrick). There will be huge risks for Farage in “ crossing the line” from the “ nationalist Right” to the Extreme Right ( where the likes of Yaxley-Lennon forage) but given that the Tory recovery has closed the space on Reform’s Left, that is the only space open to them to “grow”,notwithstanding the risks, which you identify.
Thank you for this piece. However, you really didn't need to praise Yusuf as intelligent, accomplished and energetic before going in for the kill. Surely this man is a dangerously nasty piece of work? Or does he have a good side he keeps well hidden?