Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election

A day before the Clacton by-election in the United Kingdom, Reform UK made it to the top of public opinion polls. Then, Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage followed that with a staggering win, placing him ahead of 628 MPs in terms of majority. He now has a majority larger than any other leader in the House of Commons.

The Conservatives made a huge strategic blunder by not putting up a candidate. Clacton has been a safe Tory seat in the past, but now Farage has turned it into a safe Reform seat, the very first safe Reform seat. Constituents have been reported as saying they'd vote for Farage even if he had three legs. 

Labour, Conservatives and LibDems are often called the Uniparty and there now appears to be evidence of them acting as such. They will be scared, that's for sure. Farage has turned the summer into talk about him. The Prime Minister, Andy Burnham is on his build a mandate find some legitimacy tour of the UK and yet few would know about it. Farage has upstaged the whole circus.

I have a question; in the last 250 years, what individual person has had such impact on the United Kingdom? Nigel Farage has re-shaped the foreign affairs and trade relations of a Great Power, a country with a Security Council veto and nuclear weapons. If you can think of someone who has had greater impact, let me know. However, caution is required when considering this question, as most names that crop up merely gained high status, they entrenched existing power structures, they did not effect any real change. 

What will the Uniparty do about Nigel Farage? 

Clacton By-election

Tomorrow, the people of Clacton will vote in a by-election to decide whether they support Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK. This is an important election as it could determine how the political landscape is shaped following the result.

Labour, Conservatives, LibDems and the Greens have declined to offer candidates. Kemi Badenoch is leader of the Conservatives and she has called the election fake. No, it isn't fake Ms Badenoch, your comment shows disdain for the democratic process. Or, does her party lack ideas altogether?

I'll make further comment on the result after the votes are counted. It does appear the United Kingdom is reaching a crisis point, but I'm sure a lot of water is yet to flow under the bridge.

Brexit Being Undone?

Keir Starmer is the most unpopular prime minister in British history. The question I have: was he appointed to undo Brexit?

Maurice Glasman on Labour UK

Maurice Glasman is the founder of Blue Labour in the UK. He's generally right about most things, and here he explains what Labour UK need to do to turn things around. It's a hard task, but if they fail, they face extinction. That's because both Reform and the Greens are eating their lunch. 

UK Greens Crush Labour

Left-wing activist, Owen Jones, covers the extent of the Greens victory in the local elections just held in the UK. 

Owen Jones is accurate but maybe he doesn't quite understand the full extent of what happened. Labour finds itself isolated, with nowhere to call home. They've been attacked from two ends. Take voters in the North, many of whom ordinarily vote Labour. They voted Reform en masse. Then down South, the trendy champagne socialists who compost their kitchen waste and protest against Israel on the weekends, voted Greens. The breadth of the defeat is what is transformational. The new parties, no doubt, will have their struggles, but they now have a platform from which to grow. 

Reform UK and Greens Tsunami

A tidal wave has swept over the UK, with Reform and the Greens being the big winners. Reform gained control of 14 councils and had more than 1,400 councillors elected. The Greens now control five councils and they won two mayoral races. Both, prior to this election, were practically nowhere. Now, they'll both be part of the news cycle at the national and local level. 

I hope this kind of change will lead to something positive, such as rebuilding and replacing what is a broken country. The roads are rubbish, everything is falling apart, get on and reinstate services, get the job done. Then, when Labour are swept from office at the national level, get on and take control of the whole country. 

This sort of change is what is required Downunder in Australia and New Zealand. Both countries are mired in old thinking, with the right and left of both countries beholden to corporate interests. Hopefully, people will see what's happening in the UK and react. There are firm links with 'back home' and this message can get through.

https://www.bbc.com/news/election/2026/england/results