Mailwatch(ed) Forum

Apparently Scott Benton could be the next ex-Tory MP to jump ship. Given that he was forced to stand down as an MP after being embroiled in a lobby scandal I'm not sure he will be much of an asset to the party.

None of the former Tory re-treads is going to be much of an asset to Reform. They really are a one-man band - as demonstrated by the way that Farage effortlessly elbowed Tice out the way to become leader. This is also why it is a good idea to target Farage by exposing his bigotry and racism. He is both Reform’s strength, and its Achilles Heel.

His "possible" connections to the basket case that is the modern-day kleptocracy of Russia should also be ramped up.

Abernathy wrote: ↑Thu Dec 11, 2025 10:22 pm None of the former Tory re-treads is going to be much of an asset to Reform. They really are a one-man band - as demnstrated by the way that Farage effortlessly elbowed Tice out the way to become leader. This is also why it is a good idea to target Farage by exposing his bigotry and racism. He is both Reform’s strength, and its Achilles Heel.

The more washed-up Tory cast-offs Reform picks up, either the more it undermines its assertion to be a new broom, the more likely it is to split the vote in places that voted for these cranks in the first place (I can include my own constituency in that), or both.

Let 'em get on with it.

The more Nigel can get in between him and it all going tits up, the easier it will be for him to pass the blame. (See also Brexit, and do you ever hear him “supporting” all the local councils that went to Reform)

Another interesting take from Phil.

In more good news, T-T-T-Tommy is threatening to sue Nargle.

I like nothing more than a good brown-on-brown scrap - excellent!

Have you heard the new "Great Replacement" theory?

They're importing loads of failed tory MPs to replace the failed Reform councillors.

Presumably so called because whenever anyone hears a Tory has defected to Reform, they say “oh, great”

Did someone mention this woman before?

Yep. Me. Laila Cunningham. Awful woman. Another Tory re-tread.

Requesting permission to raise the council tax by 10% in Worcestershire. I wonder if relations between the councillors and officers have broken down. You'd think that by now that some sort of Sir Humphrey figure would have dropped a few hints on what they could do. Perhaps Sir Humphrey has taken a job with Herefordshire, Gloucestershire or Shropshire instead, where they've been lucky enough to avoid Reform winning control.

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Hasn't Lowe - the Independent MP for Yarmouth, not Reform - set up a party called Great Yarmouth First?

Paul Marshall here, with "Brexit hasn't failed, it hasn't been tried".

I don't know if you can read the article for free (I managed too) but it's pitifully bad. "We've done it wrong, we've put up taxes", as if reducing economic growth doesn't have that affect. Blah blah Blockchain, we should be a centre for it, but Portugal is more of a centre. Hmm, Portugal?

In fairness he does admit than some of the mistakes (as he sees them) have nothing to do with Brexit, but are down to (as he sees it) weak politicians. Which politicians did he think would carry it out? The ones who led the Leave campaign weren't a particularly auspicious bunch, and the main (Bozo) actually was PM, with a massive and compliant majority.

As someone says BTL, Leave won not because of people wanting buccaneering low tax, but because of people who were told they'd get a lot more spent on the NHS. (As an aside, Bozo was obviously a massive bullshitter, but his vision of Brexit was broadly in line with what lots voted for. He didn't use it as an excuse to slash business taxes and regulation).


https://bsky.app/profile/domw.bsky.soci ... d5s3intc2f

Paul Marshall claims his motivation for throwing millions at GBNews was to widen pluralistic choice in the media as he's an old fashioned liberal. He's yet to approach Novara Media or the Canary to start a TV news station in order to widen the debate. The man' s a cunt but lies about it.

A few people BTL point out that "Asset Manager" is a fairly euphemistic biography of Marshall.

In fairness to him, he's more complex than "far right". He's also a crank.

https://hopenothate.org.uk/2024/02/22/r ... -marshall/