34 Comments
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Eric Gates's avatar

Can we stop calling Reform a political party. It is a company.

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Ann Higgins's avatar

Technically however is it both, as it is recognised by the Electoral Commission as a political party; if it weren’t it could not put forward candidates in U.K. elections.

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Eric Gates's avatar

True.

But it does mean one man one vote - and Nigel is the man.

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Jeni's avatar

Is Zahawi just looking for another way to get his stables heated at no cost to himself? Perhaps he has turned off the heat and is now facing rebellion from his stablehands during a bit of a nippy winter. I can't imagine he's too enthusiastic at the thought of wielding a muck fork himself somehow.

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Sophie's avatar

With a bit of luck, one of the horses gave him a good kick.

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Jeni's avatar

Perhaps being kicked in the head by a horse could explain his bizarre switch from being a vehement anti-racism campaigner to a member of a party which has racism as a central policy.

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Sophie's avatar

It couldn't be the promise of easy riches...could it?

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Carolyn Anderson's avatar

Zahawi is one of the most blatantly dishonest tories. His "honest mistakes"? Claiming expenses for his stables and just forgetting £5m in tax were not errors at all, they were absolutely intentional with the hope he could get away with it. He should have been prosecuted for that tax fiasco, lesser mortals have been fined or even imprisoned for similar. I just wonder how much other cheating he has done. He is yet another multi millionaire with insatiable greed. Perfect for reform then.

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Michael Huxley's avatar

Zahawi's insatiable greed is why he's jumped.

Access to the £9m+ of reform donations.

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WordChazer's avatar

At the time of the morning I read this generally, Bear, I'm barely verbal myself, so please forgive me if I read rather than listen? I can't say Zahawi's decision surprises me, but I still can't shake the niggling feeling that Reform's words and their actions don't match. They're shouting about immigration still, aren't they? (I try to avoid reading anything about their leader out of respect for my blood pressure.)

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Ann Higgins's avatar

I’ve read quite a few comments from their base decrying the choice of a Muslim woman as Reform mayoral candidate, but I suppose they think it’s good camouflage for their racism.

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Andrea Jennings's avatar

Defects to reform. Sounds like an instruction.

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DEREK HANDS's avatar

As one commentator said “more Reich” lol. Disgruntled Nazis.

“Nadhim Zahawi ‘begged for Tory peerage' before defection to Reform, Tories claim

Stinging reponse from Conservatives after former chancellor announced his defection to Reform UK on Monday”

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/nadhim-zahawi-tory-peerage-reform-tories-b1266152.html

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Kane Clements's avatar

Just another disgruntled failure seeking the limelight.

No morals, see his tax affairs, just another shape shifter adopting whatever guise is going to keep him in the public eye.

I guess he got bored with his stables and horses.

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Claire Hill's avatar

This is perfect Bear 🐻 👌

😂

Politics has become surreal!

I no longer know the difference between the storming of the Bastille (or its modern American equivalent) and a vicar’s tea party.

🤔

( I love your writing)

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Rick Jones's avatar

So let me get this straight. Nadhim Zahawi, an Iraq-born immigrant, best known for fiddling tax and public expenses, has joined a party whose biggest line is campaigning against immigrants coming into the country and living on government handouts? You couldn't make it up.

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Paola Lagi's avatar

Collecting the undesirables, are they? They certainly deserve each other. Despicable, the lot of them.

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Sam Mitchell's avatar

Yes... but it does demonstrate how these 'talents' held views that they didn't openly voice when they were members of the tory crew... plus the fact that liebour are such a bunch of freeloading firemen putting out fires that they had a hand in starting... so its not too strange to see joe public being fed up with all of them... leading to reform..

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Kevin Reed's avatar

Reform is the dredger of British politics, bringing back to the surface all the nasty people we thought we had got rid of.

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Bea Lyon's avatar

When and how did you think we got rid of them??

When we swapped 14 years of Torycrassy for the far right gaining 5 seats in Parliament including Farage?

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Patricia's avatar

As ever you perfectly unwrap what we are witnessing & I do agree that one of the biggest pulls is that intense need to posture in the spotlight, they crave those microphones & cameras with journalists 😏 posing questions.

As someone else said yesterday Reform can now be known as The Tory Recycling Centre and its the one thats open 7 days a week.

By the way you've got a really nice voice

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Zephyrbear's avatar

With Reform collecting the worst dregs of the failed Tories who dragged this country down to the lowest ranks in the world, do they honestly expect to be elected so they can do it all again with an exceedingly unhealthy dose of racism to top it all off? Wow…

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Sam Mitchell's avatar

But the good citizens of Stratford elected him at one time... so what does that tell you... will they be swayed by Reform now that their choice has exposed his opinions??

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Zephyrbear's avatar

One would hope not but people, in my experience, can be stupid and we do live in some very stupid times...

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Mike Dickson's avatar

"and Nadine Dorries who is best known for not knowing that Channel 4 was not, in fact, a publicly funded broadcaster when she was the Culture secretary."

Well, that and being as pissed as a wheelbarrow when being interviewed by Krishnan Guru-Murthy for Channel 4 news. (And other occasions - I wonder if we can get politicians to be breathalysed during interviews? I know it has also been roundly debunked, but a live Polygraph would also be amusing, although I suspect Nads might struggle answer a few of the baseline questions such as 'what is your name', 'what year is this' and 'what is the daily attendance stipend for a serving member of the House of Lords'.)

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Tricia Cassel-Gerard's avatar

Pissed as a wheelbarrow!!!!

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Avril Silk's avatar

Lots of laughter from darkest Somerset.

On an unrelated note, that is a rubbish avatar. Planning to change it!

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Sophie's avatar

So Reform is actively recruiting corrupt politicians?

Good to know. Say it out loud!

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