eaglesnick

[eaglesnick]

So when the wolf pounces on your lamb, just ignore the pitiful bleating and remind yourself that this is a democracy, where every sheep can freely express its preference for which kind of wolf it wants to be eaten by. – Joseph Sobran

I have been highlighting the fact that Reform UK is steadily becoming the Conservative Party by another name. More and more of its top personnel are either ex-Tory MP’s and party members or previous rich Conservative Party donors.

The latest Tory to join Reform UK is Adam Holloway. In an attempt to save his political career – he lost his seat in the last election – he, like so many defeated Tories, has defected to Reform UK.

The problem for Nigel Farage and Reform UK is that once the number of defecting Tories reaches a critical mass, Reform UK will simply become the Conservative Party Mark 2.

Lets look at the calibre of Reform’s latest recruit.

Holloway’s voting record in Parliament is very revealing. He has generally voted against measures to prevent climate change, against greater regulation for fracking, against preservation of environmental protection, against measures to improve biodiversity, and generally against improving environmental water quality.

Clearly, the environment is not safe with this man, who appears, by his voting record, to be unconcerned about alleviating flooding in the UK, improving water quality or in protecting the environment.

On education, he has  voted for higher tuition fees and raising student fees to £9000 per year. He voted for  Brexit , against more EU integration and for use of UK military forces in combat operations overseas. He almost always voted against the right to remain for EU nationals already living in the UK.

Not only has he little regard for students and non-UK citizens, he doesn’t seem to care much for ordinary UK citizens either. Not only does his environmental voting record show a disregard for others, so does his voting record on health and social issues. He has generally voted against smoking banns, has voted against assisted dying for the terminally ill, and against fewer obstacles for access to abortion.

He has consistently voted against equal gay rights and voted against same sex marriage. He has voted against secure tenancies for life, against stronger fire safety measures and against landlords paying for  the costs of building safety works.

He has voted  against a wholly elected House of Lords, against a lower voter age, against removing hereditary peers form the House of Lords, against proportional representation and for reducing central funding of local government. He has generally voted against more powers for local councils.

He has almost always voted for reducing the rate of corporation tax and generally voted for stronger tax incentives for company investment. He is generally against greater regulation of gambling, voted for the privatisation of Royal Mail, voted for the capping of civil service redundancy payments, almost always voted for restricting the scope of legal aid and for courts to be held in secret in matters of national security.

He is against ID cards, wants a stricter asylum system and voted for mass surveillance of the population’s communications and activities. He always voted for a reduction in welfare benefits, reducing housing benefits, and against raising welfare payments inline with inflation. He has consistently voted for increasing the pension age.

Needless to say, he has voted consistently against raising the tax paid on incomes above £150,00 per annum and against an annual tax on more expensive homes. He has consistently voted for more restrictions on trade union activity and against higher taxes on banks. He is against increasing capital gains tax.

All of the above information can be found at: 

Ex-conservatives like Holloway are gradually packing Reform UK. The same anti-environment, pro-rich, pro-big corporation individuals, who are against the welfare state, the sick and the poor, are increasingly making up the influential core of Reform UK.

These are the very same individuals who systematically dismantled our public services, handed vital national infrastructure to private shareholders, and ushered in the era of Austerity. They’ve devastated the lives of millions—yet with astonishing brass neck and shameless effrontery, they now proclaim themselves Britain’s only hope. All this while the roots of our national decline can be traced directly to their own actions.

If you want more of the same vote Reform UK at the next election.

[eaglesnick]

“Men trust their ears less than their eyes.” - Herodotus

I recently read an American political blog where the writer urged his readers to stop blaming Donald Trump for the anti-democratic, right wing policies coming out of the White House, but to place the blame where it truly belonged; with those Americans that actually voted for him.

The blogger has a point.

I frequently “blame" the right wing, MAGA-style policies of Reform UK on Nigel Farage but he would simply be a lone voice in the political wilderness if nobody voted for him. So who are these people that find Nigel Farage and his policies so appealing?

A large proportion are older adults, over a third of Reform UK supporters being over the age of 65. Another third are between 45-64 years old. Around 60% are male. Reform UK supporters are 90% white, and 75% do not have a degree. They also tend to be poorer than the general population. In short, the typical Reform UK voter is an old, less well-off, less-educated, white guy.

60% of them are “anti woke", compared to 22% of the general population, and many hold negative views towards climate activists. This latter fact is unsurprising as 41% oppose climate action, many being climate change deniers.

Over 50% believe Britain should have a strong leader who can override Parliament if necessary, with 41% holding the view that violence can be justified to defend strong beliefs. Many Reform UK supporters were previous Conservative voters and supporters of Brexit. In fact, Reform UK absorbed 53% of UKIP’s 2015 voter base.

This last point is important.

“Unlike other national populist parties in Europe, many of which are rooted in campaigns against immigration, Reform UK is foremost anchored in this long and uniquely UK tradition of campaigning against the EU and for national sovereignty.” (Legatum Institute Paper: ‘Who's Voting Reform?' 2024)

Having achieved Brexit and national sovereignty, and finding it hasn’t worked out as promised, they now blame the party they previously voted for, the Conservatives, and have switched their allegiance to Reform UK and its anti-immigration policies.

These old, white, disgruntled men are looking for someone to blame for what they perceive as the countries continued ills. Farage did a brilliant job of convincing voters it was the European Union ruining British lives, but that fallacy has now been exposed. We left the EU in January 2020 after 47 years of membership and most people have seen a continuing decline in their living standards since then, not an improvement.

Household incomes are 1.6% lower than in 2020. Energy insecurity has worsened, with 11% of working adults unable to afford to heat their homes in 2024 compared to 4% in 2020. Child poverty has risen from 3.6 million in 2020 to 4.3 million in 2024. Rents have increased by a massive 41% between 2020 and 2025. This in turn has led to a 6% increase in homelessness over the same period, Perhaps most telling of all is the increase in foodbank use which witnessed a 63% increase between 2020 and 2024.

Reform UK voters are “firmly of the view that life in Britain is getting worse, not better”, and collectively, surveys show that the typical Reform UK’s supporter is rooted in cultural conservatism, economic frustration and a desire for political disruption. Given the statistics highlighted above it is hard to disagree with their analysis of the economic and social problems besetting this country.

Here’s the rub: Despite positioning themselves as a fresh alternative, the irony is that Reform UK’s leadership is overwhelmingly composed of former Conservative Party insiders—including ex-MPs, councillors, and long-time donors. These are the very same politicians that Reform UK supporters blame for the failure of Brexit and their perceived decline of Britain while in office.

To hold the view that “life in Britain is getting worse”, and then to vote for the very same individuals that gave us Brexit and Austerity, policies that deliberately made life worse for so many ordinary Britain’s, makes no sense what-so-ever.

These Conservatives may now call themselves Reform UK but a wolf in sheep’s clothing is still a wolf.

[eaglesnick]

“Once you realize that trickle-down economics does not work, you will see the excessive tax cuts for the rich as what they are -- a simple upward redistribution of income.” Ha-Joon Chang

“THERE IS NO MONEY", or so headline after headline would have us believe.

“UK is 'broke and broken' new government says as it prepares to tackle shortfall in public finances". ( apnews: 28/07/24)

“British economy heading for 'worst of all worlds’, business leaders warn..." (Independent 23/12/24)

“Britain is heading for a full-blown financial crash, and nothing can stop it now." Telegraph: 23/04/25)

“UK economy in crisis”. (GB News: 28/04/25)

“UK economy on brink of 'COLLAPSE' after SPOOKED debt markets SOAR: Labour face 'THIRD WORLD BAILOUT" (GB NEWS 11/07/25)

Goodness gracious,  it’s a wonder Britain is still functioning at all given the apocalyptic tone of those headlines. But what is the truth behind the screaming headlines of our media?

Here are a few economic facts.

1.   UK banks posted record-breaking profits in the 2024/25 financial year. The “Big Five" banks were forecast to deliver £51.6 billion in pre-tax profits in 2023 and predicted to exceed that by an additional 14% in 2025, potentially reaching £52.4 billion.

2.   Despite what the self-serving whinging Jeremy Clarkson may say, UK farming saw a 26% INCREASE in income between 2023 and 2024.  To be fair this increase was not evenly spread across the agricultural sector, some types of farming doing better than others, but it was an increase not a loss.

3.. The retail sector saw their profits rise to £517 billion in 2024. Tesco, for example, saw  profits up by 10.6%, well above inflation. Aldi, also posted record breaking profits, with a massive 158% increase in profit margin over two years.

4.   UK Construction companies made £2.3 billion in aggregate pre-tax profits.  for financial year 2024/25

5.   Landlord profitability surged in 2024, with 17% of landlords declaring "high profits". Total rental income from primarily institutional investors and private landlords, was £50.17 billion.

6.  Despite water companies calling for huge hikes in water charges they still managed to make pre-tax profits of between £1.9-£2.3 billion. This was slightly lower than the previous year when they pocketed  £2.5 billion profit

7   Energy companies made "exceptionally" high profits for 2024/25, totalling £514 billion across 20 companies.

8   The UK manufacturing sector saw no growth in profit margins for 2024/25, net profits remaining at an estimated £18-22 billion on the previous year.

9..  UK shipping saw "robust profit performance" for fiscal year 2024/25, with am estimated Gross Value Added of £16.1 billion. (GVA includes profits, taxes and wages)

10 UK oil and gas production is expected to report  profits of £6.7 billion.for period 2024/25

As can be seen from the above examples, which are by no means exhaustive, many sectors of the UK economy are making huge profits.  Why then are we being constantly told the economy is broken and that there is no money? The UK economy as measured by GDP was approximately £2.56 trillion in 2024, making it the sixth largest economy in the world. To claim the UK economy is broken and that there is no money for public services is pure fiction.

The Conservative Party has traditionally been the political defender of the wealthy and of corporate business. They are now being replaced by Reform UK, a party of millionaires and ex-Tories, who are continuing the policy of minimum taxes for business and the rich. Traditionally the Labour Party has been in favour of redistributing wealth via taxation but this is no longer the case.

Business Secretary Jonathon Reynolds recently dismissed the idea of a wealth tax as “daft".

“Jonathon Reynolds rules out targeting assets of the rich to plug growing hole in public finances.”  (Financial Times: 25/07/25)

As we have seen, there is no shortage of money in the economy. Profits are high  and growing, many raking in billions. The refusal of British politicians to fairly tax the rich has led to the UK's wealth inequality being among the highest in Europe. The top 10% of British households hold 43% of the countries wealth, while the bottom 50% own just 9%.

Britain has, according to the Sunday Times Rich List, 156 billionaires. The reason I mention this is because many of us do not realise the vast difference there is between a millionaire and a billionaire, or making a billion in profit as opposed to a million.

A million seconds is equal to 11.57 hours.

A billion seconds is 31.7 years.

So when a corporation reports billions in profits they are making a HUGE amount of money over and above what it cost to produce their goods and services. That money essentially comes out of your and my pockets, and goes to already incredibly wealthy shareholding individuals. Personally, I find excessive profits morally indefensible but we live in a capitalist society where personal wealth creation is encouraged at the expense of a more equitable distribution of wealth.

 Not only is the wealth inequality we see in the UK morally questionable, but the media, in deliberately presenting Britain as a broken economy with no spare money for public services actively distracts from the structural imbalances that funnel resources into the hands of the few. This narrative, repeated across headlines and broadcast segments, breeds resignation rather than reform—it tells citizens there's no alternative, that austerity is necessity, not choice.

Yet behind closed boardroom doors and within offshore accounts, the country’s wealth flourishes. What’s truly unaffordable is the cost of inequality itself: stagnant wages, under funded schools, crumbling healthcare, and the disillusionment of entire generations who’ve been told to expect less.

[eaglesnick]

“We will take a scythe to government waste. Every department will be forced to save £5 in every £100 spent.” – Nigel Farage

The Turncoat

A "turncoat" is a person who shifts allegiance from one loyalty or ideal to another, betraying or deserting an original cause by switching to the opposing side or party. A number of synonyms are connected to the word "Turncoat": Judas, traitor, deserter, double-crosser, rat, snake, two-timer, back-stabber etc, etc.

Vidkum Quisling was a famous Norwegian turncoat who collaborated with Hitler’s Nazi Germany betraying his own country.. He was tried and sentenced to death at the end of WW2.

Kim Philby, a British intelligence officer, sold out to the Soviet Union. On being discovered he fled the country and died in exile.

William Joyce, better known as Lord Haw-haw, was an American who served as a Nazi propagandist broadcaster during WW2. He was convicted of high treason and executed in Wandsworth prison in 1946.

Oswald Mosely, was a turncoat twice over. First when he defected from the Tory party to Labour, and second when he deserted Labour and set up his own party, the British Union of Fascists.

This brings us neatly  to Reform UK.

I am sure it has not escaped peoples notice that the vast majority of top Reform MP's and officials are former Conservatives - either ex-MP's and councillors, or ex-Tory party donors. Even the youngest Reform UK council leader George Finch, confirmed at just 19 years of age as the leader of Warwick County Council, is a former Conservative Party member.

The point I am making is that Reform UK is a party of turncoats, a gang of former Tory Party members who, in an attempt to promote their own political careers, traitorously ditched the Tories to save their own skins.

So for all those people who voted Reform UK, or are thinking of voting reform UK, remember what calibre of person you are voting for. Remember it was the Tories that gave us Austerity, who resided over the PPE scandal during the Covid pandemic and who were holding boozy parties in Number 10 while the rest of us were  lawfully following lockdown rules.

The country voted for change at the last election but Starmer has failed to deliver. One reason for this is his lack of ideology, lack of vision and lack of purpose.  Like many of Reform’s former Conservative members, he is more concerned with power for its own sake than in serving the people who voted for him.

Exasperated by both Labour and Conservative Party failures people mistakenly believe that Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Party will be different and actually keep its promises. This is self-delusion.  The same individuals who gave us 190,000 excess deaths due to Austerity, who presided over a decline in UK life expectancy, who ran down all of our public services and who lined their own pockets during the Covid crisis, cannot realistically be expected to change their self-serving behaviour. The true nature of Reform UK is encapsulated in the following story.

A scorpion, unable to swim, asks a fox to carry him across a river. The fox hesitates, fearing the scorpion will sting him. The scorpion promises not to, arguing that if he did, they’d both drown. Convinced by this logic, the fox agrees. But halfway across, the scorpion stings him. As they both begin to sink, the fox gasps, “Why?” The scorpion replies, “I couldn’t help it. It’s my nature.”

So with Reform U - it is in their nature to betray.

We already see this happening at county council level.

Nigel Farage and Reform UK have set up a DOGE  unit to slash council spending  and to eliminate waste. Yet within hours of gaining control of Warwickshire County Council, the ex-Tory George Finch pushed through a £150,000 plan to hire political advisors.

“Row as Reform councillors back spending £150,000 on political advisers. The spending plans raised questions about Reform’s vows to cut costs at councils.”  (Independent 23/07/25)

Another example is Reform UK councillors voting themselves bigger allowances at the rate payers expense.

“Scarborough Town Council has been asked to justify its decision to increase the town mayor's allowance by 600%…”  BBC: 21/07/25)

To all those thinking of voting Reform UK, think again. Turncoats are not to be trusted. They may, like the scorpion, lure the voter into a sense of false security with their words of hollow promise but their true, treacherous nature  is just below the surface biding its time.

[eaglesnick]

“Fair play is primarily NOT blaming others for for anything that is wrong with us” - Eric Hoffer

Here we go again!

Yet another prominent politician has been caught out, made an apology and then blamed the offence on someone else.

Remember Boris Johnson initially issuing a blanket apology for illegal lockdown- breaking gatherings, later retracting the apology?

“Boris Johnson: I’m sorry I said sorry for Partygate scandal."  (Politico: 04/10/24)

Apologising for a misdemeanour is now commonplace among politicians, often accompanied with the phrase “lessons have been learned". Yet very few of these apologies are now accompanied by a resignation. Instead, we are much more likely to witness blame for the individual’s personal bad decision being laid at the door of someone else.

Ed Miliband, for example, has called Tony Blair's decision to take Britain into war as “wrong", and explains his own lack of criticism at the time as due to “collective responsibility". That didn’t stop the resignation of Robin Cook over the same issue! One had moral fibre, the other didnt.

Just recently, we have had presenter Gregg Wallace, accused of groping, lewd comments and exposing himself, blaming his autism for the way he has behaved.

This refusal of prominent figures to accept responsibility for their own behaviour is now reaching epic proportions and has become a global phenomenon. From Trump, to Putin to Netanyahu, world leaders are acting with impunity. 

The maxim “it is better to ask for forgiveness than permission” seems to be the order of the day. And politicians do this in a variety of ways, from avoiding direct blame (“mistakes were made") to sounding diplomatic. (“regulations were not properly followed") Ambiguity is another useful tool, where the guilty politician speaks in general terms, implying regret but never actually admitting to anything. Last, but by no means least, is the trick of simply blaming someone else. Which brings me to Zia Yusuf and Reform UK.

Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Party has often been tainted by accusations of racism, which he has always denied.

There was the embarrassing affair of Andrew Parker, a Reform UK activist, who among other racist slurs and comments,  called Rishi Sunak a “fing Paki”. The initial response of Richard Tice, then Reform UK Chairman, was to accuse the TV company that exposed this story of hiring Mr Parker to make racist remarks to discredit Reform UK.

George Jones, who was events manager for Nigel Farage in Clacton, was secretly recorded making racist and homophobic comments that Nigel Farage defended by claiming Jones had been watching an English football match and was drunk. I am not sure if Farage is aware of this but at every English match (and many home league matches) the players “take the knee", a symbolic gesture against racism and discrimination!

Which brings us to the latest Reform UK scandal involving racist comments and passing the buck.

Zia Yusuf, former Chair of Reform UK, one of its biggest donors, and now heading the party’s DOGE Unit, has apparently "liked" a tweet on X that said:

 “Reminder that Jenrick is a traitorous Zogbot with a Jewish wife and family. I’m sure it’s unrelated that he imported infinite brown savages to rape our women and children.”

This tweet is both anti-Semitic and grotesquely racist.

Yusuf has since apologised but denied  the "like " sent from his account came from him.

“Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf blames team member for ‘like' on anti-Semitic post." (Independent: 19/07/25)

I don’t know what you think about the blame game but I am with Robert Jenrick on this who said to Yusuf:

“You must think we’re all thick. The mask has slipped. Likes are private. You thought nobody would know.”

Jenrick went on to say Yusuf’s apology was "bullshit” and called for his resignation. Unfortunately, the likes of Yusuf, for all their rhetoric about “traditional British values” and “British fair play” do not have the moral integrity or courage to do the decent thing when they are found wanting.

[eaglesnick]

“Leadership is a privilege to better the lives of others. It is not an opportunity to satisfy personal greed." - Mwai Kibaki

Rachel Reeves is to encourage banks to “nudge” customers to consider investing their money in stocks and shares rather than safer savings accounts.

“Savers with cash in low-interest bank accounts will be contacted and encouraged to consider more lucrative investments, under Rachel Reeves’ plans to boost the economy and raise wealth." (Independent: 15/07/250

Jolly good. We all trust the banks don’t we? They would never give bad investment advice or do something criminal just to profit themselves would they?

Well, yes they would as it happens.

Although never convicted of criminal intent, Global Restructuring Group (GRG), an arm of the Royal Bank of Scotland, was accused of pushing viable small businesses into financial distress. Once distressed, GRG allegedly acquired assets at discounted rates or imposed punitive fees. Businesses claimed they were misled into restructuring deals that ultimately led to insolvency.

Another example are the senior managers at HBOS (before Lloyds’ acquisition) who were convicted of fraudulently advising businesses to use a consultancy firm that siphoned funds. Some businesses were left bankrupt, and assets were later absorbed or liquidated.

You just would not have wanted to put your life savings in a business that went bust due to the bad advice given by bankers.

Don’t forget the mis-selling of payment protection Insurance for which over £22 billion was paid out in compensation.  Then there was Standard Chartered,  fined £300 million for laundering money linked to Iran. Tesco Bank was made to pay £382 million in impairment charges due to accounting irregularities and mis-selling.

We all remember the 2008 financial crisis brought about by deregulation of the financial sector and the austerity measures introduced to bail out the greedy banks. Before this crisis, banker’s bonuses were designed to reward short-term gains, often at the expense of long-term stability. In short, the bankers were stuffing their trousers with loot as fast as they could, regardless of the long-term financial consequences for the rest of us. 

Re-regulation was introduced after the 2008 financial crash to curb the insatiable  greed of bankers.  Despite capping banker’s bonuses in the aftermath of the crisis, these caps were removed on October 2023. This marked the end of a decade-long restriction that limited bonuses to 100% of fixed pay, or200% with shareholder approval, for material risk takers in banks, building societies, and PRA-designated investment firms.

Poor bankers! Fancy having your bonus restricted to 100% of final salary! Thank goodness those restrictions have now been lifted and they can get back to making more and more money for themselves.

In 2024 alone, the UK’s top banks paid out £7.1 billion in bonuses. HSBC awarded a single “material risk taker” £16 million. Barclays paid one trader £14 million, with 762 staff earning over £1 million each. These bonuses come out of profits. Put another way, bonuses come out of the pockets of the consumers. And the banks, despite the “cost of living crisis" are making huge profits at the expense of the rest of us.

The top five UK banks made £51.6 billion profit. in 2023 and £45 billion profit in 2024. The expectancy for 2025 is an increase in profits of 14% to a massive £52.4 billion. Given the banks track record of greed, mis-selling, money- laundering and fraud I wouldn’t trust them to invest my savings. Will you?

[eaglesnick]

“Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.” - Anon

The following example is only a minor misrepresentation by the right-wing Daily Express newspaper but it does illustrate how the news can be manipulated to give a particular slant or bias.

We all know the BBC is currently under intense scrutiny for several editorial “gaffes” (mistakes) - from the unacceptable behaviour and comments of Gregg Wallace, the hate chant of Bob Vylan at Glastonbury, and the unaccredited documentary by the son of a Hammas official regarding life in Gaza.

The Express, no slouch when it comes to attacking the BBC, was quick off the mark this morning when it was revealed on the BBC’s Today programme that one of its reporters (Gary O’Donoghue) had hung up on a call from President Trump.

“BBC blunder as reporter hangs up on Donald Trump halfway through interview." (Express: 15/07/25)

How rude! How unprofessional. Cant the BBC get anything right? That at least is the intended interpretation.

The truth is a little less dramatic and has nothing to do with "blunder". First of all, Gary O’Donoghue is blind, and this simply isn’t mentioned in the article. Second, the Whitehouse phone call came late in the night when O’Donoghue was asleep, so "fumbling with his phone" is understandable. In fact, O’Donoghue had to “run into the living room, grab a digital recorder" and set that up before he could speak to Trump, hardly the actions of a sighted “blundering" BBC reporter, let alone one that is blind.

Although he does admit to accidentally hanging up the phone this was when he first took the call, not “halfway through” the interview as the Express claims. But of course, it’s the headline that counts. More people will see the headline than read the actual article. For those that do bother to read the full article they find that the Express knows the phone was hung up before the interview was taking place and not in the middle of the interview, because it quotes O’Donoghue as saying:

“When I woke up, I accidentally hung up the call to start with, which is not good is it when you hang up on the president. Anyway, they rang back.”

Ok, this is just a minor example of a misleading headline among many that the Express prints for our entertainment but it is indicative of the constant right-wing media drip drip of misleading information. It is interesting to note that the article does not touch on the content of the interview itself, which was quite revealing of Trump and his changing attitude towards Ukraine: no, it was all about casting the BBC in a bad light

If we are to believe the Express the war in Ukraine should have been over months ago,

Here is a typical Express headline from 2024

“Vladimir Putin's regime 'on the verge of collapse' as Russian troops slaughtered” (Express 08/06/24)

And earlier this year we had:

“Putin health fears explode with rumours Russian president 'soiled himself'” (Express 27/03/25)

The Express along with other right-wing media outlets likes to sensationalise, especially at the expense of a perceived enemy, be that the BBC, those on the left, or Vladimir Putin.

In all instances, truth takes second place to dramatic headlines, emotionally loaded language and sweeping predictions that often have no relationship to the facts. If this only occurred once in a while it would not be a problem but when these constructed narratives are aligned to ideological political goals, they can create a “problem” where none actually exists, or artificially escalate a minor incident into something major. Either way, we are not best served.

[eaglesnick]

“I wanted to get far away from those who believed in cruelty, so then I went to France, a land of true freedom, democracy, equality and fraternity.” – Josephine Baker

We are frequently told that no self-respecting Brit would ever want to be French.

Nigel Farage has hit out against French governance, contrasting British pragmatism with what he described as France’s centralised and bloated bureaucracy. This is part of his broader critique of EU-style governance and his argument for national sovereignty and streamlined administration. i.e. a smaller public service sector.

Jeremy Clarkson has also spoke out against French bureaucracy, especially their "idiotic left-leaning pressure groups". Here is a headline carried by the Metro at the beginning of this year.

"Why the French are crying out for Jeremy Clarkson." (31/01/25)

And the Express, forever vigilant on behalf of all true Brits. carried this headline:

"Emmanuel Macron's 'disrespectful' King Charles act exposed on GB News." (08/07/250

Apparently, Macron stepped ahead of King Charles, demonstrating once again  that the French simply don’t know how to behave in a gentlemanly manner.  Having beheaded their own King in 1793 for presiding over growing inequality and a massive financial crisis, the French have been uppity ever since.

Let us return to the original statement: “No self-respecting Brit would ever want to be French.”

Let us investigate if this is true or not by looking at the main differences between France and Britain economically. The size of the French economy is about the same as the Britain’s. The size of both populations is also very similar, so no advantage here. Or is there?

French productivity is much HIGHER than British productivity, which means we Brits have to work longer hours to achieve the same level of GNP as the French. In bureaucratic France workers have a legally defined workweek of 35 hours. In Britain UK law caps working time at 48 hours a week averaged over 17 weeks. Consequently, the French work less hours per year than workers here in Britain: 1670 hrs in the UK, compared to 1514 hours in France. That is an extra 6.5 days of  work that we free born Brit enjoy  compared to the French

Here in Britain we have had much talk about pensions and how un affordable they are going forward. In France you can retire at 64, in Britain you have to be 67. The French pensioner receives 74% 0f average earning, while the UK pensioner receives only 58% of average earnings. That is a massive 16% difference. The French also have a slightly higher gross national wage than workers in the UK so a double win for French pensioners.

A much bigger difference between France and Britain is the amount of personal disposable income. In the UK 60% of National Income (NI) goes into the pockets of workers to spend as they please. In France only 52% of NI  goes into the pockets of the workers. The rest is either spent by government on public services, infra-structure or goes to business investment. At first glance this might seem to be an advantage for Britain but is it?

We already know that the French work less hours and enjoy better pensions at an earlier age than workers here in the UK.  France also has a much lower "at risk of poverty rate" than the UK - 15.9% compared to 21%.  While calls to further reduce pensions in the UK dominate the headlines, France has a pensioner poverty rate of 10% compared to Britain’s 16%. This will only get worse if proposed pension cuts take effect in the UK

While 60% of NI going to individuals sounds more equalitarian it has economic consequences. In Britain we have to pay for more services that are privately owned, like water, the railways, domestic energy supply, etc. In France they have more subsidised services. Whereas much of  our disposable income goes into profits for the private sector, the French government ensures more of  NI  is spent on infra-structure and services that benefit all of its citizens and not just rich shareholders. This is one reason why France has an annual growth rate in investment of 10% while Britain only has a growth rate of 6.1%.

In short, France leans towards a state-backed industrial strategy while Britain relies upon private capital. Foreign investors, who then take the profits generated out of the country often provide this private capital. This happens less in France.

In addition, France has more affordable housing, superior transport networks, better public services, energy independence and better economic growth rates than Britain.  Is it any wonder that life expectancy in France is higher for both men and women than in the UK!

So, who would want to be French?  Certainly not the greedy profit motivated Reform UK Party, Conservatives of Labour under Starmer. God help us if we were to adopt state-backed economic stability and social protection over maximisation of profit for private shareholders.  Perish the thought that we should treat workers and pensioners with respect.

It is every Britain’s right to be able to work longer hours, receive a smaller pension, spend more on housing and suffer ever declining public services while the rich continue to amass ever greater personal fortunes. In France the bottom 50 % of the population share 9% of the total wealth. In Britain the bottom 50% share 0.5% of the nations wealth.

Thank goodness I wasn’t born in France. If I were I would have no further use for this hair shirt!

[eaglesnick]

“Reform UK will build a common sense justice system that punishes criminals and keeps the public save." (Reform UK Manifesto)

Here is a headline from today’s Telegraph (11/07/25)

“Reform will reject Tory defectors looking for ‘meal ticket’, says Farage."

Poor Nigel, he is behind the curve. As I pointed out yesterday, many of Reform UK’s top official’s, rich donors and MP’s are former Tory party members, including Farage himself.

The old proverb about “closing the stable door after the horse has bolted” feels tailor-made for today’s political landscape. The Reform UK story is practically galloping with it: Farage may now be laying down markers about who gets into his party, but some might say that defections from the Tory Party to Reform UK are now so numerous that the damage has already been done.

There’s something almost theatrical in Farage trying to reclaim integrity after opportunists have sniffed out a change wind direction. It raises the question: is Reform truly shaping a new political path , or are they just catching stray riders from the Tory past who’ve seen a better chance to saddle up elsewhere?

Reform UK candidates who lack talent, promises Farage, will be rejected. His party, and it is HIS party, will deny a free ride on the back of public support for Reform UK says Nigel. Again, too late.

Reform UK only has 6 MP’s, or more accurately, HAD 6 MP’s. Two of these, a third of the total, are now sitting as independent MP’s as they have either resigned or been suspended.

Rupert Lowe, investigated by Parliament’s standards watchdog for allegedly failing to declare over £600,000 in donations for his independent “Rape Gang Inquiry”, clashed with Farage, accusing the party leader of authoritarianism and cancel culture. He was suspended over allegations of workplace bullying and threats against Zia Yusuf, the then party chairman.

James McMurdock suspended himself to protect Reform UK while he is  being investigated over  £70,000 in Covid-era business loans.   He has since stated he will not be rejoining Reform UK. The Sunday Times reported that one of the companies being investigated actually had no employees. McMurdock, had previously been convicted of assault.

Questionable personal characteristics of Reform UK’s officials does not stop with MP’s. In the weeks following the May 2025 local elections at least nine Reform UK councillors have either resigned, been suspended or have been expelled.

In addition, two of Reform UK’s councillors are facing criminal allegations or charges. Amanda Clare has been charged with assault and criminal damage, while Jaymey McIvor, was accused during a council meeting of sending an unsolicited explicit image, allegedly the reason for his expulsion from the Conservative Party.

Clearly Reform UK attracts the same sort of undesirable characters as the Tory Party. This is hardly surprising as many of Reform UK members are in fact ex-Conservatives. Between 2010 and 2024, at least 15 former Conservative MPs were publicly accused of criminal behaviour ranging from sexual misconduct and assault to fraud, drug use, and gambling offences. Of the former Conservative MPs accused of criminal behaviour between 2010 and 2024, at least three have since joined Reform UK.

If Nigel Farage is so keen to have us believe that Reform is neither a home for criminals or former Conservative Party members why does he have so many within his party? Simply telling people that “we are a Christian country and forgiveness is part of that” just doesn’t convince voters. You cannot preach being “tough on crime” awhile at  the same time  “forgiving" you own party members for their questionable behaviour.

Farage may insist Reform UK is not a refuge for disgraced politicians or recycled Conservative MP’s but it is very hard not to reach that conclusion when looking at the evidence.  When Farage claims moral clarity while at the same time welcoming morally dubious characters into the fold, and then scrambles to clean up scandals as they emerge, are we watching leadership or a parade of undesirables that Farage is afraid to call out?

[eaglesnick]

“So-called austerity, the stoic injunction, is the path towards universal destruction.” - Wyndham Lewis

The austerity years under Conservative-led governments from 2010 onward have been widely critiqued for theirdeep and lasting impact on public services, inequality, and democratic institutions. Here's a breakdown of the major criticisms:

Public Services Hollowed Out

NHS under strain: Chronic underfunding led to staff shortages, long waiting lists, and deteriorating infrastructure.

Education cuts: Spending per pupil fell by 8%, with adult education and youth services slashed by over 60%.

Local councils gutted: Central government funding dropped by nearly a third, forcing councils to sell off public assets and cut libraries, swimming pools, and youth centres.

Rising Poverty and Inequality

Child poverty surged: Over 3.4 million children born after 2010 now live in poverty, with infant mortality rising for the first time in two generations.

Food bank usage exploded: A 5,000% increase in emergency food parcels distributed since 2008.

Housing crisis: Affordable housing stock declined while homelessness and rough sleeping rose sharply.

Justice and Democracy Undermined

Legal aid gutted: An 82% drop in access within five years, skewing justice toward the wealthy.

Court closures: Nearly half of court buildings were sold off, contributing to massive case backlogs.

Jury trials threatened: Proposals to restrict jury trials are seen as authoritarian responses to system collapse caused by austerity.

Economic Mismanagement

Stalled life expectancy: Especially in poorer regions like Blackpool and Liverpool.

Youth debt crisis: Young people are seven times more likely than their grandparents to take on new debt.

Local government insolvency: Councils like Woking and Thurrock went bankrupt after risky investments made to offset funding cuts.

Mental Health Fallout

Mental health services overwhelmed: Over 2.5 million people sought help in 2017/18, up from 1.5 million in 2011/12.

Youth mental health crisis: One in five young people missed school

Not before time, at the last general election, the people of Britain finally voted to cast the Tory Party and its MP’s into the dustbin of history.  We voiced our desire for CHANGE and a different approach to running the economy and the institutions within it. Unfortunately, Keir Starmer’s Labour Party, purged of left-wing personnel and ideas,   has offered us more of the same and has continued the Austerity policies of the Tories.

In their desperation for real change the people of Britain are turning more and more to Nigel Farage and Reform UK as the true alternative to both the Labour and Conservative parties.

THEY COULD NOT BE MORE WRONG!

Reform UK is basically made up of the same Tories who gave us Austerity.

This week saw two high-profile defections from the Conservative Party: Sir Jake Berry and David Jones, both former Cabinet ministers. Like rats fleeing a sinking ship, these two see Reform UK as their life raft back to political power. They are not the only ones. Below is a list of former Conservative party members, donors and MP’s who have switched their allegiance to Reform UK.

Former Tory MPs now with Reform UK

At least eight former Conservative MPs have joined Reform UK, including:

Sir Jake Berry – Former Tory chairman and cabinet minister under Liz Truss

David Jones – Ex-Welsh Secretary and cabinet minister

Dame Andrea Jenkyns – Now mayor of Greater Lincolnshire

Marco Longhi

Anne Marie Morris

Ross Thomson

Aiden Burley

Lee Anderson – MP for Ashfield

Former Tory donors now backing Reform UK

Reform UK has also drawn support from at least eight major former Conservative donors, including:

Bassim Haidar – Previously donated £675,000 to the Conservatives

Mohamed Amersi – Over £500,000 in past Tory donations

Robin Birley – Hosted Reform’s Mayfair fundraiser

Jeremy Hosking – Former Brexit Party donor, now backing Reform

Nick Candy – Former Tory donor, now Reform’s fundraising chief

Arron Banks – Prominent Brexit campaign backer

Andrew Reid – Former UKIP treasurer, attended Reform fundraiser

Myles Barclay – Member of the Barclay banking family

Let’s not forget that Nigel Farage was himself a former member of the Tory Party, along with Richard Tice and Zia Yusuf.

Clearly, a vote for Reform UK will not be the vote for change people hope for but be a vote for the same politicians who gave us Austerity measures.

[eaglesnick]

“The comfort of the rich depends upon an abundant supply of the poor.” - Voltaire

We know that Reform UK wants to raise the higher income tax threshold from £50,271 to £70,000, giving top earners a £6000 tax cut. Taxing the rich more, it is argued, results in the very wealthy leaving the country, encourages the rich to find tax loopholes and discourages entrepreneurship. What is more, higher taxes are simply a punishment for being rich.

Let us not tax them. Heaven forbid they should up sticks and migrate to another country! Let us continue to see a decline in public services, an increase in child poverty, homelessness, and a deteriorating NHS.

Lets be realistic, the rich will never need any these services so why should they pay for them? It’s just not fair they should be expected to contribute to services they will never use.  They can afford private healthcare. They can afford private schools for their children. They can afford luxury homes, both  here and abroad.

Let us ignore the Dickensian living conditions of those British children living in poverty. A report out yesterday states that some children have homes covered in black mould, while others live in rat infested buildings. Some have no heating of privacy, with many poor families living in a single room.

Let us forget about these inconvenient truths. Britain didn’t become the “Workshop of the World" and carve out an “Empire on which the sun never sets” by the rich paying their fair share of taxes. No, it was based on workhouses, mass poverty, child labour and slum living. The sooner Nigel Farage and Reform UK take our country back to those good old days the better.

In the days of Empire and gross class inequality the wealthy only paid 10% of their income in taxes: now they pay around 35%, although a lucky 10% of the superrich still only pay 11% of their wealth in taxes. (LSE: “How much tax do the rich really pay”; 14/01/21)

All of the main political parties are against raising taxes, especially a wealth tax. Yet how else are we supposed to pay for much needed public services? No one likes paying tax but no country in Europe seems so vehemently opposed to taxing the wealthy as we here in Britain.

It is not as if the wealthy cannot afford to pay more taxes. Far from becoming poorer, the wealthy of the UK are becoming richer year after year. The Equality Trust has stated that by 2035, if current trends continue, the wealthiest 200 families in the UK would hold more wealth than the entire UK GDP.

It is curious how opposed to migrants Nigel Farage and Reform UK are unless those migrants happen top be super rich. 40% of individuals earning £5 million per year or more have claimed non-dom status at some time according to a study by Warwick University. Yet Reform UK has vowed to reintroduce non-dom status and the tax breaks that go with it, thus making these migrant families even richer than they are today.

It would appear that the slogan  “taking our country back “ only refers to taking Britain back to the Victorian era when the wealthy paid minimum tax. What it does not mean is a return to national identity, a sense of fair play, economic stability and  that war time spirit of we are all in it together.

[eaglesnick]

“You won't  get any woke, pc nonsense from me”  - Nigel Farage

Now that Richard Tice and Reform UK have demanded the recall of line judges at Wimbledon, branding their removal as "un-British", perhaps we should reinstate  other British traditions that have been savagely swept aside by wokery gone mad.

Hopefully it is only a matter of time before Tice and Reform UK call for the reintroduction of "mule scavengers" and similar occupations.  This activity supplied much needed work for children who were small enough to crawl under dangerous textile machinery to collect cotton waste while the machines were still running, thus saving precious production time.

Despite child labour’s beneficial contribution to the British economy,  "woke warriors" of the day attacked British children’s right to work. The Cotton Mills and Factories act of 1819 prohibited the employment of children under the age of 9 and limited working hours for those aged 9-16 to a mere 12 hours a day. I am sure that both Richard Tice and Nigel Farage would agree, that this, and similar acts of Parliament were a direct assault on British values, freedoms and traditions and the sooner they are repealed the better.

Hopefully, we will soon see Richard Tice, Vice Chairman of Reform UK, campaigning  as forcefully for the repeal of these economy-crippling, un-British  acts as he is  for the reintroduction of line-judges on the Wimbledon tennis courts.

I fully expect to see him and Nigel Farage leading protests demanding:

"We want our country back. We want mule scavengers back. Enough is enough"

[eaglesnick]

“Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Reform UK; but I repeat myself.” (Apologies to Mark Twain)

The sooner Nigel Farage is elected Prime Minister the better it will be for all true Brits.

Only Reform UK can save us from the wokery, immigration and Brexit betrayal that characterises our once wonderful country.

Do not look to the false prophets Starmer and  Badenoch.

True believers in the slogan "make Britain great again" and  “bring back control" have a new saviour in Richard Tice.

With much flourish and fanfare, the Vice President of Reform UK has identified the real reason Britain is  “collapsing”, “broken" and “unrecognisable".

It's not the 14 years of Tory austerity and the deliberate sabotage of public services through spending cuts. No, the former long-term donor to the Conservative Party Richard Tice has, after much research and analysis, pinpointed the true cause of Britain’s terminal decline – The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club. (AELTC)

The AELTC, better known as Wimbledon Tennis Club have succumb to the most heinous of all actions – perfidy. Their faithless treachery has brought Britain to its knees, their Machiavellian manoeuvres undermining the very fabric of British society.

The revelation  that “Wimbledon's removal of Ralph Lauren–clad line judges in favour of video technology" has shocked the nation and has been thoroughly condemned as “un-British” by Tice.

So, working people of Britain, I invite you to join with Richard Tice and Reform UK when they say:

“We want our country back. We want line judges back. Enough is enough”

[eaglesnick]

👏 http://dlvr.it/TLWk66

[eaglesnick]

“One who deceives will always find those who allow themselves to be deceived.”  Niccolo Machiavelli

Spare a thought for the British voters who deceive themselves into believing Nigel Farage will offer them an alternative kind of politics. Reform UK brands itself as the "real party of the working class" and promises a new “common sense” kind of politics.

After 14 years of Tory austerity, cronyism and sleaze, the people turned to Starmer and his promise of "change" only to be bitterly disappointed when Starmer turned against his own voters, attacking pensioners, the disabled and benefit claimants.

This own goal by the Starmer administration has allowed Farage, a master at manipulation, to present himself as the true saviour of the British working class. In speeches and interviews, he has positioned Reform UK as the party of “workers,” “alarm-clock Britain,” and those “ignored by Westminster”. Labour, claims Farage, has become the party of the “wealthy, university-educated elite”.

Farage is a master at taking half-truths and rumours and building them up to be full, unvarnished "facts". We all remember Farage claiming as fact that the UK was sending £350 million a week to the EU and that this money could instead fund the NHS. While the gross figure was technically accurate, it ignored the UK’s rebate and EU funding that came back to the UK. The actual net contribution was significantly lower; and as we now know, the money that was saved never made its way to the NHS.

The fact is, a vote for Nigel Farage and Reform UK will be a vote for the right-wing of the Tory Party - the right-wing Tories who gave us austerity, presided over the decimation of public services, and who lined the pockets of their already wealthy friends.

Fantasy on my part? I think not.

According to The Mail on Sunday, Nigel Farage was spotted dining at Oswald’s, an exclusive Mayfair club, alongside David Cameron, George Osborne, and Robert Jenrick—all seated at adjacent tables during the same lunch service. Also present was Nick Candy, Farage’s treasurer, and Jacob Rees-Mogg, who reportedly offered greetings from a nearby table.

This wasn’t just a social coincidence. The backdrop is Reform UK’s dramatic surge in the polls, with one YouGov projection suggesting Farage could win 271 seats, eclipsing both Labour and the Conservatives. These club lunches have become informal strategy sessions, where Tory grandees, donors, and Farage allies are said to be “cutting deals and war-gaming defections”.

“Cutting deals" with the Tory hierarchy who gave us Austerity is hardly acting in the interests of ordinary working families. From Farage's plan to exempt wealthy foreigners from paying non-dom tax, to his hosting lavish fundraisers in exclusive clubs, , Reform UK is a party for the super-rich, not the working class.

The event at a private members club in Mayfair drew a crowd of wealthy donors, including several disillusioned former Tory backers like Mohamed Amersi and Bassim Haidar, who each paid the full £25,000 to sit with Farage.

Amersi, born in Kenya, has been named in a controversial telecoms deal involving $200 million. Haidar, a Nigerian born, Lebanese entrepreneur, resigned from the Conservative Party after expressing disillusionment with Tory policies, especially the abolition of non-dom tax status.

How courting high-net-worth individuals disillusioned with the Tory establishments tax policies  makes Reform UK “the party of the working class” is beyond my understanding. How cosying up to Cameron and Osborne, the architects of Austerity, promotes policies beneficial to ordinary working families is equally mystifying.

Reform UK is a party that claims to speak for the working class, yet is increasingly funded by the super-rich.  Polling shows the paradox: Reform is gaining traction among lower-income voters, especially those earning under £20,000, while its policies and donor base increasingly reflect the interests of the top 1%. Even Reform’s broader tax plans, like raising the personal allowance to £20,000, would disproportionately benefit higher earners, with the top 10% gaining nearly four times more than the poorest 10%.

Lets hope that even though you can fool some of the people some of the time, that for some, once is enough.

[eaglesnick]

“My opponents are the people who gave up our borders.” - Nigel Farage

Here is an interesting question. "When is an immigrant not an immigrant?"

No, it’s not a trick question and neither is it the beginning of joke. 

Certainly for Reform UK, immigration and immigrants are anything BUT a joke. In June 2024 Nigel Farage promised to reduce "net migration to zero".

By May 2025, he had gone either further:

"Nigel Farage demands a complete 'halt' to immigration as it 'devalues Britain'. (Express: 09/05/25)

The people of Britain, declared Farage, have "nothing in common" with the majority of immigrants entering the UK.

Just 47 days ago Nigel Farage declared that under a Reform UK government immigration to Britain would be stopped because immigration to the UK had:

"...devalued the quality of life for everybody, damaged us culturally, broken up our communities, broken up our sense of patriotism and belief." (Quoted in The Express: 09/05/25)

The message from Reform UK is very clear and unambiguous: NO IMMIGRATION.

Which brings us back to the question, "When is an immigrant not an immigrant?"

The answer is when they are a non-dom.

Farage has just announced  he wants to encourage non-doms to Britain and  has proposed reinstating the UK’s non-dom tax status — but with a twist. Under Reform UK’s plan, wealthy newcomers or returning high-net-worth individuals would pay a £250,000 one-off fee in exchange for a “Britannia Card” that grants:

A remittance-style regime shielding offshore income from UK tax and a 20-year inheritance tax exemption on global assets

It seems that foreign born millionaire and billionaire immigrants are not included in Farage's bid to "halt" all immigration. If you are one of the super rich (like so many of Reforms top officials) then you are not an immigrant at all - : you are a non-dom

Although there are no official figures for non-doms in the UK, a 2022 study by Warwick University found "well over 90%" were born overseas.  I don’t know what dictionary Farage  and Reform UK are using, but in my world someone born overseas who has set up home in the UK is an immigrant.

I may be an old cynic, but in my experience the super rich have very little in common with the majority of the British population, whether foreign born or native Britains. The average Britain has very little in common culturally with the superrich no matter what their nationality. And previous experience suggests that rich foreign nationals immigrating to Britain do indeed break up communities, just as Farage claims.

When the Russian oligarchs moved to London in the early 2000's through to the 2010's house prices rocketed as these rich individuals poured billions into the property market. As a result even rich native Britain’s were priced out of the top end property market.

Not only does Farage and his rich backers want to repeat this experience but they are going to give these super-rich immigrants tax exemptions not enjoyed by the rest of us. If that doesn’t cause an “us” and "them” rift, then I don’t know what will.  Why should an immigrant billionaire be exempt from inheritance tax when the  rest of us are not? Why should immigrant billionaires be exempt form paying tax to the British government from their overseas earnings? 

Rather than "halt" immigration, Farage is selling British citizenship to rich foreign nationals. For the very low, one-off fee of £250,000 any immigrant can come to Britain and escape paying many of the taxes ordinary Britain’s have to pay.

The "Britannia Card" as Farage calls it, buys privilege and UK citizenship for rich immigrants: a  “golden ticket for foreign billionaires.” The Institute for Fiscal Studies warned the scheme could cost the UK more in lost tax revenue than it raises, and Labour accused Farage of creating a “billionaire’s charter” that undermines tax fairness.

We had the "cash for honours" scandal under Tony Blaire, we had the scandal of "Tory cronyism" under Boris Johnson, and now we have the threat of  "the golden ticket for foreign billionaires" scandal under Farage.

So "When is an immigrant not an immigrant?"

Answer: When they are a foreign born billionaire prepared to pay a Reform UK government a quarter of a million pounds.

[eaglesnick]