Reform Questions

I've been working on a set of questions to ask Reform Ltd. supporters. To date I've not received one sensible response. One woman, a dyed-in-the-wool supporter, just keeps diverting the conversation with irrelevancies and staunchly refuses to engage with the questions. In fact, she's done me a favour by initiating more questions than I already had.

Here they are:

1. Brexit Promises vs. Reality 

• If Brexit wasn’t "done properly," what does "proper" even mean? What policies would you implement, and how exactly would they improve growth, trade, and living standards?
• If Brexit was meant to boost the economy, why is the UK now lagging behind the very EU countries we were promised we'd outperform? Nigel Farage promised £350 million a week for the NHS, fewer migrants, and greater prosperity. Can you point to a single one of those promises that's actually been delivered?
• If Brexit was about "sovereignty," why are we now dependent on US trade deals that undermine British farmers, and why did Farage support the disastrous Australia deal?
• If Farage, Tice, and Murdoch are such patriots, why do they keep their money offshore while backing policies that harm British workers and businesses?

2. Immigration Myths vs. Facts

• If mass immigration causes stagnant wages and housing shortages, why have these problems worsened since the UK regained full control of its borders? 
• If immigration supposedly strains public services, why can't the NHS function without immigrant staff? 
• If immigration depresses wages, why have real wages stagnated for over a decade, even after immigration fell post-Brexit? 
• State pensions are funded by current workers, not individual savings. The pensioner population will grow by 14% by 2032, while the working-age population will rise by just 9%, according to the ONS. Since net migration drives most working-age growth, how do you sustain the tax base while calling for lower immigration? 
• The NHS relies heavily on taxes from the working-age population. The 85+ population is set to nearly double by 2047, according to the ONS. How do you plan to fund and staff the NHS while cutting immigration, given that migrants form a significant part of both the workforce and tax base?
• If we want to build 1.5m homes, homes that are desperately needed, it's estimated we'll require 300,000 more builders and construction workers. Where will we get them fully trained and ready to start immediately?

3. Reform's Empty Promises

• Reform UK claims to stand up for the "left behind." Can you name a single policy that would actually lift a struggling community out of poverty? 
• If Reform cares so much about working people, why do they back tax cuts for the rich while slashing services ordinary families rely on? 
• Independent analysis has exposed a £60–89 billion black hole in Reform's election manifesto. Given Farage has already promised £150 billion in public service cuts, how exactly do they plan to plug the gap? Or is this just more fantasy economics with real-world consequences? 
• If both the Tories and Labour are so terrible, why has Farage failed to win a parliamentary seat until now, despite standing seven times before?

4. Net Zero and Energy Realities

• How does scrapping net zero lower bills, create jobs, or improve energy security when renewables are now cheaper than fossil fuels – and cheap electricity could turbo-charge British steel production and manufacturing? 
• The green economy already supports 430,000 UK jobs, projected to hit 1.2 million by 2050. Scrap net zero, and where do those jobs go – or are they just “woke” collateral damage? 
• If the Industrial Revolution was inevitable and, despite initial disruption, created far more jobs and prosperity than it destroyed, why oppose the net zero transition – especially when it promises abundant, cheap electricity to cut production costs, revive steelmaking, and make Britain a manufacturing powerhouse again? 
• If Farage is so confident fossil fuels are the future, why are oil and gas giants themselves investing billions in renewables? 
• Fusion energy might one day be a game-changer, but it's decades away from delivering power at scale. And even if the technology matures, Tritium – its essential fuel – remains scarce, expensive, and difficult to produce. Is waiting for a far-off miracle really smarter than backing renewables that are already delivering cheap, reliable energy? 
• Do you really believe sticking with expensive fossil fuels will protect jobs or lower household bills? And if climate change is just a "myth," why are insurance premiums soaring, harvests failing, and flood defences being raised year after year?

5. Rights, Freedoms, and Dangerous Precedents

• If we were to leave the ECHR, as Farage wants, how would you overcome the Northern Ireland Agreement having the ECHR baked into it? Or does the peace process not matter? 
• If Farage drags us out of the ECHR, what stops a future government banning Reform rallies, shutting down GB News, or arresting leaders under "extremism" laws? No ECHR means no higher court to challenge state overreach. Are you really that naïve – or just that desperate for revenge against sensible people?

6. The Bigger Picture

• What’s your actual solution for improving Britain? Because blaming the EU, immigrants, and net zero isn’t a plan – it’s just lazy finger-pointing. 
• Reform loves to bang on about "British values." Since when did shirking responsibility, scapegoating minorities, offering snake-oil economics and using offshore accounts count as patriotism? 
• If Reform represents "common sense," why do their policies collapse under even basic scrutiny – or is blind rage the only thing holding the movement together? 
• Have you actually read Reform’s 2024 manifesto, or does shouting "immigrant" drown out every rational thought? That’s not patriotism – it's national self-harm.
• Why are you so stupid?

I'm working on some MAGA questions along the same lines - watch this space.