By Isle of Wight Observer
People rarely accept defeat with grace these days. The Reform Party’s opponents keep calling them far‑right racists. Last Thursday, voters gave their verdict on that sticks‑and‑stones strategy. Locally, I’ll admit I got it wrong. I knew Reform would do well here, but not quite that well!
Online, some called Reform’s council candidates “cowards” for not putting their home addresses on the ballot paper. But would you, when the left constantly churns out such nasty, hate‑filled bile? Nationwide, some Reform candidates were Black, Muslim, Sikh and Jewish. Why would people from minority groups stand as candidates if the party were racist? In my book wanting to end mass migration is not racist.
The UN claims that 239 million people worldwide require humanitarian relief or assistance, and more than 2 1/2 million will be displaced in 2026. Under ECHR rules, Britain must grant asylum if they all arrive here and apply. The Greens and Labour seem not to see any problem with that. Most boat migrants are young men who need housing, education, jobs and healthcare at a time when all are in short supply. Once here, they cost us a fortune, and some have committed heinous crimes. What a despicable way to repay Britain’s generosity.
We all seem to agree that our public services are totally broken. The UK is virtually bankrupt, and the government can’t keep raising taxes or borrowing. Here on the Island, I was taken aback at the scale of Reform’s success. To be one seat short of a majority at County Hall is an incredible achievement. Evidently, the days of pointlessly alternating between the Lib Dems and Tories have long gone. Now all parties have got to work together for the benefit of the Island – let’s hope they can bring themselves to do that.
Good councillors don’t stand idly by while nothing changes. You can’t just win power; you must exercise it. Officers at County Hall, like those Whitehall mandarins, must be told what to do.
Soothsayers claimed Nigel Farage peaked years ago, but he had the last laugh. Before polling day, Labour and the Tories urged us to “vote on local issues”, but these elections were seen as a way to send a message, and this time the message to our lacklustre government was deafening.
Since Friday’s results, the Labour Party has exploded into a self‑indulgent tailspin. Their internal left/right divisions are as bad as anything we saw from the Tories. Sir Keir’s career now resembles Monty Python’s Norwegian Blue parrot. It’s stone dead. The best he had to offer the nation was that old duffer, Gordon Brown, and the defeated politician’s classic: “I hear you, you want faster change.” No, mate – we want you gone, and please take your talentless cabinet with you.
After fourteen years in opposition, we’d all hoped Labour had an oven‑ready plan of action. They were elected on the promise of hope and change.
Now it’s abundantly clear they had no plan at all. Where was the growth? Where were the reformed public services? Almost two years on, they’ve killed off economic growth, raised taxes and inflation, driven up unemployment and spooked the financial markets. Starmer performed twenty U‑turns and brought back the disgraced Peter Mandelson. Whatever comes next; can you imagine Angela Rayner representing us on the world stage?
Not a single person is better off under this dreadful government, other than those who are working the benefits system.
And now, as I write this, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has resigned, and is expected to run for the Labour leadership – but not just yet. Perhaps he’s waiting to see what the public response is. Well, here it is: just go. The country has already made up its mind. We want to be rid of the lot of you.