How many times do we have to read the headline: “Migrants killed”, to realise that there is a tragedy in the world, a problem far greater than immigrants entering England. From the safety of our own homes it may feel difficult to empathise with people in such desperate situations. However, it is essential for the sake of humanity that we learn to understand and educate ourselves on the lives of immigrants before voting for a party branded as being anti-immigration.
Unfortunately, due to the current geopolitical climate, there are millions of people who have been displaced as a result of the violence and threat to their own lives. These innocent people have to make treacherous journeys, risking their own lives during it. Once they arrive in a safer country they often face racism, xenophobia and discrimination. Having just won the by-election and 677 council seats out of around 1600 up for election, there is now a huge risk of a growing support for Reform.
The threat of the far right is looming over the United Kingdom. Having seen the detrimental affect that it has had on America and their influence on the world, it should be apparent that the far right is not the saviour that people are looking for. Reform looks to be the party for every class. It is necessary that people remember in times of crisis, people look for an extreme; there is no example in history where this has been beneficial for the world.
Reform pledge that if it became the majority party, within the first 100 days they would apply “strict limits” on immigration. What does “strict” mean? The far right enjoy being brief in their political manifesto, enabling them to twist their wording when they come in to power. Reform believes that securing the borders is essential in order to “protect public services and wages”. However, studies indicate that immigrants contribute an estimated £2.5 billion annually to the exchequer, solely through taxes.
Furthermore, the nationalist party seeks to “bar student dependents”, allowing only international students with “essential skills” to remain in the UK. Once more, these “essential skills” are not described, highlighting that the international students they target will most likely fail to meet the Reform standards: being white.
Supporting a party based on flawed and racist values puts the UK in grave danger. Fortunately, in the US, the far right President is constrained by the House of Representatives and the Senate. However, in the UK we have parliamentary sovereignty. It is an elected dictatorship. Under the safety of moderate parties, like the Liberal Democrats and Labour, our country’s democracy is protected. In the event that Reform ever gain power, the freedom of our people is threatened.
The recent by-elections should be a wake-up call for those voters who believe that their vote doesn’t have a power. It does. Go out and vote, support your freedom and use the right that people 200 years ago fought for.
* Pia Corbishley is a Liberal Democrat supporter. She is a year 12 student studying politics.
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10 Comments
Well argued but can I suggest that it is a mistake to equate anti-immigrant views with racism. For example, you suggest that international students may fail the Reform standard of ‘being white’. Really? I think the record shows that Reform opposes white Albanians coming to the UK just as strongly as they oppose immigration by any other racial group.
Perhaps ask the Chairman of Reform UK, Mohammad Ziauddin Yusuf, whether he believes the party he represents is racist against non-whites.
Let’s attack Reform UK for what it is, and what it stands for, rather than making claims about them which do not really fit.
A strong, well-written post, Pia. Well done.
Er, what does Reform stand for?
They don’t seem to have any policies on areas like the economy.
@Alex: Reform’s ‘manifesto’ from last year is at https://assets.nationbuilder.com/reformuk/pages/253/attachments/original/1718625371/Reform_UK_Our_Contract_with_You.pdf. I think it gives a good idea where they stand on quite a few main issues, but you are correct about the economy – their manifesto really says very little about it. Mostly they just name various taxes they want to reduce or abolish. Plus there are small paragraphs about simplifying the tax system and deregulating, but that’s basically it.
We must fight Reform on the Climate Crisis. The Guardian writes:
Reform UK’s plans to obstruct green energy projects in Lincolnshire put at risk almost £1bn in local investment and more than 12,000 jobs, analysis suggests.
No 10 said it would fight any attempt by the party to dismantle or block renewable investment in the area, after its deputy leader, Richard Tice, said Reform-controlled councils and its mayors would be able to block what he called “net stupid zero” infrastructure, including solar farms, pylons and battery storage systems.
In Greater Lincolnshire, net zero industries contribute about £980m to the local economy, accounting for 12,209 jobs, according to analysis by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU).
Tice said: “We will attack, we will hinder, we will delay, we will obstruct, we will put every hurdle in your way. It’s going to cost you a fortune, and you’re not going to win. So give up and go away.”
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/may/07/reform-uk-green-energy-assault-lincolnshire-jobs-risk
Well done, Pia, you’ve raised some very important issues. I would respectfully disagree with Mike Peters. Encouraging racism definitely is one of ways Reform gets votes on immigration policy (if ‘policy’ isn’t too grand a word for their ill-thought out, populist stance), and racism is not a black and white matter. To those looking for a scapegoat for the feeling that they and other native Britons have lost out in some way, an Albanian is a foreign invader who doesn’t share British cultural values. Of course, many of the Reform voters don’t share Lib Dem cultural values either; a modern state is an ‘imagined community’ (copywrite Benedict Anderson, 1983) in which lots of different cultures co-exist.
Another issue Pia’s excellent article raises for me is that it seems to be taken for granted that the electorate have lost faith in traditional politicians and political parties, and vote for Reform UK either as a protest or as a way of simply throwing the dice in the vague hope that something different might happen if they plump for something ‘new’. I have written elsewhere that if the British government took the bold step of imposing sanctions on Israel, in order to bring them to their senses and end what is almost certainly a genocide in Gaza, our MPs could be voting for action which would put the UK on the world stage as a force for good. As well as helping rescue the abandoned Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, MPs would be rescuing their own reputations, and the reputations of traditional political parties.
I agree with @John Waller here and also with @Mike Peters. It is on the climate crisis where Reform – with their denial of the need to deal with climate change – would be most dangerous if they ever get into power . But it’s also an issue where they could be vulnerable since they appear to be badly out of step with public opinion on climate change. Their cosying up to Putin and dictators should also be called out. And if campaigning in the West Midlands, I’d also draw attention to their policy of scrapping HS2 – a policy that would be hugely damaging to that part of the country.
I think those kinds of things are likely to be rather more effective than constantly making (false) accusations of racism just because they want to reduce the rate of immigration.
@ Alex B. I agree with you. I have the strange feeling that, should we be in the unfortunate position of having Nigel Farage as Prime Minister at some time in the future, the country would find itself in the same position as it did with Boris Johnson. The only real policy would be for Nigel Farage to say whatever his audience wanted to hear. If policies were formulated and proved to be unpopular, then they would have to be justified. Reform are very good at criticising; unfortunately, if one wants to criticise, then one also has to offer a viable alternative to what one is criticising.
A better and more measured response from Alistair Carmicheal. “We need a flexible, dynamic legal migration system that works for our country and our economy, while treating everyone with dignity and respect.
“…We should have no truck with the demonisation of desperate people fleeing persecution, war or starvation, nor indeed of those who are on the frontline of our health and social care sectors…. ”
Full version here: https://liberalengland.blogspot.com/2025/05/alistair-carmichael-labour-is-falling.html