Stalin
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2008
- Messages
- 4,020
The defection of leading Conservative Party figure Robert Jenrick to the far-right Reform UK is the latest step in leader Nigel Farage’s preparations for government. Jenrick was sacked by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch on January 15 after it emerged that he was plotting to leave the Tories and was unveiled by Farage as a member of his party later that day.
Farage has recruited a number of senior Tories since entering parliament as a Reform MP in the 2024 general election and climbing to the top of the polls of UK voting intentions. But Jenrick is by far the most high-profile, holding shadow and cabinet position under four previous Tory leaders.
Exploiting Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s unprecedented collapse in support—having provided no respite to millions of workers struggling with the cost of living and shattered public services—Reform UK has led the polls by around 10 points for most of the 18 months since Labour took office. It is currently sitting at 26 percent, with the Tories and Labour tied on 18 percent.
Increasingly feted by the right-wing media, Farage has been tasked by the ruling elite with assembling a “credible” party of government; he has praised the former cabinet members Jenrick and Zahawi for their “front-line experience”.
For the ruling class, it is essential that Reform be primed to serve as a replacement for the crisis-ridden Starmer government, ready to hit the ground running with an agenda for slashing welfare and overall public spending, while vastly increasing military spending with the proceeds.
Inspired by billionaire Elon Musk’s vicious cost-cutting operation in the US Trump administration, Farage has nominated former Reform UK chair Zia Yusuf—previously a luxury concierge tycoon—as the leader of a “UK DOGE” (Department of Government Efficiency) team.
Reform runs 10 local authorities in the UK and is already imposing—as a demonstration of its ability to govern—hundreds of millions of pounds of cuts collectively in these areas. In Derbyshire County Council alone it is making 2,000 jobs losses—around 20 percent of the council’s workforce—to make the “overstaffed” authority “lean and mean”.
comrade stlain
moscow
Farage has recruited a number of senior Tories since entering parliament as a Reform MP in the 2024 general election and climbing to the top of the polls of UK voting intentions. But Jenrick is by far the most high-profile, holding shadow and cabinet position under four previous Tory leaders.
Exploiting Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s unprecedented collapse in support—having provided no respite to millions of workers struggling with the cost of living and shattered public services—Reform UK has led the polls by around 10 points for most of the 18 months since Labour took office. It is currently sitting at 26 percent, with the Tories and Labour tied on 18 percent.
Increasingly feted by the right-wing media, Farage has been tasked by the ruling elite with assembling a “credible” party of government; he has praised the former cabinet members Jenrick and Zahawi for their “front-line experience”.
For the ruling class, it is essential that Reform be primed to serve as a replacement for the crisis-ridden Starmer government, ready to hit the ground running with an agenda for slashing welfare and overall public spending, while vastly increasing military spending with the proceeds.
Inspired by billionaire Elon Musk’s vicious cost-cutting operation in the US Trump administration, Farage has nominated former Reform UK chair Zia Yusuf—previously a luxury concierge tycoon—as the leader of a “UK DOGE” (Department of Government Efficiency) team.
Reform runs 10 local authorities in the UK and is already imposing—as a demonstration of its ability to govern—hundreds of millions of pounds of cuts collectively in these areas. In Derbyshire County Council alone it is making 2,000 jobs losses—around 20 percent of the council’s workforce—to make the “overstaffed” authority “lean and mean”.
Far-right Reform UK, leading polls, prepares a cabinet of war and austerity for British capitalism
For the ruling class, it is essential that Reform be ready to hit the ground running with an agenda for slashing welfare and overall public spending, while vastly increasing military spending with the proceeds.
www.wsws.org
comrade stlain
moscow
