Reform’s rise defined: Ask chief political commentator John Rentoul something | EUROtoday

Welcome to an unique Ask Me Anything session with me, John Rentoul, The Independent’s chief political commentator.

Keep scrolling for extra. If you need to leap straight to the Q&A, click on right here.

Nigel Farage has by no means been removed from the headlines, however now his messaging – and Reform UK’s platform – has shifted in ways in which have despatched the celebration’s ballot numbers hovering.

This shift has caught Sir Keir Starmer’s consideration, prompting the prime minister to launch a collection of assaults on Mr Farage’s plans to spend “billions upon billions upon billions, tens of billions of pounds, in an unfunded way”, describing them as an “exact repeat of what Liz Truss did”.

Starmer mentioned he desires to “protect” working folks from the influence of those insurance policies.

One pollster has steered the UK is on the verge of “a political earthquake”. Martin Baxter, chief govt of Electoral Calculus, mentioned: “On these figures, Nigel Farage would be prime minister with a working majority and no need for a coalition with other parties.”

However, others have urged warning, warning towards studying an excessive amount of into the polls and questioning a number of the assumptions behind the Electoral Calculus forecast.

With Farage’s rise gaining momentum, the stakes have by no means been increased. Critics warn of dangers to democracy, supporters see a recent different to the drained two-party system, and lots of stay unsure what Reform really represents past a protest vote.

So, what’s driving this surge? What does Reform actually stand for, and the way credible are Farage’s £80 billion spending guarantees?

Join me dwell at 3pm BST on Wednesday, 4 June to discover Farage’s evolving technique, Reform’s insurance policies, and what this political shake-up may imply for Britain.

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