Going to swing into the conversation a bit late here but I don't think it's productive to label those voting Reform as racist. It's too easy and yes, it does push people away. Are they more racist than the others? Definitely. However I'd say more Reform voters are xenophobic than racist. The 2 often overlap but they aren't the same.
It has been repeated all through history that more extreme groups rise up during times of hardship and exploit people's anger and frustrations, and there is more anger and frustration in the UK now than I can think of any other time in my life (admittedly mid 30's so not that long). Right wing propaganda has unfortunately done a much better job of getting into people's heads than left wing stuff, the overton window has jolted to the right. The mere suggestion of anything approaching socialism is immediately dismissed yet political parties are more and more embracing corporate cronyism and nationalism.
We often hear about how it's the job of the left wing to tone down the language or reach for compromise. It's about what the left must give up to satisfy the right. What have Republicans in the States or Tories/Reform here ever been asked to compromise on?
Having said that, I also know how annoying it is to be lazily labelled something by someone who just wants to be right. I had a "discussion" with someone a while back about sexism in workplaces. I work in engineering, which is still very male dominated. The woman I was talking with had the attitude that the fact few women are in engineering MUST be because engineering is sexist and engineers are sexist pigs who mistreat them. I said I've never witnessed anything even remotely approaching sexist behaviour among any of the engineers I worked with. The response was of course not, because I'm a man and probably sexist myself so blind to all this rampant sexism surrounding me that I likely perpetuate. The fact said woman had never been in an engineering course at uni and never set foot in any engineering firms didn't matter, as a woman she knew more about my industry than I did, as if there is this collective knowledge that is passed around. The fact I had been involved in a voluntary program specifically intended to get more girls engaged with engineering and into the industry didn't matter a jot. I was a sexist pig and that was that.
Suffice to say such attitudes make you want to respond with a big "**** you" and then refuse to support any things they may have said that could have been remotely valid.
www.bbc.co.uk
nypost.com
