Perhaps someone could help me understand a couple of contradictory messages I'm struggling to comprehend. There has been a steady drift in public mood against Brexit, with many who voted for ir changing their minds. Some politicians are speaking openly of closer ties with Europe and some voice are even calling for another Brexit vote to assess whether people have changed their minds, given the so-called benefits of Brexit haven't happened.
The contradiction I speak about is that despite Farage leading the Brexit party (before it morphed into Reform) he still remains the most popular political figure in the country, with Reform topping many of the polls. So if Brexit has lost its lustre and many people are reconsidering their views, why is Farage not blamed for it? Immigration aside, which we know forms the basis of his appeal, why is he never challenged on the Brexit fiasco and held to account?
A secondary contradiction is that Trump is seen in the UK as a buffoon at best and a raving psychopath at worst, and yet Farage flaunts his friendship and close political ties with Trump. yet doesn't seem to suffer any backlash because of this.
Maybe I'm missing something very basic and obvious (immigration aside) but I'm puzzled why he retains his appeal with these two factors seemingly against him.
This book will explain a lot
Posted by Raskolnikov on July 7, 2026, 2:53 pm, in reply to "Contradictions"
A smart and accessible dissection of twenty-first-century fascist politics, providing general readers with the tools to understand, and defeat, today’s resurgent far right
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The corporate media are complicit in the Gaza genocide. Never forget what they did. Never forgive them for it.
Although it may not answer your specific questions as posed
I can understand the far-right xenophobic mob still supporting Farage, whatever shite Brexit throws at them, and despite his alignment with Trump and his excesses, but the more middle of the road voter tempted by Reform will surely recoil from it in the long term I would have thought. But nothing negative seems to rub off on Farage, even the transparent sham of him standing at a bar with a pint in his hand as though he's your best mate and cares about you.
When it comes to the tango tyrant it's cult like behaviour
and his followers respond just like cult members to the leader.
But, as you say, nothing seems to stick to the fag-ash fuhrer. Their core base have been indoctrinated with the "anti-elite/WEF/immigrant/Soros/fill in the blank" agit-prop to saturation point so now they see any criticism as flak from whatever the current enemy from that list is and dismiss it as "fake news".
As you also said, you would think they would start to smell a rat when nothing actually improves and the corruption and grifting becomes so obvious you have to pretend you aren't seeing it. I mean they lied about absolutely everything in the Brexit campaign and now they think the same people are the ones to fix everything....mind-boggling.
The corporate media are complicit in the Gaza genocide. Never forget what they did. Never forgive them for it.
Re: Contradictions
Posted by Keith-264 on July 7, 2026, 7:22 pm, in reply to "Contradictions"
It might be the difference between propaganda and fact.
Re: Contradictions
Posted by focus on July 8, 2026, 3:33 am, in reply to "Contradictions"
I'd caution at believing the projection media is showing you. Obviously, very powerful interests would like to manufacture a narrative 9f broad swathes of people - former brexiters having taken the hard realities as a lesson on the political practicality of Brexit, and in an unstabliesed world cautiously and with increasing momentum correcting the error of their rebellious and under informed ways and pushing for remain.
My anecdotal over hearings speak if an opposite process
Re: Contradictions
Posted by Keith-264 on July 8, 2026, 10:10 am, in reply to "Re: Contradictions"
Yes, I haven't heard anything about remain except at the lifeboat.
Re: Contradictions
Posted by Ian M on July 8, 2026, 2:14 pm, in reply to "Re: Contradictions"
I spoke to someone recently who surprised me by saying she was disappointed that Burnham hadn't said he would rejoin the EU. I said something about half the country possibly having something to say about that, but she seemed to think things had been so obviously bad in the UK since 2016 that surely leave voters would have seen the error of their ways. She didn't even think another referendum would be necessary. I usually respect her opinions and give her credit for being an independent thinker, but that was an eye-opener! I think there would be riots and possibly the beginnings of a civil war if some politician tried to pull a stunt like that. Like focus, I think positions have hardened if anything...
Posted by scrabb on July 8, 2026, 2:19 pm, in reply to "Re: Contradictions"
I'd caution at believing the projection media is showing you.
It's not media spin or "projection" I'm talking about, it's opinion polls which consistently put Farage and Reform ahead of any other politician/party. Are you saying these are faked? Or subject to media hype? Whether Farage is genuinely popular or as a result of media promotion and manipulation is beside the point. He's undeniably popular DESPITE being the foremost advocate for Brexit (which more and more people are regretting) and an ardent fan of Trump (a figure of ridicule here in the UK). Neither of which seems to do him any harm. These are the contradictions that baffle me.
but that was an eye-opener!
Posted by scrabb on July 8, 2026, 2:33 pm, in reply to "Re: Contradictions"
Whether there would riots in the streets to a civil war I have no idea. But her feeling of a definite change in the public's mood is one I detect also. It's an "eye-opener" to many people that the so-called benefits of Brexit simply haven't happened. And what do the pro-Brexiteers (such as Farage) say now? It's the way it was handled. Pathetic.
Re: Contradictions
Posted by Keith-264 on July 8, 2026, 4:51 pm, in reply to "Re: Contradictions"
Where do you get the view that more and more are regretting exit? Assuming that leaving is the cause of the economic troubles of the working class is a non-sequitur.
Re: Contradictions
Posted by Raskolnikov on July 8, 2026, 5:22 pm, in reply to "Re: Contradictions"
That leaving made them worse is pretty much incontrovertible now.
The corporate media are complicit in the Gaza genocide. Never forget what they did. Never forgive them for it.
Re: Contradictions
Posted by Keith-264 on July 8, 2026, 8:36 pm, in reply to "Re: Contradictions"
No, that's coincidence not correlation, have a look at the sheep man and Cap'n Morgan.
Re: Contradictions
Posted by scrabb on July 8, 2026, 5:31 pm, in reply to "Re: Contradictions"
Assuming that leaving is the cause of the economic troubles of the working class is a non-sequitur.
Not the point I'm making, Keith. Quite the reverse. It's the abundant benefits of leaving the EU, promised by Johnson and Farage, that have not been delivered, and everyone knows it, especially those who voted to leave.
My view of people who supported Brexit now having second thoughts is just my overall feeling of the public's mood, like sticking a wet finger up to check wind direction, and could be totally wrong. Or basically right.
Re: Contradictions
Posted by Keith-264 on July 8, 2026, 8:40 pm, in reply to "Re: Contradictions"
Of course they were lying but that isn't why every outez! voter voted outez! I (for one) didn't know anything about it until after the vote. Does anyone believe politicians' promises?
Yes
Posted by scrabb on July 8, 2026, 8:53 pm, in reply to "Re: Contradictions"
nm
Re: Contradictions
Posted by Shyaku on July 11, 2026, 10:29 pm, in reply to "Contradictions"
"There has been a steady drift in public mood against Brexit" - I'd wager this isn't true, which would resolve the apparent paradox. There may be disillusionment with post-Brexit UK, but that would be a different thing.
Both the UK and Europe are in measurable decline. Influential elements of the UK political and media class likely would like to reverse Brexit so that the UK's decline can be blamed on the EU again. All they would need would be for you not to notice the re-framing :-)
Re: Contradictions
Posted by Keith-264 on July 12, 2026, 12:04 am, in reply to "Re: Contradictions"
Liberals are never going to forgive the working-class for deserting them. ;O)
on July 7, 2026, 2:37 pm