By Neil Lock
(June 29th, 2024)
Someone is very worried about the impact that Reform UK is having on the UK’s July 4th election. That someone, whoever or whatever they are, has a power and reach that can extend into fomenting nasty incidents. I myself witnessed one, outside my local Waitrose, on Friday June 28th, 2024 at about 5pm. (The photo was taken in 2020, from almost the same spot).
I am campaign manager for Graham Drage, the Reform Party candidate in Godalming and Ash constituency. We had invited Ann Widdecombe, former Tory MP and now one of Reform’s principal spokespeople, to come to address us at a meeting in Guildford, organized on behalf of several Reform candidates in Surrey. A group of us from Godalming and Ash met up with Ann about twenty minutes before the incident.
We met in the centre of Godalming, and walked gently down Bridge Street, making for Waitrose’s. There were about seven of us as we reached the entrance. I was at the back of the convoy with Ann, Graham our candidate was at the front, and those between had leaflets ready. Just in case anyone didn’t already know about us!
As we offered leaflets to people coming out of Waitrose’s, we received rejections. And increasingly unpleasant ones. That was in complete contrast to what I experienced on my many days of leafleting throughout Godalming. I found that more of the people I talked to were favourably disposed to Reform than not. And I was only called a “racist” four times.
Yet two men, in quick succession, came out of the Waitrose shop and started accusing us of racism, and worse. One confronted Graham rather aggressively. They were very quickly followed by the manager, ordering us to get off Waitrose’s property – which we had only been on for about 45 seconds!
As we slowly moved away, the more aggressive of the two came back, and berated Graham about the Andrew Parker comments, that had only become public knowledge that day.
I cannot believe that this incident was not planned by the enemies of Reform. We had made no secret of Ann’s visit, nor of our intention for Ann to help us campaign in Godalming that afternoon. I have shopped regularly at that Waitrose ever since it was built, and I have seen nothing like this before. Even during an election. And it is, I think, no coincidence that hustings close by at Shalford were re-arranged late for a date Graham was already committed.
Oh, and then think about the Andrew Parker incident… was that planned, too? By whom?
Anyway, the Guildford event was very convivial (though I made it there late). But someone is, indeed, very worried about Reform.
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I’m unsure if Farage has correctly responded to these souped-up allegations. Maybe the closing days of a campaign are not the time to explain such things, but at some point the Reform Party needs to point out that most of the things various “extreme” candidates have said are only what you can hear in every pub in England every day. Some of the comments highlighted have been very innocuous, e.g. “feminism is toxic”. Saying migrants should be shot is at the fruitier end of the comments – but would just be bloviation in a pub conversation context, just letting off steam. Basically, any minority person who said “we need to shoot English ‘racists'” would not even raise eyebrows. Comments like “I hate all white people” are commonplace, and approved of. In the end, we are on the receiving end of migration, and our country is being taken away, which provides the context for any comments made. A bigger deal is made of these comments, than is made of migrant crime ,the grooming gangs scandal, terrorism or indeed the sheer hostility of many minority people to us in our own country. Farage should not allow Channel 4 to edit his candidate list. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out on Thursday – if the polls are right, the rise of Reform was stopped by these comments, but maybe Reform had reached a natural peak already in its polling figures?
David,
With regard to the Parker thing, I think Nigel has responded as well as he can. It was obviously a stitch-up, and anyone who looks at the facts rather than believing the mainstream media can see that. I don’t know how he plans to take the matter on after the election, but Channel 4 might be in some trouble if someone up high is persuaded that a prosecution is warranted. Nigel can be remarkably persuasive when he wants to be, as Coutts would testify. The police would probably try to evade, by saying Parker isn’t a reliable enough witness to bring a case against Channel 4. But the two genuine Reform volunteers in the car will surely have something to say about the matter.
With regard to our incident, while it was happening I actually saw Ann laughing! It was as if she had been expecting such a thing. At the time, I was thinking “this just shows how low our enemies have to stoop to make their points,” so maybe we were along the same lines. There is some talk internally to our team of taking further action, but I don’t think Graham the candidate wants to push things, and in any case anything we might do would need to be approved both by Ann herself and the party as a whole.
As to polling day, we will have to wait and see. Maybe the idea that Reform’s advance was damaged or stopped by the Parker incident is only wishful thinking by the establishment. The kind of people who think about voting Reform are also the kind of people who take less notice than most of what the mainstream media says. But what is not clear is how many undeclared Reform voters there will be. I think there might be quite a lot of people who voted Tory a decade and more ago, but have become so pissed off with the Tories that they now want to bring them down. And for these people, Reform is a good option as a protest vote. These people won’t be concerned about some loud-mouthed actor!
Anyway, I’ve just come back from the local hustings. Jeremy Hunt came over as insincere as ever, and once was even sharply pulled up by the moderator! And the Lib Dems have shown themselves up as being essentially the same as the Greens, water-melons, but with green and red reversed. They have moved far to the left of Labour, and they think money grows on trees.
I will post here the other two replies I received to the ’35 Articles’ that I nailed to the door of the local cathedral on a rotuli of calfskin soaked with the blood of Catholics. This deed I did in honour of Luther and in the hope of inaugurating a new revolutionary era in the human spirit.
Well…no, not really. It was just an e-mail I sent out to all the local candidates.
Below is the reply from the Reform UK candidate, with the original questions included. I’ve kept the various spelling errors in, indeed what stands out more than anything else is the profusion of bad spelling. I think some of it is just typos from a busy person, but you’ll notice some are actual spelling errors involving basic words, suggesting that the Reform UK candidate is not the most literate person.
I’d like to say it shouldn’t matter, but I think it does. She doesn’t seem to know how to spell the words ‘constituency’ (even though I’ve spelt it for her in the questions), ‘independent’, ‘competency’, ‘answer’ or ‘encourage’, and also has difficulty with proper nouns.
On the plus side, she did answer the questions (she could have ignored me) and having watched her in a recent local public debate, she does seem knowledgeable about the local area – and she is local and does live here. She also has the right instincts on one or two issues that matter to me.
ANSWERS FROM REFORM UK CANDIDATE:
1 & 2. Which of these five do you believe a Member of Parliament should put first: moral conscience, nation, country, constituency or party? You can only select one (there is no absolutely right or wrong answer).
I would put God first and let him guide my decisions thinking about ‘moral conscience’ but if that were not listed I would choose constituancy.(party last)
3. Do you believe in God?
Haha – Yes, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
4. Do you support the British Monarchy?
Yes
5. Overall, do you accept that the state too big and too interfering in people’s private lives?
Yes
6. Should the D-Day veterans regret their actions?
No
7. Who matters most – engineers, medical doctors or entrepreneurs?
we all play our part (we are one body)
8. If you don’t live or work in the constituency, why are you standing here? If you do live or work in the constituency, why didn’t you stand before now?
I was born, bred here. I live and work here. My entire family live between Filey and Spurn point. I am standing now becasue I feel called to and my son is becoming more independant by the day.
9. In your view, what should be the Number One local priority for our new Member of Parliament?
our NHS services, access and restoration of dental, GP, diagnistics and outpatients.
10. What arrangements will you make for constituency surgeries? How often will surgeries be held in the constituency and where? Will you hold open surgeries?
I will look to have monthly surgeries but have yet to decide if I shoudl move these each month say bi monthly in bridlington and then every other month in either hornsea, driffield or market weighton etc.
11. Rail fares are now expensive. What do you propose should be done to improve the situation for passengers?
I feel like the prices are what put many off using the trains as well as our local services beign limited in times and locations, I don’t have the anser but the infrastructre and workign with a newly elected mayor come next year to encorage and secure additional fundign for public transport will be a big part
12. In my opinion, cycling infrastructure in the constituency is poor. I appreciate this is a local competency, but as the Member of Parliament, would you support improvements, and if so, what would you do to encourage action by the local authority?
I woudl speak with local councillors to understand the current plans and scrutinise these as well as encorage improvements where possible.
13. In your assessment, how has Brexit affected the constituency and the region? Please include both positive and negative consequences/ramifications.
I feel like fishing industry was hopeful of change yet I feel the government have failed to see through to fruition the benefits this could have brought by havign a back bone and not accepting the weak deal we did. just one example.
14. If a realistic proposal were put forward to reverse Brexit in some way, would you support or oppose it?
oppose it, I do not think it democratic to go back on teh referendum.
15. Please explain your answer to 14.
[No answer]
16. If I want to get high, why should the law stop me?
Much like smoking the government is stepping into nanny state. I wouldnt say I would leagalise anything new but I’m open to debate.
17. Does Britain still need a strategic nuclear deterrent?
Yes
18. In what ways do you think Britain has benefitted from the domestication of the European Convention on Human Rights into our laws in 1998?
It has helped protect human rights – but has it been implemented against us by spesific lawyers?
19. Do you think 16-year-olds should have the vote?
Many I have spoken to have said either ‘No’ or ‘what are you talkign about’.
20. Which should come first: that the police reflect the community they serve or are effective in impartially policing the community they serve?
that they are effective in impartially..
21. Should schools base their curricula on the needs and requirements of employers?
I think it shoudl be balanced with what society is going to need/strategic thinking along with freedom and creativity to encorage innovation and new ideas. its a balance really
22. In the long run, is it better for young people to pass or fail their school exams?
I will say as a mum – Pass is best but honestly it makes little difference becasue a failed exam could be one off cuircumstance or lack of focus at the tiem of exam and we all have our strengths and weaknesses so might fail one but be great at another its about encoragment and growth as an individual into what you’re chosen path is.
23. Do you think prisons should be abolished? If ‘Yes’, what would you replace them with?
no
24. Should the death penalty be permitted for murder?
no
25. Do you think it is better in general for NHS management to be lay or clinically qualified?
i would prefer clinically qualified but a mix is healthy
26. Do you support the local devolution proposals?
yes becuase conservative government left us little choise if we wished to access additional funding and this area needs additional funding
27. Irrespective of your answer to 26, if the proposed devolution scheme is approved, what plans do you have to contribute to the new arrangements as a Member of Parliament?
i would support the mayor in securing funds and ensure/hold to account that the funds were spent fairly adn evenly over the area’s covered so not all to hull or just to east riding etc.
28. If you are elected to Parliament, will you vote in favour of continued British support for the Ukraine in its armed conflict with Russia?
I would take a deeper look into al available information before makign any decision on the situation
29. If your answer to 28 is Yes, could you explain how intervention in this conflict is in the national interest.
[No answer]
30. Do you believe that the white British people have a right to their own country?
Not sure what this means but I think I agree with teh sentiment?
31. Do you support an end to mass immigration?
Yes
32. If your answer to 31 is No, could you explain how mass immigration benefits the country?
[Not applicable]
33. Did you support the lockdown and mandatory wearing of masks against Covid-19?
no
34. Were you vaccinated against Covid-19?
yes
35. I usually spoil my ballot paper as it’s rare that any candidate is electorally suitable. What can you say to change my mind this time?
I don’t know you but I know me and I know that I have the competancy, confidence and strength through my faith to serve this beautiful constituancy well.
Thanks for posting this, Tom. Most of the typos seem to be inversion of two letters at the end of a word; these are quite common when someone is trying to type faster than they are used to. They are also common with people who are slightly dylsexic (pun intended). The rest are mainly letters being left out – again, easy when you are trying to type fast. Particularly on a mini-keyboard or phone.
On (1), she has made the right two choices out of the five (moral conscience followed by constituency). If I’m generous, I could say that how she got there is immaterial, but it certainly isn’t the way I got there.
Good answer to (22). And an excellent one to (28).
Overall, a pretty decent job given the circumstances. And kudos to her for answering at all.
Here’s a reply from an independent candidate:
1. Which of these five do you believe a Member of Parliament should put first: moral conscience, nation, country, constituency or party? You can only select one (there is no absolutely right or wrong answer).
Conscience
2. Please explain your answer to 1.
In the first instance, I only have authority and responsibility for myself and my actions
3. Do you believe in God?
I believe in a Soul
4. Do you support the British Monarchy?
Yes
5. Overall, do you accept that the state too big and too interfering in people’s private lives?
(Don’t accept the way this question is posed)
6. Should the D-Day veterans regret their actions?
That would be a personal matter for their own conscience.
For my part, no.
If they had not done what they did, I would not be able to answer your questions and you would not be asking them
7. Who matters most – engineers, medical doctors or entrepreneurs?
Entrepreneurs – they will solve the challenges of the other 2
8. If you don’t live or work in the constituency, why are you standing here? If you do live or work in the constituency, why didn’t you stand before now?
I moved here during the Pandemic
9. In your view, what should be the Number One local priority for our new Member of Parliament?
NHS Dentists
10. What arrangements will you make for constituency surgeries? How often will surgeries be held in the constituency and where? Will you hold open surgeries?
I plan to hold weekly surgeries
11. Rail fares are now expensive. What do you propose should be done to improve the situation for passengers?
I have no pledges, promises, or proposals, only ideas
12. In my opinion, cycling infrastructure in the constituency is poor. I appreciate this is a local competency, but as the Member of Parliament, would you support improvements, and if so, what would you do to encourage action by the local authority?
I would first need to understand why you think it’s poor
ERYC are excellent with regard to supporting cyclists, looking at the pathways would undoubtedly be on their radar
13. In your assessment, how has Brexit affected the constituency and the region? Please include both positive and negative consequences/ramifications.
I think the Pandemic has overtaken the effects and so it’s the Freedom of movement that’s affected constituents
The promised Billions returned to the UK have not materialised
14. If a realistic proposal were put forward to reverse Brexit in some way, would you support or oppose it?
I’m not doing make believe
15. Please explain your answer to 14.
I don’t accept the way the question is posed
16. If I want to get high, why should the law stop me?
It’s against the law 🤷♂️
So if you want to get high, you should campaign for legalising it
17. Does Britain still need a strategic nuclear deterrent?
Yes
Actually more now than ever
18. In what ways do you think Britain has benefitted from the domestication of the European Convention on Human Rights into our laws in 1998?
ECHR enshrines crucial rights like the right to life, freedom from torture, freedom of expression, and fair trials. Incorporating these into UK law has strengthened protections for basic liberties and human dignity
19. Do you think 16-year-olds should have the vote?
Yes
Old enough to be in the armed forces, Old enough to vote and have a say
20. Which should come first: that the police reflect the community they serve or are effective in impartially policing the community they serve?
They have to be impartial as much as human possible
21. Should schools base their curricula on the needs and requirements of employers?
No
That race is over
22. In the long run, is it better for young people to pass or fail their school exams?
Fail
23. Do you think prisons should be abolished? If ‘Yes’, what would you replace them with?
No
24. Should the death penalty be permitted for murder?
No
But a better use of human capital should be explored
25. Do you think it is better in general for NHS management to be lay or clinically qualified?
That race is also over
26. Do you support the local devolution proposals?
I support less administration
27. Irrespective of your answer to 26, if the proposed devolution scheme is approved, what plans do you have to contribute to the new arrangements as a Member of Parliament?
Work closely with the local authorities and combined authorities in the constituency to ensure a smooth transition and implementation of the devolved powers
Advocate for adequate funding and resources to be allocated to East Riding Council to enable them to fulfill their new responsibilities effectively
28. If you are elected to Parliament, will you vote in favour of continued British support for the Ukraine in its armed conflict with Russia?
No
29. If your answer to 28 is Yes, could you explain how intervention in this conflict is in the national interest.
Political Intervention leading the way to negotiations for a ceasefire and lasting peace would be in our National Interest
30. Do you believe that the white British people have a right to their own country?
No
We are a multicultural country and all the better for it
31. Do you support an end to mass immigration?
Another badly worded question
In / Out?
Do you mean refugees?
32. If your answer to 31 is No, could you explain how mass immigration benefits the country?
I can tell you that the country makes a profit from immigrants and a loss on natives
33. Did you support the lockdown and mandatory wearing of masks against Covid-19?
I did at the time – even knowing that the masks were placebos – but I would never support it again
The biggest CON pulled by the CONservative and Unionist party
34. Were you vaccinated against Covid-19?
Yes
35. I usually spoil my ballot paper as it’s rare that any candidate is electorally suitable. What can you say to change my mind this time?
As a businessman, I see your ballot paper is a voucher.
However, instead of it getting you a discount, a free flight, or another perk, it allows you to select who will get a £91,346 salary. Once you use the voucher, you have the right to expect that person to be accountable to you and others who likewise used theirs in the same manner
This is also an interesting list. Though it’s a pity he ducked (5). (11) and (12) are good answers. The answer to (14) seems a bit naive; though he may be thinking, as I do, that those that wish to re-join the EU will try to do it behind our backs, without asking us. (16) is unfortunate: he has forgotten Edmund Burke’s “Bad laws are the worst sort of tyranny.” (29) is a good answer, particularly given that Johnson put a spanner in those works. (32) suggests that for him, “the country” is synonymous with “the state.” Which might also explain why (5) didn’t make sense to him. (33) is a very good answer indeed, as is (35).
Tom, I hope you profusely thanked both of them for their time and trouble to answer your questions. I think it is significant that they are both non-mainstream candidates.
All three replies came from non-mainstream candidates who are also locals: Reform UK, Yorkshire Party and an independent (local businessman).
Poor replies from both. The answer of the Reform candidate to Q30 was concerning – that person is not sure what us having our own country means. Obviously, support for Reform largely symbolises opposition to the status quo. Not all of their candidates will be perfect, but if you’re going to send a message, it is as good a vehicle as any to do so.
I agree about the reply to Question 30. I think she knows what the question means. Her confused answer could either be caution in the belief I may pass the responses to the media (I certainly will not) or it could be equivocation on the basis that she doesn’t care for the issue but thinks I do, so is trying not to offend me. Either way, it shows what a pathetic state we’ve come to. But she did answer the questions.
I’m a big fan of Connor Tomlinson, and he is in this video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKVN321uXMA about Reform’s lame attempts at trying to depict itself as anti-racist.
Well, David, I’m not a racist. Nor is my candidate. Nor are any of my supporters’ team, as far as I know.
My view, on which I have written many times, is that you should judge people, not by superficial characteristics like colour of skin. but by their actions. If you manage to keep up to that principle, then you cannot be a racist.
BTW, I can’t/won’t access YouTube videos any more. In recent days, YouTube have gone hard against ad blockers, and if I try to access a YouTube video, I get a black screen of death. I am not willing to watch ads to see a video that I don’t even know whether it is worth watching!
Neil, I condemn you unreservedly for over a course of years continually pushing Far Left Cultural Marxism. Reform is doing very badly in this election, owing to the presence of people like you, who are advancing the “racism” meme. What is racism? It is not racial hatred as such, because minority people who express the most extreme racial hatred are not “racists”, we are told. It seems racism just means people who believe we have a country and are entitled to keep it. Because of people like you, Robert Lomas lost the seat in Barnsley North – one of the few Reform candidates to actually lose votes compared to the notional Brexit Party vote – over comments that should absolutely not have led him to be dropped as a candidate.
We need to push back hard against the racism meme – which means barring people like Neil Locke from the Reform Party. The idea that, e.g. a very mildly offensive description of the prime minister should be considered as worse than our losing our country entirely, the gang rape of tens of thousands of English girls, the terrorist attack on a concert in Manchester, higher levels of minority crime, the way in which ethnic minorities are being taught to hate this country and the way English people are taught to hate themselves. It is laughable that Farage wouldn’t make this point – and refuse to drop candidates for saying the obvious.
“You should judge people, not by superficial characteristics like colour of skin. but by their actions”. This is an exact quote of the Far Left propaganda, very similar to MLK’s comments. In fact, whatever their actions, people who are not us should not be allowed to claim to be us and receive our passports. And in point of fact, we are bringing people whose very actions are on average much worse than ours – do you not understand the point of racial representation in crime and terrorism?
Who the hell do you think you are, gaily handing our country to foreigners and then quoting Cultural Marxism at me as the justification? If we are not us, then we have lost our country. You are a traitor.
Sigh.