As readers of Heaver News will be aware, I don’t follow the crowd.
Yes, there has been some negativity around Reform UK in recent days.
But some consistently get drawn into a Twitter/X obsession and end up living in a parallel universe.
I actually think journalists who spend the majority of their time staring at apps on a phone quickly become significantly more out of touch. Echo chambers can be powerful.
It’s why I now use X as a fantastic tool for gathering information and updates.
But overall I try and spend as little time on social media as possible.
I much prefer spending time with family, friends, exercising and of course writing this newsletter!
The problem nowadays is that some who spend their lives on social media begin to develop a somewhat warped sense of perspective.
Is staring at a phone and tweeting a hundred times a day actually healthy? I doubt it.
Each to their own, but to underline what I’m talking about just look at the national support for Reform.
Some would claim that the party is now split, engulfed by chaos and with supporters leaving in droves.
But outside of the angry social media bubble, Reform just recorded what I believe is the party’s largest ever national poll lead.
Find Out Now have Reform’s support totally unchanged at 27%, according to a poll conducted on Wednesday.
That’s now a five point lead over Labour on 22% and a six point advantage of the third party Conservatives.
I’ve seen no evidence in any recent poll that Reform’s support has been dented whatsoever.
And according to one forecast, those latest national vote shares would mean Reform winning 278 seats, with Labour reduced to 109 and the Tories left with 97 MPs.
We don’t have to just rely on polls either: in local by-elections held this week Reform scored 31% of the vote in one area and gained 11 points in another.
Is negativity surrounding a political party ever good? Of course not.
But the evidence is that Reform remain on course to potentially form a Government after the next General Election.
Once again a very good newsletter. I must admit I've been wavering with the Reform debacle but realised it's a storm in a teacup and wanted to continue to support reform otherwise the usual suspects will get in and nothing will change.
Nice report Michael
Sue
Excellent piece as usual. I admire people's optimism about another general election taking place in 1
2029, but I don't share it. Starmer will not reliquias power unless his party remove him. He hates democracy.