Mainstream political parties must deliver the radical reforms the country has long been crying out for, or run the risk to succumb to Reform
Taken all together, the results of these elections seem to suggest that communities – especially in left behind places – care about their place, and will continue to vote for change until they see it happening. And if none of the main political party can seriously commit to take on this challenge, the electorate will keep turning to the most vociferous alternative to the status quo, i.e. Reform.
There are risks and opportunities emerging from this scenario. On the negative side, Reform’s seismic performance could push the main political parties in government and opposition to mimic its populist stances (e.g. on immigration). Or it could see the government putting a halt to key policies like devolution aimed at pushing power away from Westminster and foster local autonomy – as this could now be seen as a counterproductive strategy with the potential to give leverage to alternative forces like Farage’s party. Either would be a serious misstep, that could end up adding further fuel to Reform’s fast-spreading populist wildfire.
Instead, Reform’s results should awaken policy-makers, prompting them – and in particular the current Labour government – to deflate populist forces by doing what they will never be able to: rebuild political trust by devising a sustainable, long-term policy agenda that is genuinely place-based, open to devolve real power and resources to local areas, and can truly help address persisting inequalities. After all, to govern is to choose: deliver the radical reforms the country has long been crying out for, or run the risk to succumb to Reform.