Just Reform UK making excuses for embarrassing by-election loss

[00:00:00]what people have uh have voted for uh is is what they voted for in the local elections which is to get Starmmer out and in voting for Andy Bernham they've reinforced they want the prime minister gone.

[00:00:12]>> You in the local elections got 50% of the vote in the areas that make up the Makerfield constituency don't you? So you have gone backwards there.

[00:00:21]>> Yeah. And what we heard, you see, in the local elections, we used the slogan vote reform, get Starmar out. And we heard from a number of people in the constituency who said, in order to ensure that we get Starmmer out, I'm going to vote Burnham even though I'm I'm reform-minded or I'm a reform voter in the locals. And that's actually what's happened. They have sent a very clear message. Uh people want the most unpopular prime minister in living memory uh to be gone. And uh that's why you've got a comprehensive victory >> and replaced with someone to his left.

[00:00:53]>> Uh well, that's the reality, but I I repeat the point.

[00:00:55]>> Well, that's the reality. The reality is the reality is no, people want this prime minister gone. Uh but people are very concerned about Labor, which is why and that brand is toxic, which is why Mr. Burnham, he relied on his own personal popularity in the Northwest as opposed to the Labor brands.

[00:01:11]>> So, Reform UK were the victims of a protest vote.

[00:01:16]Yeah, it was tactical voting to ensure that objective. And look, we we fought a a great campaign, incredibly uh proud of how Harks everybody worked and a massive thank you to everybody starting with the candidate himself who worked tirelessly.

[00:01:33]But look, it's difficult. Mr. Burnham is a well-known figure in the Northwest, of course. And wasn't it fascinating that none of his literature or his posters had the word labor on it? And that's because Labor is a toxic brand and there's some suggestions that as you've just had on your show, uh there might be an early election as far as reforms concerned. Bring it on. Uh we would welcome the chance to take on Labor across the country.

[00:01:59]>> The right-wing voters who did, you know, it wouldn't have been enough even if you combined your votes together. Let's just be let's just be honest about that. Even if you combined all the right-wing votes, you wouldn't have won still. But what is your message to those other right-wing parties, Restore Britain and the Conservative Party?

[00:02:14]uh unite behind reform. It's only reform that now has the confidence of the British people and you can see it from the polls uh to do the right thing uh to use our own energy treasure from uh the North Sea, oil and gas, to bring the bills down, to cut wasteful spending, to cut uh the benefits bill, to stop the boats, uh to have net zero immigration.

[00:02:37]That's the only net zero we do want, by the way. And people trust us and people are sick and tired of the two main parties who've made people poorer. Just this morning, terrifying borrowing figures out under this Labor government.

[00:02:51]23 and a bit billion pounds borrowed in the month of May. 25% more than the ABR forecast. 30% more than this time last year. These are catastrophic numbers showing public spending is out of control. Despite all the higher taxes, all of your great viewers and listeners are paying and and that shows that actually change is needed and it's only reform that has got the courage and the confidence to do what is right to make people better off and to bring our energy bills down.

[00:03:18]>> The point is, and you're going to accept this, I'm sure, the point is that that popularity is based not just on his look, his eyebrows, whatever. It's based on actual policies, isn't it? is based on the things that he says to people about the way politics should be done and the things that should be done as well. And those are not the things that reform is in favor of. In other words, this is a repudiation. Well, hang on a second. It's a repudiation not just of the prime minister. It's also a repudiation of you.

[00:03:48]>> Far from it. It's literally he's known as captain flip-flop. I mean, he's flip-flopped during this campaign on whether to rejoin the EU or not. he's flip-flopped in terms of his support for uh large-scale immigration and the asylum seekers or not. He's flip-flopped on his position around uh trans rights and the rights of men to go into female uh single uh bathroom spaces. So, um you know, he hasn't got any policies. Uh he's just relied on the uh the disenchantment with this prime minister.

[00:04:19]That's what uh that's what this has been all about. One of the reform MPs, Sarah Pochin, she posted a video on X yesterday saying, "Thank goodness the England team won the football." Talking of the England Croatia match because I'm quoting now, "On the occasions that England lose their football matches, the incidence of domestic violence goes through the roof so boys keep winning."

[00:04:41]Was that an appropriate comment to make?

[00:04:43]It is always appropriate, Rosie, to campaign against violence against women and girls. And Sarah is a brilliant champion of that and we must continue to do that day in England to keep winning, not to say men don't hit your girlfriends or hit your wives.

[00:04:59]>> Rosie, Rosie, that is completely wrong.

[00:05:02]Are you suggesting that we should support violence against women and girls? Anybody who criticizes Sarah on this issue is not supporting the campaign against violence against women and girls. It is as simple as that. And people might express it in different ways.

[00:05:17]Hang on. Day in day in day out we will always campaign against violence against women and girls. And Sarah is a strong, determined, passionate champion of that cause along with many others quite rightly so. So if he becomes prime minister, Reform UK have lost their number one asset, Kier Stalmer.

[00:05:42]Well, he's still if that happens, he would be prime minister of uh the most toxic political brand in the country at the moment, which is Labor. And uh that is what we will be battling against uh in uh in 650 constituencies. Uh the the Labor Party and what they've done to our economy. We've just talked about the borrowing figures, figures out just in the last couple of days. Job numbers down, vacancies down, uh not people, youngsters not in employment, education or training is up to over a million I think it is. I mean all of the economic interrogators are dire and people are getting poorer. people have less money in their pocket as this government has taxed taxed everybody to the hilt and beyond uh to waste it on on just ludicrous hairbrain schemes all over the place. Um interestingly we had reform voters saying I'm so determined to get Starmmer out. I'm going to vote Burnham to ensure that result. Um so look obviously uh you know we'd have uh we'd have loved to have won it but we're looking forward to the Greater Manchester Maril contest that will take place we think at the end of July and so that'll be our next next ambition.

[00:06:53]>> Now you would have hit the magic figure of 40% voter share in Makerfield if it wasn't for Robert Low and Restore. So how do you solve a problem like Rert Low?

[00:07:06]>> It's very simple. Uh those who don't want a socialist government uh have to recognize that we are the patriotic vote who can save this country with the right policies on immigration, on stopping the boats, on uh getting the economy going, on cutting debt, on reducing our bills by drilled baby drill uh in the North Sea, offshore and offshore. We've got the policies of common sense and that's why we're leading in over 300 national polls. Mark, that's that's the simple reality.

[00:07:38]>> And I don't want to get in trouble with your handlers because I know you have to run in a second. Richard, couple of quick ones. Should the prime minister resign and what is your preferred date for a general election?

[00:07:52]>> Well, I think the prime minister will have little choice but to resign, otherwise be faced with cabinet resignations. But let's see how the next few days unfold. And um whenever there's a general election uh against uh whoever's the the prime minister, we will be battling Labor. We're the only people that can be trusted to take them on. The the Tory brand is also toxic.

[00:08:12]>> What went wrong for reform?

[00:08:15]>> Well, in a sense, uh as I say, this was a safe Labor seat, has been for 100 years. We gave it a very good go. Our vote share increased since the last general election. Um but you know, Mr. Burnham is a a well-known high-profile figure. What was interesting was that uh nowhere in any of his literature or posters was there the word labor. And that's because Labor are incredibly unpopular.