In Pontypool, I saw the looming threat of Nigel Farage – and how Labour is playing into his hands | John Harris
R.It does not indicate the town of Pontypool in South Wales to a decisive political confrontation line. The city center has the imposition of buildings in the nineteenth and twentieth century that was created in a spirit of pride and optimism, but a long time ago is empty; Local population talks about the shadow of the old iron and coal industries, and the fact that a few of the precious has never come. On Monday afternoon, I visited it, the most reckless scene was a huge mural for the local crowd crowd, sprayed with love abroad for a former discount store: a Mobilize two -dimensionalPut there “people’s inspiration to remember what Pontypool might be as a prosperous society.”
Despite the appearances, a The moment of the water gatherings It happened here recently. Like a lot of southern Wales, Pontypool has long been seen as a sincere work of employment – but on February 13, Report UK gained the first Wales consultant in A. Election of the local town council. The victor was a former pioneer in the army, which won 457 votes with the poverty of the Labor Party 259, and he claimed, upon the greeting of his victory, that there would be no consultants from work, representatives or members of the Senate, the Welsh Parliament, who could think of confidence that they were safe seats. The UK is scheduled to reform to remove the ongoing idea of South Wales as a strong socialist heart: Nigel Farraj intends to hold Wales 2026 elections, “to a large extent our greatest priority.”
In London, at the same time, the escalating threat from Varage and his companions and the return of Donald Trump to the White House It led to an amazing political shift, led by the Chief of Staff Care Starmer and the high -end chief of staff Morgan Maxoini. The government’s position on migration has turned into sour and punishment: Watch these people Fold videos Among the illegal immigrants who are deported, and the new move to Kafkaesque Permanent denial UK’s nationality for anyone who traveled here via a supposed road is illegal and dangerous. Amid support for the third Heathrow runway and talking about the new drilling in the North Sea, the green spaces that were once the essential idea of Starmer. Discounts up to 5 billion pounds in the advantages of disease and disability Waiting on the horizon.
This was the dark context of Starmer advertisements for sharp cuts in external aid to open the way to increase defense spending. While charities and Non -governmental organizations have expressed warning As this step means in everything from violence against women and girls to the effects of the heating planet, he said that the decision -making was.Very difficult and painful“But it was an option that installed the well -known meeting project in some circles Starmer “repair”(Think about the matter). Such a move, after all, demanded the right -wing press. A resignation message to it Last week, outgoing Minister of International Development, Annelies Dodds, said that the reduction “was already filmed as being followed by President Trump from the United States Agency for International Development.”
Many moods surrounding the government fit the same image. One of the sources of McSWeney from the continuous inspiration is the MARICE GLASMAN: The only labor parliament called for the installation of Trump, and a modern guest in the podcast that the former Trump hosted by Steve Bannon, the man who recently denied his speech at the CPAC conference in Washington DC With one of these Hitler salute. Glassman at a level Confirmed The “progressive” is his political enemy, “because they actually despise faith, despise the family, despise love, and do not even want you to enjoy sexual intercourse with your wife.” Very funny !! It is too Believe This is “the only place to build a house now is on the left side of the Maga Square”, wherever it is. Among the other intellectual shells that were recently Talk to the top Starmer The assistants are Monira Mirza, a former adviser to Boris Johnson, who is said to help in “a kind of liberal cultural pluralism”.
While such conversations occur behind the scenes, other signs of the new leadership mentality in the open. Josh Simons is a newly elected deputy and a reliable ally of MCSWEENEY who has heard that he was promoted to the rapid upgrade to the Council of Ministers. During the second parliamentary reading of the government border security, the draft asylum and immigration law, gave a A very cool speech Based on his admiration for the ancient Greeks – specifically their classification of migrants as “MITEX”. He said to such rumors, “They underwent different rules, who joined the city, which was controlled and the bar was highly appointed to those who could become a citizen and vote.” If METEX breaks the Athenian laws, “moreover,” they are expelled from the city, and sometimes they pushed to the burning Greek sun. “
Fear that anyone believed that he was carrying a little, this was just a lesson in the principle through which the “people who rule themselves” control those who are and become a member of the illustrations. ” So. exhaustion The party believes in control and order. The opposition is not. “
With or without classic references, will this type of conversation be withdrawn that people are afraid that he will be afraid that he will lose? In Pontypool, it was not difficult to find very taken with Farage and his party. A man told me This Farage “continues with Trump, and we have to stay next to them.” Another said that successive governments “allowed many people across the border … it seems to me that they are eating all the work and taking everything.” What everyone said was woven through a familiar topic in the same extent: the continuous grinding of the high food bills and energy prices, and life in a place that turned into a “ghost city”.
There are two possible ways for all of this. In line with their support for Ukraine, the Prime Minister and his colleagues have now been appointed to attack reform in the United Kingdom On its soft positions on RussiaBut there is a mysterious contradiction in work: in other areas of politics, it appears that the reform of Starmer/Mcsweeey deepens. This will not only bend the left -wing policy into impossible forms, but it comes with a deep danger: it is already making Farage and its ILK voice not only as if they were controlling a large part of the national conversation, but they prefer any almost increasing version of the work of popular policy. Worse, it is certain that voters who may prefer vegetables, Cymru engraved, SNP, or LIB Democrats: UCL Politics Laboratory Laboratory Published voting He explains that more than 40 % of employment supporters 2024 say that if safe ways of refugees are prevented or climate work, this will prevent them from voting next time.
Or there may be a plan b. Politicians in the Labor Party may do their best to rebuild cities such as Pontolle, responding to their call to appreciation and security, and helping them get things that teach the scarcity of all these talks about strangers: jobs and homes, as well as feeling that they are no value from people who live in more sexual places. They can do this while adhering to the remaining liberal values of the party, and finally getting out of a convincing response to an increasing urgent question. If the world is destroyed by fanatical tyranny who lack the climate, this really tends to their policies, what kind of answer?
