Show Notes:
We attended the Reform UK Conference and here’s our honest take on the atmosphere, fringe events, and what it means for British politics. Join brother-sister duo Justine and Gaz as they share their first-hand experience from the conference floor, including why Richard Tice wouldn’t take a selfie, the packed-out Jacob Rees-Mogg fringe event, and what the turnout tells us about Reform’s growing influence in UK politics.
This week on The T-Word, we’re kicking off Season 2 after our conference adventures. This episode gives you an insider’s perspective on the Reform UK Conference that you won’t get from mainstream media coverage. We discuss the surprisingly normal atmosphere (no Comic-Con vibes here), the optimistic mood among attendees, and compare it to what you’d see at other party conferences. Plus, we tackle Ed Davey’s complaints about Reform getting too much airtime – maybe if the Lib Dems solved some actual problems, they’d get more coverage too?Gaz shares his experience as a first-time conference attendee, from attempting (and failing) to get that Richard Tice selfie to successfully meeting Lee Anderson. We break down the fringe events, particularly the standing-room-only Jacob Rees-Mogg session on democracy and Conservative Party loyalty. Justine adds her observations on why this particular fringe event drew the biggest crowds and what it signals about the political landscape.Whether you’re a Reform supporter, politically curious, or just want to understand what’s really happening at these conferences beyond the official press releases, this episode gives you the unfiltered commentary you’re looking for.
CHAPTERS:
00:20 Gaz’s Conference Experience & Richard Tice Selfie
00:45 Meeting Politicians & Conference Atmosphere
01:35 Why Reform Felt Different from Other Conferences
02:07 Jacob Rees-Mogg Packed Fringe Event
02:53 Will We Go Again Next Year?
03:27 Political Commentary & Conference Season Preview
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What’s your take on Reform UK’s growth and their conference turnout? Do you think they’re becoming a real force in British politics, or is it just media hype? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!
Transcript:
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Justine Thomas (00:07)
Thoughts then? We’ve been away for two weeks, you’ve been on holiday, we’ve been to the Reform Conference, we’re coming back, Season 2, and what would you like to say about the Reform Conference before we start our new season because it was an interesting weekend?
GT (00:22)
Well, I just thought it was a very interesting weekend. Richard Tice wouldn’t let me get a selfie with him, so I’m still a bit battered and bruised from that. So they always say, I don’t know, he was too busy. They always say never meet your heroes, you’ll always be disappointed. So I tried to get the selfie, but I couldn’t get it. But I forgive you, Richard. I forgive you.
Justine Thomas (00:32)
Why not?
What was your best selfie from the conference?
GT (00:47)
I got picture with Lee Anderson, which was very pleasant. So, yeah, I mean, what do you do at a conference? You just go and listen to things, know, listen to other people’s opinions, just, I don’t know, just soak in the mood, soak in the atmosphere. I must say that they want any crazies there that I could see. Everyone just seemed quite normal. I think if you look at Labour’s conference, you know, you see so many people that just look like…
Justine Thomas (00:49)
⁓ that’s good. Yeah.
GT (01:12)
You wouldn’t know if you was at Comic Con, would you? Comic Con or a political gathering. There’ll be some fairies doing a speech. Do know what mean? Afternoon comrades. But yeah, so I don’t know. So yeah, it’s the first one I’ve ever been to, so I’ve not really got anything to compare it to.
Justine Thomas (01:17)
There were some people with purple hair.
The-
So you said you went to soak up
the atmosphere. How would you sum up the atmosphere there?
GT (01:37)
I would say positive, ⁓ optimistic, friendly. ⁓
Justine Thomas (01:39)
Yes.
And what about the fringe events?
Did you go to any of those? Because you went for one day, didn’t you?
GT (01:47)
Yeah.
Yeah, went to see the MoG, talking about democracy and that he won’t betray the Conservative Party, which didn’t go down too well to be fair. So obviously people like him. He should have spoke on the main stage really, MoG should have. I don’t understand why he didn’t. But yeah, it was good.
Justine Thomas (02:09)
Well, he’s a member of another
party, so it’s probably not really appropriate. But that fringe event, I was there too, and it was absolutely packed out. I think that was the busiest fringe event of the whole conference. It was certainly the busiest that I saw, but yeah, was really good.
GT (02:16)
Yes.
It was good.
I mean, I had some guy behind me that was every time he clapped, it sounded like he’s got a pair of tambourines strapped to his hand. I mean, this guy had the biggest, loudest hands I’ve ever heard in my life. Every time he clapped his hands, was literally, my head was ringing. You know, one of them, one of them things that stunned their prey. They clapped their claws together and stunned their prey. What is it? Like not a praying mantis, a shrimp. Some kind of shrimp. Just like…
time he was clapping it was like freaking out come on I came out with a concussion but yeah apart from that it was good what a pair of hands
Justine Thomas (02:56)
It was good. you
go again next year? Planning to go next year?
GT (03:00)
Yeah, I’d go again.
Yeah, I’ll go again. Like I say, I mean, you go, you listen to things, you listen to ideas, you meet people, you get your photo talk. I suppose you can gauge how popular the party is, you know, by obviously the attendance. So obviously being able to see a lot of people gathering in one venue like that, it kind of does cement the fact that reform are becoming a real, a real party now, really, really mainstream. So, yeah.
Justine Thomas (03:29)
forced to be reckoned
with not that you’d gather from the opponents. But there you go. They keep moaning. They keep moaning. saw Davey was moaning about why Reform UK are getting so much air time all over the place. And I thought, well, why don’t you actually say something that’s interesting or useful and you might get some air time too. Exactly. Exactly. Yes.
GT (03:31)
Yeah, I think so.
No, but I’m using up words.
Yeah. All right, solve a problem. Maybe solve a problem. Maybe solve a crisis.
Justine Thomas (03:58)
Well, we’ll
GT (03:58)
Or smash a gang or just do something. I don’t know, but you know, so shut up.
Justine Thomas (04:03)
see what happens at the Lib Dem Conference because conference season is coming up. So it will be interesting and that will be topics that we will be covering in the coming weeks.
So for anybody who hasn’t subscribed and wonders what on earth we talk about, we are a weekly show. We’re a brother and sister duo. And we just like talking about what’s going on in politics, what’s going on in the news. We record it. If you like it, subscribe. Give us a like. Give us the old thumbs up because it really helps us to expand our reach. See you on the next episode.