The Times They Are A-Changin’: A Lovers Tiff 

 

 

“When routine bites hard and ambitions are low
And resentment rides high, but emotions won’t grow”  

 

Listening to right-wing populists I find myself running the gamut of emotions from A-Z. 

I agreed with Trump when he said companies were “making too much money” from the global energy market disruption caused by his war on Iran.  

“Chevron: too much money. ExxonMobil: too much money. They’re going to give some of that back to the public and they better cut the retail price, the consumer price.” 

This was in response to Chevron reporting its highest ever quarterly profit of $12.2bn, a fivefold increase on the same period last year. ExxonMobil reported a profit of $14.5bn, double what it made in the same period a year ago. 

In the UK, BP reported profits of $5.7bn, double its last quarter. 

Management have done nothing other than be in the right place at the right time. The best use of these  excess profits is for them to be taxed as the windfall they are, to be used fund vouchers for consumers to redeem against foodstuffs in supermarkets. Whereas, we all know they will be used for bonuses and increased dividends for the parasites that kid themselves they are doing a good job! 

 

‘In the UK, BP reported profits of $5.7bn, double its last quarter’

 

The next scandal will be how slowly pump prices fall  compared to how quickly they increase. “Rockets and feathers”; they go up like a rocket and fall like a feather! 

We now turn to today’s main topic, the on-off bromance between Nigel Farage and Rupert Lowe. 

Originally, they were both key figures in Farage’s Brexit Party, which became Reform UK. They campaigned closely to promote right-wing, Eurosceptic policies. Following the 2024 general election, they formed part of Reform’s core parliamentary group in parliament. 

They fell-out in March 2025  after a Daily Mail interview with Lowe, in which he criticised allegations of bullying, and questioned the party’s direction, calling  Reform a “protest party” led like a “cult” or by “the Messiah”. 

Lowe was suspended for damaging the party’s credibility, and over accusations of workplace bullying and threatening behaviour toward party chairman Zia Yusuf, allegations that Lowe strongly denied. 

Lowe left and went on to create a new party, Restore Britain, with support from Elon Musk. Recently, Restore has begun to eat into Reform’s support by offering policies that are more extreme than Reform, who have responded in kind, creating what can only be described as a race to the bottom. 

The result in the Greater Manchester mayoral byelection showed that were cannibalising each other’s vote to the benefit of progressive parties. Restore finished fourth in with 8.7% of the vote, Reform were second with 21%, both were well behind Labour’s Bev Craig. 

 

‘Reform, who have responded in kind, creating what can only be described as a race to the bottom’

 

After this, Lowe extended Farage an olive branch, saying they should put “personalities and our past disagreements aside for the good of the country”. 

Lowe told Farage if he was “prepared to work together around serious policies, serious reform and serious government, then so are we. 

“In my view, failing to even try because of our own personal difficulties is simply not an option. Now is the time to put our differences aside and cooperate for the good of the country that we all love.” 

 

Lowe has set five conditions for cooperation: 

 

• Mass deportation of illegal migrants “including women and children”. 

• Tougher rules on legal migration, a ban on halal and kosher slaughter, the burqa, cousin marriage and sharia courts. 

• A referendum on the death penalty. 

• Welfare cuts to fund “self-sufficiency”. 

• The exclusion of former Tory ministers from any future cabinet. 

 

Lowe said: “Mass deportations must become a political inevitability. They must all go.” 

In an initial response, Reform’s home affairs spokesperson, Zia Yusuf, played down the proposed coalition, saying: “One thing about history in this country, it shows that coalition governments achieve nothing that anybody wants, really. Everyone ends up disappointed.” 

However, Farage, the party leader, appears more openminded, framing the next election as “an existential fight to save the country”, he said Reform would need support beyond its own ranks to win. 

Farage appears willing to enter into discussions with Lowe, however there were caveats, saying: “A conversation is different to a negotiation. I opened the door to that conversation yesterday, late morning, and at the moment I have not yet had a reply. 

 

“Mass deportations must become a political inevitability. They must all go.” 

 

As both parties are centred around one-issue, immigration, they have much in-common.  

Of course, all of this might end as a red herring after the dust settles on the ongoing sleaze enquiries into  both Farage, and deputy leader Tice. 

Farage, prior to his staged resignation as an MP, was under investigation by the Commons standards commissioner, and this will be resumed, should he win the byelection triggered by his resignation. 

The basis for the investigation was the £5m “gift” he received prior to his return as party leader, shortly before the 2024 general election. 

The “gift” has been variously explained as being for hie personal protection, or a “thank-you” for delivering Brexit. As he wasn’t an active politician at that time, Farage’s originally claim was that there was no need disclosure. 

More recently, he has admitted he struck  a deal with the party’s then leader, Richard Tice, and the convicted fraudster George Cottrell to return as leader months before the 2024 general election, casting fresh doubt on his previous claims. 

It appears that during discussions, Farage told senior party members he would need “a million a year” to cover lost earnings if he stood for parliament in the 2024 general election.  

 

‘Farage told senior party members he would need “a million a year” to cover lost earnings if he stood for parliament in the 2024 general election’

 

In spite of this, the good ship Reform sails-on, proposing that the Navy be used to prevent small boats bringing migrants to the UK from France. 

Retired Royal Naval Cmdr Tom Sharpe told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the proposal “lacks quite a lot of substance” and that the Navy did not have suitable ships to spare, given the military operations it was already carrying out. 

This is nothing new, it was a Conservative proposal four years ago. 

 

Looks like Reform will need to get a bigger fag packet on which to write out its evil schemes! 

 

Aside from serving as a distraction from the ongoing financial scandals, it ignores the fact that Labour’s immigration policies have prevented 46,000 attempted crossings, and led to the removal of  70,000 people with no right to be here. 

The proposal assumes that the French authorities will allow these people to be dumped on their shores. This was dismissed by the party’s home affairs spokesperson, Zia Yusuf, who said: “If the French disagree, what will end up happening is we’ll end up having something of an argument with the French.” 

Yusuf claimed that would be a “crime against humanity” if French authorities refused to allow people to disembark on its shores, but was unable to explain how his party’s policy of refusing to allow any to make it safely to the UK’s shores would not constitute the same. 

Looks like Reform will need to get a bigger fag packet on which to write out its evil schemes! 

 

 

“Foolish pride
That’s all that I have left
So let me hide”  

 

Burnham has shown a degree of pragmatism, keeping Mahmood as Home Secretary, and allowing a  limited increase in production in the North Sea. The latter won’t amount to much but it plays to a few sensitivities.  

Whether he really has the answers only time will tell.  

When you consider the alternatives he stands-out like a beacon. The Tories are increasingly pointless until they accept the need for net zero.

Of course, there is, or rather there was Reform.

I think their days are over. They, along with Restore, are a one-issue party: immigration. Just as UKIP was only about Brexit.

Immigration is still an issue for some, and the right-wing press seems determined to ignore Labour’s relative success on this subject. I suspect it falls into “the good, but not good enough” basket.

As the weeks pass the sleaze storm around Reform just gets worse, or for me, it simply gets better!

Even if Farage and Tice weather the standards investigation they are damaged goods. Tice wouldn’t be an electoral loss, whereas Farage is critical for them. Without him, it’s just a bunch of failed Tories.

This is one we can definitely chalk down to the Guardian.

Lyrically, it’s a treat. We start with “Love Will Tear Us Apart” by Joy Division, and end with “Walk On By” by Bacharach and David. The latter was made famous by Dionne Warwick, but was also the subject of the most surprisingly brilliant cover version by The Stranglers.

I did enjoy Trump’s comments about the oil companies!

Philip 

 

@coldwarsteve

 

Philip Gilbert is a city-based corporate financier, and former investment banker.

Philip is a great believer in meritocracy, and in the belief that if you want something enough you can make it happen. These beliefs were formed in his formative years, of the late 1970s and 80s

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