Reform Can't Reverse Britain's Decline - Sam Freedman

UK's biggest politics substacker, Sam Freedman, explains the deep rot at the heart of British politics. In this episode we address the big questions: why is Keir Starmer's Labour government failing and what would Reform do differently?

After winning a swathe of councils at the last local elections, Reform have struggled with the realities of governing. Indeed, a majority of Reform councils look set to raise council tax by the maximum after winning power by promising millions in cuts to spending.

Freedman argues that this is the result of the failure of state capacity, devolution and the brittle British economy which is at the mercy of foreign capital. With few levers to change the underlying fundamentals that incapacitate Britain, Freedman thinks that Reform would govern like chaotic populists - borrowing directly from Trump's MAGA playbook.

It's starting to look existential for the Labour Party. If the brutal budget and Welsh and Scottish elections in May go as badly as expected, pressure will inevitably mount to change leader. But what would a new boss actually do differently?

Is there really such a thing as 'not being in hock to the bond markets' without growth or a budget surplus? Or is this just 'good vibes' comms that will rub up against reality...

We are staring down a bleak future, where a politics of false promises and resentment could turbocharge Britain's malaise.

Progressives need to get real about our political project: what is the radical antithesis to nativist populism? We need a positive vision to unite the left and create a future worth fighting for.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro

01:49 Dominic Cummings Lost The Plot

12:10 Reform Are Moving Further Right

20:28 Remigration vs. Integration

28:17 Will Farage Copy Trump’s Playbook?

49:42 Why Labour is Losing

1:01:20 Disaster of Privatisation and Zero Growth

1:15:30 Economic Populism vs. Bond Market

1:22:04 Labour’s Budget Dilemma

1:34:00 Should Labour Replace Starmer?