Britain’s general election is on July 4th, America’s Independence Day. Less than two weeks away. I will give Britain credit for this one thing: I love how your election cycle is so streamlined and brief. Here in America, the presidential election cycle basically lasts for three years. Britain spends six weeks trying to figure out who they’ll vote for and then it’s over and you guys have a new government. Smart. The two major political parties in Britain are the Conservatives (Tories) and Labour. Labour hasn’t been in charge since Gordon Brown in 2010. Fourteen years of Tory rule have brought the people Brexit, a terrible economy, a prime minister who couldn’t outlast a head of lettuce, and a marginalized standing on the world stage. None of that is actually the British royal family’s fault, which is probably why both Labour and the Tories are both pro-monarchy to varying degrees. It’s left to the smaller political parties to voice strong anti-monarchy sentiments. Parties like Reform UK. One Reform UK candidate is currently “in trouble” with the British media because of just how much she hates the monarchy.
A Reform UK candidate reportedly shared a post on social media branding the Royal family “benefit scroungers” and calling for the monarchy to be abolished. Jo Hart, who is running to be the MP for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East, shared the rant on Facebook in 2022, during the Bank Holiday weekend to mark Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, according to the Daily Mail.
The post reportedly claimed the royals had “never experienced the kind of hardship” faced by Britons struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and described the celebrations as a “hugely wasteful light show” and a “slap in the face to all of us common folk”.
Ms Hart admitted to sharing the comments, but said she did not write them herself, the Mail reported.
The emotive message was also said to include the phrases “f— the royals” and “make Lizzy the last”. Ms Hart is the latest in a string of Reform candidates to face criticism after controversial remarks emerged in the media, and the second aspiring MP in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East to become embroiled in a row after Labour’s candidate Andy Brown was accused of sharing pro-Russian material online in the wake of the Salisbury poisonings.
The post reportedly shared by Ms Hart stated: “But then the Jubilee comes along, for our ‘glorious monarch’ who has never experienced the kind of hardship having to choose between heating or food, she doesn’t have to worry about keeping the lights on or not, in fact, the many MANY millions that have been p—-d away on the Jubilee celebrations haven’t even come from her pocket, but from the public purse.”
Is she wrong?? LMAO. I love the British media’s air of indignance too, like how DARE a reform candidate not support a colonizer family which represents inherited wealth, white supremacy, dynastic privilege and institutionalized misogyny and racism?? That’s the whole point of the system! This is the whole circus! Anyway, the Windsors are not on the chopping block during this election. But make no mistake, Jo Hart and her anti-monarchist ilk seem to be growing in support and power.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
How long will the Winddors last if they were to stop tax payers money? I am sure still generations with all the inherited wealth and money hoarded some where.
Anti-Monarchist Andrew Lownie says Charles’ jam business and the Duchy property empire pay no tax and profits and that the profits should be turned over to the people.
Also no inheritance tax was paid by the royal family either after Prince Philip n Queen died. zero.
Don’t know how such easy money just CONSTANTLY flows into that family’s hands non-stop. It’s so sickening.
Apart from these quotes about the monarchy being right, Reform UK remains a racist and bigoted party so you might not want to give them to much praise. Someone like Hart calling the Windsors benefit scroungers is like the pot calling the kettle black, her boss is Farage after all.
Came to say pretty much the same. Reform are for The Tories what RFK Junior is to The Republicans.. Farage is vile. His party is vile. All of the candidates are vile and whilst this one is anti monarchy, the majority run on an anti immigrant racist rhetoric
Yup, they’re spoilers like RFK Jr (not that I’m sad to see the Tories go down), but Reform is even more dangerous because mainstream Tories respond to the threat from far-right Reform by doubling down on racist, anti-immigrant policies.
Totally agree with @Lau and @Ali. The Reform party are the UK’s equivalent of MAGA. The candidate in this article is running in Scotland where people are more likely to be anti-monarchy (especially if Catholic). However, in England a Reform candidate is more likely to use the monarchy as a form of English identity. They will see Harry as a “traitor” and be absolutely vile about Meghan and the children. So, as much as I agree with the sentiment I wouldn’t trust a Reform candidate to tell me the time let alone how I should feel about the monarchy. They’ll say the most depraved and vile things to get a vote and unfortunately there are a lot of people who will agree with them.
As they say, even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Reform UK are racist. They are a right-leaning group that blames everything on Muslims and POC. The leader, Nigel Farage, helped orchestrate Brexit and is a known and open racist scumbag. He’s a fan of Andrew Tate, and overall a vile human being.
I hope Hart and her ilk aren’t gaining support and power, they’re far right but jobs
I think you meant nut jobs, but slow clap for but jobs, I love it. They are but jobs, the lot. They are so about whataboutism, it’s their only argument for their vile opinions, “but what about…” so but jobs is perfect for them. Although I do love what she wrote, I’m surprised a Reform but job feels that way, interesting.
Reform UK are a racist right-wing party.
@mary; it appears that former actor Laurence Fox may be their patron saint.
I’m sure these anti-royal sentiments were only quoted in the press to alienate people of color and the other British citizens who are not directly benefited by the current status quo by tying anti-monarchist statements to such vile racists.
“Ms Hart admitted to sharing the comments, but said she did not write them herself” SAY IT WITH YOUR WHOLE CHEST OR SHUT UP.
Huh, I did not have agreeing with anything a Reform candidate says on my bingo card for this election. They do hate immigrants and foreigners with a fiery passion so maybe that’s the underlying issue here, not British enough.
A bit rich coming from a Reform candidate, a party as others have pointed out is as racist and just awful as they come. They are lead by Nigel Farage, Trumps ‘friend’ and someone who admire’s Hitler and wants to privatise the NHS. They are worse than the Tories and thats saying something. Sadly Reform will do better than people expect them to as they appeal to those right wing Brexit supporters who think the Tories are not ‘right wing’ enough for them – they will take a lot of votes away from the Tories but at the risk of Farage finally getting a seat in Parliament (which would be a disaster as it gives him the legitimacy he has always craved).
The speaker will be very busy if he does get in. Spare us, please.
Reform UK is absolutely not anti-monarchy. Nigel Farage is a pro-monarchy as they come and he’s the leader of the party. Jo Hart is in the wrong party and should probably join the Alba party or SNP.
reform uk are a hideous bunch of racists BUT…. a broken clock is wrong twice a day
I hope more people start openly pointing out the uselessness and financial waste the British Royal Family is.
What the UK needs to do to get back on its feet is to chuck the class system (including monarchy) and rejoin the EU, ASAP. I don’t see either of these things happening in the next 10 years, unfortunately. Keir Starmer is a Tory-lite candidate, at best; and Jeremy Corbin, his likeliest challenger, was dead wrong about Brexit.
Reform is a racist evil party that hates LGBTQIA folks, vaccines and immigrants. Why are we platforming anything these losers have to say
One thing to be said for them, they are splitting the right wing vote, Labour have lost elections in the past because of a split left wing vote. FPTP only works reasonably well if there are only two parties. Of course a decent PR system would allow Farage a regular seat in Parliament, just as it did in the EU. Ugg.