reform4bath

Why Danny Kruger Is Integral to Reform UK’s Future Yesterday, I attended the Battle of Ideas festival in Westminster, where I listened to Danny Kruger MP in conversation with Baroness Claire Fox. The discussion was entitled Will Reform be allowed to rule? Taking on the Blob. As a Reform voter, I found this one of the more interesting discussions of the day, particularly because Danny is responsible for Reform’s preparations for government. Danny made a point that stood out to me. Sometimes we need to be more ‘vulgar’ towards those who oppose our views. I understood exactly where he was coming from. We have become so accustomed to politicians watching every word they say, terrified of upsetting the establishment, that very little actually changes. Claire Fox provided a good balance. She challenged Danny, reeled the conversation back in when necessary and made it clear that this was not going to become a party political broadcast. I appreciated that because I hadn’t travelled to London to listen to people agree with each other. The questions from the audience were equally pertinent. There were school teachers and lawyers raising genuine concerns, and they were not necessarily coming from a left-leaning position. It was refreshing to hear people questioning the practicalities rather than simply repeating the usual political arguments. One of the areas discussed was the complexity of legal status and the difficulties that come with trying to implement substantial political change. That immediately brought me back to my own analysis of Restore’s mass deportation proposals. Whatever your position on immigration, you cannot simply announce mass deportations and expect them to happen in a vacuum. There are legal frameworks, individual circumstances, administrative processes and international obligations to consider. You cannot just bypass all of that because it makes for a good political soundbite. And this is where I think Danny’s work is particularly important. We often talk about ‘the Blob’ as though it is some distant political entity. I don’t believe it is merely institutionalised. I think it is deeply entrenched within the machinery of government, and any party serious about changing the direction of this country needs to understand precisely what it is walking into. Danny’s proposals in Fixing the Centre address many of these issues. There is clearly a great deal of work taking place behind the scenes with Danny and his team, much of which the average voter probably never considers. I have never been particularly interested in politicians who simply tell me what I want to hear. I want to know how they intend to deliver what they promise, what obstacles stand in their way and whether they have actually thought beyond winning an election. I came away with a greater appreciation of the work Danny is doing. Not because I agreed with every word, but because I could see the thought being given to the practicalities of governing. As a Reform voter, that matters to me. There is a considerable difference between campaigning to change Britain and actually being in a position to do it. And after yesterday, I think Danny Kruger’s role in preparing Reform for government deserves far more attention than it receives. @danny__kruger @reformparty_uk

would be good if you asked him the question….