Reform Gains: Just Take the Bloody Bins Out

Reform Gains: Just Take the Bloody Bins Out

From The Trawl by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

May 13, 2026 · 52 min · Episode 364

About this episode

Jemma and Marina discuss the implications of Reform UK's election gains and the current state of British politics.

The local election results are in and… bloody hell. In this Trawl, Jemma and Marina dig into Reform UK’s huge gains, Labour’s mounting panic, and the increasingly chaotic state of British politics. Was this a genuine political realignment, a protest vote, or something much darker bubbling away underneath? From viral clips and media narratives to Nigel Farage, culture wars, dodgy campaign tactics, and the terrifying power of algorithms, the pair try to answer the question everyone’s asking right now: how seriously should we take Reform? Plus: why some voters still don’t seem to connect political choices with real-world consequences, why the press scrutiny appears wildly uneven depending on who’s in the firing line, and why some Reform-led councils may become the party’s biggest problem before the next general election. There are also lighter moments involving Sir David Attenborough, pudding-based dystopias, and outrageous clips. It’s a long one. But then, there’s an awful lot to talk about. Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast   Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast   Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl…

People in this episode

Hosts: Jemma Forte, Marina Purkiss

Topics covered

  • local elections
  • Reform UK
  • British politics
  • political realignment
  • media narratives
  • voter behavior

Keywords

  • Reform UK
  • local elections
  • political realignment
  • voter behavior
  • media narratives
  • Nigel Farage
  • Sir David Attenborough

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Reform UK

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