So I walked into what used to be a Conservative Club last Tuesday, expecting... I don't know, maybe some sad old blokes nursing warm bitter and complaining about the weather.
Instead, I found myself in the middle of what might be the most bizarre political experiment I've seen since 2016. The Talbot pub in Blackpool has gone full Reform UK - and I mean FULL. We're talking turquoise paint job, Union Jack in the lobby, and regulars who genuinely believe Nigel Farage will be Prime Minister by 2029.
The landlords, Peter Flynn (53) and Nick Lowe, told me their takings have tripled since they ditched their 100-year Conservative ties two weeks ago. Tripled! Either they're lying through their teeth or there's something happening here that Westminster isn't paying attention to.
£2 Pints and "Remainer Tears" (Yes, Really)
Listen. I've been to a lot of political events over the years - from fancy think tank dinners in Mayfair to grim campaign offices in forgotten towns. But I've never been offered a pint of "Remainer's tears" for £2.60.
That's not a joke, by the way. The regulars here actually say that with straight faces.
Peter grins at me over his own pint (it's 2 PM on a weekday, but who's counting?) and explains his Kevin Costner moment: "If you build it, they will come. Well, we built it and they are coming."
And they really are. During my visit, there were easily 20+ people scattered around - some playing billiards for 50p a game, others huddled over beef stew that costs £2. The youngest was Skye Reid, an 18-year-old bartender who told me she "can't wait" to cast her first vote for Reform.
"I'm not a racist," she says, unprompted. "It's just so wrong that they house illegal immigrants before our homeless." She's talking about the Britannia Metropole hotel, literally an 8-minute walk away, where asylum seekers are housed.
The People's Army (Apparently)
Mark Butcher, Reform's local chairman, has grand plans. And when I say grand, I mean completely mental.
"We're the people's army - we're rising up and the colour is turquoise," he tells me, completely serious. "There will be no red wall, no blue wall by the time we're finished."
He wants Reform pubs across the entire country. Imagine that for a second - a chain of political drinking establishments where you can debate immigration policy over cheap lager.
The weird thing? It might actually work.
I met James Rooney, up from Manchester with his family, who made a special detour just to drink at "the UK's first Reform pub." He's a former Conservative voter who's had enough: "Both parties can fire off - we'll go for Farage from now on."
Even Corbyn's Welcome (Sort Of)
Here's where it gets properly bizarre. Peter and Nick insist they welcome "all races, creeds, religions" and aren't running a "den for racists." Fair enough.
They even let Labour supporters drink there - I literally met one propping up the bar, completely unbothered by the Reform posters above his head.
But Jeremy Corbyn? Different story.
"Unless he has a photo taken under our Reform pub sign, we wouldn't serve him - and we'd charge him double," Peter laughs. The man's got standards, I suppose.
What This Actually Means
Look, I could dismiss this as a publicity stunt by two opportunistic pub landlords. And maybe that's all it is.
But here's what bothers me: these people are genuinely angry. Dave Crowder, a 64-year-old plumber, is furious about Labour's Brexit U-turn. "They claim it takes years to pass policies, but when it's something they want, it's sorted right away."
Keith Pickering, 60, calls the pub a "political Mecca" where you can "speak your mind without judgment."
That phrase - "without judgment" - keeps bouncing around my head. Because whether you agree with Reform's politics or not, these people feel like they've found somewhere they can actually talk about what's bothering them.
Peter claims they're "preventing anger turning into violence" by giving frustrated residents a voice. That's either complete nonsense or genuinely important - and I honestly can't tell which.
With potentially four years until the next election, Reform has plenty of time to build on their recent success (10 councils, two mayoralties, and a fifth MP). Whether The Talbot becomes a model for political organizing or just a weird footnote in British pub history remains to be seen.
But one thing's certain - this isn't your typical field of dreams.
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