NIGEL FARAGE’s Reform UK has overtaken the Labour Party in a new poll, making it the most popular political party in Britain.
The poll reflects public dissatisfaction with prime minister Keir Starmer less than seven months into his term.
The YouGov poll, conducted for The Times and published on Monday, found that if a general election were held now, 25 per cent of voters would back Reform UK, 24 per cent would support Labour, and 21 per cent would vote for the Conservatives.
YouGov noted that Reform UK’s narrow lead over Labour falls within the poll’s margin of error. The survey included 2,465 respondents and was conducted on 2-3 February.
Starmer led Labour to a landslide victory in last year’s election, ending 14 years of Conservative rule. However, his government has faced early challenges, including backlash over a tax-raising budget and concerns about the economy.
Meanwhile, Farage’s party has gained support with its populist stance, drawing voters away from the two major political parties.
Farage, a key figure in the Brexit campaign and an ally of US president Donald Trump, has advocated for lower taxes and reduced immigration.
Despite securing 14.3 per cent of the vote in last year’s general election, Reform UK won only five of the 650 parliamentary seats due to Britain’s 'first past the post' electoral system.
Labour, with a 33.7 per cent vote share, won 63.2 per cent of the seats.
"Britain wants Reform," Farage wrote on social media platform X, sharing the latest poll results.
Labour’s support fell by three points compared to the previous poll on 26-27 January, while Reform UK gained two points.
The Conservatives, now led by Kemi Badenoch, lost one point. The party recorded its worst-ever election performance last July under former prime minister Rishi Sunak.
(With inputs from Reuters)
An aerial view of the British Steel Scunthorpe site on September 13, 2024. (Photo: Getty Images)