A poll released yesterday (Monday) suggests that the Reform UK party, led by pro-Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, is attracting the highest percentage of intended voters, in other words emerging as Britain‘s leading political force, an unprecedented event.
One in four people in the sample of 2,465 voters surveyed by YouGov the day before Sunday and yesterday Monday said that if a general election were held today, they would vote for Reform UK. That party would garner 25 percent of the vote, while the ruling Labour party would get 24 percent, according to the poll, conducted for the Sky News television network.
21% of the sample said they would vote for the Conservatives, the party that monopolized power from 2010-2024.
The YouGov institute noted that this party’s marginal one-point lead over Labour is “within the margin of statistical error”, but its rise in the polls is nevertheless well established.
Nigel Farage was eventually able to secure a seat in the House of Commons in the 2024 election, for the first time at the eighth attempt, after decades in politics.
Britain’s single-seat (or majority) electoral system has so far guaranteed the rotation in power of the two major parties, Labour and the Conservatives, which have historically ensured disproportionately high representation in parliament.
Reform UK currently holds 5 seats in the 650-member parliament and has attracted over 4 million votes. For comparison, the Conservatives occupy 121 seats while receiving 6.8 million votes and Labour 412 seats while securing 9.7 million votes.
Britain’s next general election will not be held until 2029.
Ask me anything
Explore related questions