Reform UK Surges Close to Conservatives After Farage's Return

Support for Britain's Reform UK party has surged to within two percentage points of the ruling Conservatives following Nigel Farage's return to leadership. A YouGov poll showed Reform at 17% and Conservatives at 19%, with the opposition Labour Party leading at 40%. The updated poll methodology did not affect Reform's increase.

Support for Britain's Reform UK party has risen to just two percentage points short of the ruling Conservatives since Nigel Farage's decision to take over leadership and stand for re-election, a YouGov opinion poll published on Wednesday showed. The poll, conducted entirely after Farage's surprise decision to return to frontline politics on Monday, put Reform on 17%, with the governing Conservative Party on 19%.

The opposition Labour Party topped the poll with 40%. YouGov said they had updated their methodology for the poll, which had resulted in a smaller lead for Labour than it had previously showed.

But the changes did not affect the increase for Reform, which was three percentage points under both the old and new methodology, YouGov said.