REFORM UK have hit their highest level of support since the party’s inception, according to a new poll – closing the gap between them and the Conservatives.
The right-wing party has soared to 15% (+1 percentage point) in the latest YouGov poll, eating into the Conservatives’ vote share.
They are also now the most popular party among Brexiteers, making up 33% of the Leave vote share, closely followed by the Conservatives at 32% and Labour at 21%.
READ MORE: Owen Jones quits Labour Party and endorses Greens in England
🗳️ Reform UK are now the most popular party amongst Leave voters.
— Stats for Lefties 🇵🇸🏳️⚧️ (@LeftieStats) March 21, 2024
🟪 REF 33% (+29)
🟦 CON 32% (-42)
🟥 LAB 21% (+7)
🟧 LD 6% (+3)
🟩 GRN 5% (+3)
Via @YouGov, 19-20 Mar (+/- vs GE2019) pic.twitter.com/1uFpwfXHwA
The Tories scooped up just 19% of the vote share in the YouGov survey (-1), putting them at their lowest polling result this parliament and the same share of the vote as Liz Truss’s lowest ebb in 2022.
It comes as the Conservatives' mayoral candidate for Greater Manchester has announced that he is defecting to Reform UK.
Dan Barker will now stand for Reform in the May 2 election.
According to PoliticsHome, a source close to the Greater Manchester Conservatives said that Barker had not been meeting the “criteria” they expected of him.
READ MORE: New campaign aims to challenge Keir Starmer's Labour in England
Lee Anderson, the former deputy chair of the Conservative Party, celebrated Reform’s boost – despite defecting the party just last week.
He was suspended from the Conservative Party after claiming that Islamists “have got control of London and [Sadiq] Khan” in a GB News appearance.
Taking to Twitter/X after the poll’s release, he said: “The gap is closing.
“At least one plan is working.”
The gap is closing.
— Lee Anderson MP (@LeeAndersonMP_) March 21, 2024
At least one plan is working.
👇👇 https://t.co/s3R1Btl1X4
Labour continue to lead the polls on 44% of the vote, maintaining their 25-point lead over the Tories from last week’s figures, while the Lib Dems are on 9% (no change) and the Greens (England and Wales) are on 8% (+1).
Fewer than half (46%) of 2019 Conservative voters currently say they would vote for the party.
Even among the oldest voters, who have been the Conservatives’ biggest bastion of support in recent years, Tory support sits at 32% while 26% intend to back Reform UK and 23% say they will vote Labour.
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