UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – A new YouGov poll shows Nigel Farage’s Reform UK closing the gap with Labour, now just one point behind, and the Conservatives fall to third place.
Around 2,279 voters participated in the YouGov latest poll in Great Britain on January 12 and 13 as part of their latest poll.
This latest poll, conducted by YouGov for Sky News and shared with The Times, shows a significant shift in the political landscape with Farage’s party, Reform UK. The Tories now hold 48 percent of voter support, while Labour stands at 25 percent, followed by the Lib Dems with 14 percent and the Greens with 8 percent.
During the general election, Labour led by around 20 points with 35 percent support, while Reform UK was far behind at 15 percent. The Tories held second place at 24 percent, the Lib Dems had 13 percent, and the Greens secured 7 percent.
Poll shows drop in support for Keir Starmer and Labour
According to the latest survey, Sir Starmer’s leadership is facing backlash, with just 10 percent of respondents viewing the government as successful, while 60 percent show disagreement.
The poll also reveals a sharp decline in support among older voters. Only 14 percent of over-65s now support Labour, a drop from 22 percent at the time of the election.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir and his finance minister are already under fire due to rising borrowing costs and Rachel Reeves‘ visit to China, which occurred amid economic instability.
Reform UK’s swift rise
Reform UK’s rise is remarkable. Its support has nearly doubled since last year’s election, when it received 15 percent. This growth happened despite rumors of a $100 million donation from Elon Musk, which ended after Musk commented that Farage “doesn’t have what it takes.”
Last month, Mr Farage also met the Tesla owner with his Treasury team. He later called Elon a hero and an influential figure for his party in the upcoming general election.
Conservative’s stance on the latest poll results
The shadow Treasury minister Gareth Davies argues that a vote for Reform UK in the general election has allowed Labour “unchecked power to remove support for farmers and all these things that are happening in the economy.”
Mr. Davies added that Conservatives are “confident that as the time goes by to the next election, we can put forward credible, workable, costed policies that the British public will get behind, and we can remove Labour out of office.”
Last month, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage clashed over party membership numbers. Both leaders accused each other of manipulating membership figures, with Badenoch alleging that the Reform Party was using an online app.
More in Common poll results
In December 2024, an NGO called More in Common used data from over 11,000 individuals to reveal that the UK’s First Past the Post system is “struggling to operate” in a multi-party political landscape. If these trends are accurate, forming a government could be more “complicated.”
The poll shows that if a general election were held today, Labour would lose its majority and around 200 seats.
Britain’s shifting political dynamics
The first survey of 2025 highlights a shift in political allegiance, with people turning away from Labour and seeking new alternatives.
The British PM Starmer faces pressure from Farage and Badenoch due to economic instability and grooming gangs’ ongoing debate.
Recently, Elon Musk has been very influential in UK politics and criticized the Labour government and his safeguarding minister for rejecting a call into the Oldham child abuse case.
Meanwhile, Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage and his allies are arranging an inauguration party for newly elected president Donald Trump, which 400 prominent figures in Washington DC will attend on coming Friday.
The Labour Party and Reform have not yet commented on the latest survey results.