Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has reclaimed its lead over Labour in the latest national polling, suggesting the early boost enjoyed by Andy Burnham after entering Downing Street may already be losing momentum.
Reform is on 23 per cent, down one point, while Labour remains unchanged on 22 per cent, according to a YouGov survey of 2,380 people conducted on August 23-24.
The Conservatives have gained a point to reach 20 per cent, leaving Kemi Badenoch’s party just three points behind Labour and within striking distance of the two leading parties.
The Greens and Liberal Democrats are both on 13 per cent, while Rupert Lowe’s Restore Britain is on 3 per cent.
The figures represent an immediate setback for Mr Burnham, who appeared to benefit from a surge in Labour support after replacing Sir Keir Starmer last month.
Labour had briefly overtaken Reform in YouGov polling for the first time in 18 months following Sir Keir’s departure. But Reform has since returned to first place, raising questions over whether the so-called “Burnham bounce” has already run its course.
The poll comes as Mr Farage attempts to navigate renewed scrutiny over his financial affairs.
The Reform leader is facing a parliamentary investigation into an alleged undeclared £5 million gift from crypto-billionaire and Reform donor Christopher Harborne before Mr Farage became an MP. He could also face further scrutiny over financial support linked to his long-term associate George Cottrell.
Mr Farage has sought to turn the controversy into a broader confrontation with Westminster, framing his recent Clacton by-election victory as a verdict from voters against the political establishment.
After winning the contest earlier this month with a larger vote than Reform secured in the constituency at the 2024 general election, he said: “The verdict is now in, and it is a convincing, overwhelming win with more votes than we got in the General Election of 2024.”
He added: “Today the voters in Clacton have stuck up two fingers to the entire political establishment.”
The latest national figures suggest that, despite the controversy surrounding its leader, Reform continues to command a substantial bloc of support.
For Mr Burnham, the more immediate problem is that the political honeymoon following Labour’s leadership change appears to be shortening rapidly.
With the Conservatives also climbing to 20 per cent, the poll points to an increasingly fragmented three-way contest at the top of British politics — and leaves the new Prime Minister with little room for complacency.
Leave a Comment