Reform UK Surpasses Conservatives in Polls, Signaling Trouble for Sunak as Farage Claims ‘Real Opposition’ Status

Reform UK Surpasses Tories in Latest Poll, Adding Pressure on Rishi Sunak

For the first time, Reform UK has surpassed the Conservative Party in the polls, delivering another setback to the struggling Rishi Sunak.

Political journalist @fayebrownSky

Friday, June 14, 2024, 11:

Nigel Farage has announced that Reform UK is now "the opposition to Labour" following his party surpassing the Conservatives in a recent poll for the first time.

In a new setback for struggling Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, a YouGov poll conducted for The Times shows Reform UK polling at 19%, slightly ahead of the Conservatives at 18%.

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The findings were released just before a televised ITV discussion featuring prominent members from the seven major parties.

Mr. Farage immediately seized the opportunity to boast about the poll results, stating at the beginning of his remarks, "Right before we went live, we surpassed the Conservatives in the national opinion polls."

"We now stand as the challengers to the Labour Party."

He also argued, reversing typical Conservative campaign language, that choosing the Tories instead of Reform could lead to a Labour victory.

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Seizing the opportunity to pose a question to a fellow panel member, Mr. Farage directly targeted Conservative leader Penny Morduant, criticizing her for the continued increase in net migration, contrary to the Conservative party's commitments to manage it.

"Why should anyone trust the fifth declaration that pledges to reduce net migration?" he questioned.

The audience burst into laughter when Ms. Mordaunt responded, "Because of the record of this prime minister."

She cautioned, "Nigel is facilitating Labour's agenda. He supports having no limits, no goals, and no strategy."

However, Mr. Farage countered by expressing his disbelief in Ms. Mordaunt's statements, stating further, "In terms of facilitating Labour, we're currently outperforming you in national polls. At this point, casting a vote for you effectively amounts to a vote for Labour."

The survey was conducted following Mr. Sunak's announcement of a £17 billion tax reduction plan in the Conservative party's manifesto earlier this week.

The latest figures indicate a two-point increase for Reform, while Labour, the Liberal Democrats, and the Green Party each see a decrease of one point.

Here are the complete outcomes:

Labour: 37% (down 1) Reform: 19% (up 2) Conservatives: 18% (no change) Liberal Democrats: 14% (down 1) Green Party: 7% (down 1) SNP: 3% (up 1) Plaid Cymru: 1% (no change) Others: 2% (up 1)

Farage quickly revels in poll success

Lead political reporter

The initial remarks at the ITV leaders' debate were notably short, yet they conveyed a great deal.

True to form, Nigel Farage quickly seized the opportunity to boast about the surprising poll results that showed Reform UK leading the Conservatives, just moments before the event began.

"He proclaimed that they are now the main challengers to Labour, a claim he's been eager to loudly announce for weeks, as his party's backing has slowly increased throughout the campaign."

Penny Mordaunt signaled her intention to aggressively challenge Labour on fiscal issues during the debate, stating her plan to highlight Conservative tax cuts and Labour's tax increases.

The survey engaged 2,211 British adults and took place from June 12 to June 13.

Sky News polling expert Will Jennings expressed that the YouGov poll signifies a significant threat to the Conservative Party.

"Due to the geographic distribution of their backers, Reform isn't expected to secure a large number of seats. However, they might still prevent the Conservatives from claiming victory in several closely fought constituencies nationwide," he explained.

"In numerous locations, this could be the deciding factor in whether a constituency elects a Conservative or Labour MP."

A spokesperson for Reform UK stated: "A single survey does not determine the outcome of an election. Yet, it is evident that the Conservative Party is in disarray, mirroring the state of disrepair they've brought upon the nation."

Currently, Labour is poised for victory, while Reform stands as the sole significant challenger.

"Individuals contemplating a vote for the Conservative Party due to misguided allegiance need to reconsider their choice. It's entirely feasible and advisable for them to support a party that possesses the dynamism and creativity required to contest Labour's dominance."

Following his unexpected announcement to re-enter mainstream politics recently, Mr. Farage openly expressed his intentions to supplant the Conservatives as the main opposition party should Labour secure the overwhelming victory that current surveys anticipate.

He has dismissed the idea of forming an alliance with the Conservatives, following remarks from prominent Tory Suella Braverman who suggested her party should welcome the ex-UKIP leader, noting that his views and many of their policies were quite similar.

The survey brings further unfortunate news for Mr. Sunak, who has found it difficult to recover from his recent blunder concerning D-Day.

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The uproar was so intense that, during the unveiling of his manifesto, he had to deny speculation about his possible resignation and admit that "people are frustrated with me."

The policy paper outlined commitments to reduce national insurance by an additional 2p, introduce a tax incentive for retirees, and completely eliminate national insurance for self-employed individuals.

However, this move has not improved the situation for Mr. Sunak, who was already trailing Labour by 20 points when he decided to schedule the election for July 4.

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