"It is part of a broad downwards trend in Reform support"
Reform UK’s projected vote share has fallen to its lowest level since April last year in a new YouGov poll.
Reform’s vote share dropped to 24%, down two points, in the latest YouGov poll for Sky News and The Times, conducted before controversial ex-Tory chancellor Nadhim Zahawi defected to the party.
In a post on X, deputy Political Editor at Sky News, Sam Coates, noted that while this is just one poll and may be an outlier, “it is part of a broad downwards trend in Reform support since what appears to have been their peak around October”.
He added: “That coincides with the Conservative ratings starting some sort of recovery from rock bottom, and the salience of immigration starting to gradually decline on most important issue.”
In November, allegations of racism and bullying at school against Reform leader Nigel Farage emerged, causing turmoil within his party.
In the same YouGov poll, Labour’s support rose by two percentage points to 19%, while the Conservatives increased by one point to 20%.
Although YouGov typically records lower levels of support for Reform than other pollsters, this still represents the party’s lowest vote share since April, when both More in Common and Techne also placed Reform on 24%.
In another YouGov poll asking who would make the best prime minister, Farage was less popular than Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch, Ed Davey and Zack Polanski in every head-to-head.
When asked to choose between Starmer and Farage, 36% of respondents said they would prefer Starmer as prime minister, compared with 29% who chose Farage.
In a contest between Badenoch and Farage, 31% backed Badenoch, while 21% favoured Farage.
Farage also trailed Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey, with 33% saying they would prefer Davey as prime minister, compared with 27% for Farage.
Against Green Party co-leader Zack Polanski, 28% said they would prefer Polanski, compared with 27% who chose Farage.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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