From U-turning on the Iran war, to disputing YouGov polling and manufacturing outrage over banknotes, Reform has made many missteps this week
From U-turning on its position on the Iran war, to disputing YouGov polling and manufacturing outrage over the Bank of England changing the designs on banknotes, Reform has made a series of missteps this week.
Let’s take a look at the party’s five biggest disasters over the week.
1. Reform UK disputes YouGov polling
In an unprecedented move, Nigel Farage and Richard Tice publicly challenged YouGov’s polls, claiming they underestimate support for Reform UK. Farage wrote to YouGov saying that in the last ten polls the firm produced estimated support for Reform UK at 24.8%, while the average from More in Common and Opinium had been 29.5% and 30.9%.
In a post on X, Farage accused YouGov of making “bizarre adjustments” to “suppress the true figures” about support for his party. Tice accused the pollster of “playing games”.
YouGov has refuted Reform UK’s claims, explaining that their new methodology accounts for tactical voting. While 29% of voters initially say they would vote Reform if a general election were to take place tomorrow, this figure drops to 26% when they are asked how they would vote in their local constituency. YouGov analysis has found that this voting intention model is “significantly more accurate” than just asking voters how they will vote in a general election. More broadly, support for Reform is falling across several polls.
2. Farage’s Iran war U-turn
Farage spent last week saying that the UK “should do all we can” to help the Americans. Tice said that a Reform “would be helping the Americans and the Israelis in any way they saw appropriate”. Robert Jenrick’s stance seems to be at odds with the Reform leader and deputy leader’s position. Jenrick said Reform wouldn’t deploy British soldiers in the attacks on Iran.
As it became increasingly obvious that the British public is against Donald Trump’s war on Iran, Reform U-turned. On Tuesday, Farage rowed back on his previous comments and said “let’s not get ourselves involved in another foreign war”.
3. Reform’s petrol station blunder
On Tuesday, Reform staged a stunt at a petrol station in Derbyshire. The party announced that it had slashed fuel prices by 25p per litre and used the stunt to promote their policy to overturn Labour’s plan to unfreeze fuel duty in September. Farage and Jenrick proclaimed that their cut-price fuel was “the cheapest in the country”. Except it wasn’t.
Farage and Jenrick were selling petrol for £1.21 per litre and diesel for £1.43 per litre. A nearby Texaco petrol station in Bakewell was actually selling a litre of diesel for £1.41. Not only that, but the irony of Reform supporting the Iran war, which is driving up fuel prices, while complaining about UK fuel duty was notable.
4. Farage whips up outrage over banknotes
Yesterday, Farage was slammed for manufacturing outrage over the decision to replace historical figures on banknotes with animals. A public consultation run by the Bank of England found that 60% of the 44,000 respondents wanted nature to feature on new banknotes. Farage ignored the results of the consultation, and instead expressed outrage at the “wokery” of Winston Churchill being replaced with a “badger”.
5. Farage grilled over breaking council tax manifesto pledge
During an interview with ITV, Farage was asked about Reform-run councils increasing council tax, despite pledging to cut taxes last year. Farage responded: “I never said we’d cut.”
The journalist pointed out that many of Reform’s leaflets said the party would ‘cut your taxes’. Farage said that “means don’t charge the maximum 4.99%”.
In Derbyshire, West Northamptonshire and North Northamptonshire, Reform has raised council tax by 4.99%. In Worcestershire, the Reform-run council has increased council tax by 9%. Farage then told the reporter again that he had never promised to reduce council tax or put that message on his leaflets.
The journalist said: “You did. It said ‘reduce waste and cut your taxes’. Those were the words.”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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