Reform UK has dropped to third place in polling behind Labour and the Conservatives for the first time since the general election, following a boost in support for Kemi Badenoch, Conservative leader, reports BritPanorama.
The new YouGov poll indicates the Conservatives now stand at 23%, marking a three-point increase and their highest rating since Badenoch took the helm. In contrast, Reform UK’s support fell by one point to 21%, tying for the lowest score since polling resumed after the 2024 general election.
Labour’s support has also dipped, declining by three points to 24%, aligning with levels observed shortly after Andy Burnham became leader. The Liberal Democrats saw a slight increase of one point to 12%, while the Greens’ support remained unchanged at 11%.
Badenoch’s rise in popularity followed her pledge to abolish inheritance tax on family homes during the Conservative Party’s recent conference in Birmingham. She positioned the Tories as the party of aspiration, promising to let families retain more of their earnings if elected.
Her specific proposal allows couples to bequeath £1 million to their children tax-free, in addition to the value of their homes, which she claims would reduce the number of families subject to inheritance tax by over half. Badenoch criticized Labour, describing them as “addicted to welfare” and suggesting they view income and savings as “theirs to take and hand out.”
Reform UK, meanwhile, has experienced a downturn in support amid ongoing party turbulence. Despite achieving gains in local elections in May, recent controversies surrounding donations linked to founder Nigel Farage and competition from Rupert Lowe’s Restore Britain have resulted in a declining polling trend.
Further complicating matters for Farage, a recent YouGov poll revealed that nearly seven in ten Britons hold an unfavorable opinion of him, indicating a record low in his popularity. Of those surveyed, 57% view him very unfavorably, while only 24% perceive him positively.
Farage, with a net favorability rating of -45—corresponding to Sir Keir Starmer’s rating prior to his resignation as prime minister—has seen a marked decline from a rating of -31 the previous year. The political landscape for Farage has been further convoluted by a major donations scandal that overshadows his attempts to revive his image through recent speeches at Reform’s annual conference.
Allegations of illegal donations have led to the resignation of his chief of staff, Dan Jukes, and policy director, James Orr, significantly distracting from Reform’s agenda for the first 100 days in government and forcing Farage to address scandal-related questions instead.
The latest YouGov poll involved 2,393 adults and was conducted between October 11 and 12.
