Reform UK Loses 16-Month Poll Lead As Labour Enjoys Burnham Bounce

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/feeds/news/reform-uk" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Reform UK has lost its 16-month poll lead just a week after https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/feeds/news/andy-burnham" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Andy Burnham became the prime minister.

A survey of voting intentions from https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/feeds/news/more-in-common" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">More in Common found 28% of respondents would now back https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/feeds/news/labour" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Labour – an increase of four percentage points compared to just five days ago.

Meanwhile, Reform UK is on 24%, a decline of two percentage points in less than a week.

This is the first time the right-wing party has slipped into second place in the polls since March 2025.

The results will be a blow to Reformhttps://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/feeds/news/nigel-farage" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> leader Nigel Farage, who is fighting the https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/nigel-farage-by-election-yougov-clacton_uk_6a4df418e4b094d71e71103f">Clacton by-election in August.

He triggered a “people versus the establishment” contest by standing down as an MP to trigger a fresh vote in his constituency last month.

However all the major parties chose not to run campaigns against Farage in the seat.

Labour, the Tories, the Greens, the Lib Dems and even Restore Britain have dismissed the contest as a stunt and said they would not stand any candidates.

So far, https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/feeds/news/count-binface" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Count Binface – a comedy character who regularly stands in by-elections – is the Reform leader’s https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/count-binface-hits-back-robert-jenrick_uk_6a507d17e4b05729697fe82b">only serious rival in the by-election.

Farage’s dramatic decision came amid heightened scrutiny over his finances.

A parliamentary probe into the £5 million gift he received from crypto-billionaire Christopher Harborne before he was elected to the Commons in 2024 is on pause while he’s not a sitting MP.

The poll also comes after a flurry of policy announcements from Burnham, who has vowed to put the cost of living at the heart of his government.

He unveiled a £2 cap on bus fares, a pledge to end rough sleeping, a promise to cut VAT from energy bills, a 20% cut in business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues along with a new “Number 10 North” as part of his devolution drive.

More in Common’s poll also found the Conservatives were only two points behind Reform as they stayed on 22%.

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats were on 12%, an increase of one percentage point, and the Greens saw their support decline by three percentage points down to 8%.

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