The Tories have been pushed into third place following a surge in support for Reform UK, according to a new poll.
The YouGov survey for Sky News - the first by the pollster since last year’s general election - shows Nigel Farage’s party is now just one point behind Labour.
According to the poll, Labour is on 26% (9 points down on last July) with Reform on 25% (+10) and the Conservatives on 22% (-2)
The Lib Dems are 8 points behind the Tories on 14%, with the Greens on 8% and the SNP on 3%.
YouGov said the results “make for particularly grim reading” for Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, with the Conservatives leeching support to Reform UK.
“While Badenoch may have hoped that her positioning would bring Reform UK defectors back into the fold, our results show that just 4% of those who voted for Reform UK at the 2024 general election now plan to vote for the Conservatives – while at the same time the Tories have lost 15% of their 2024 voters to Farage’s party,” they said.
Worryingly for Keir Starmer, the poll also found that just 54% of those who voted Labour at the election last July would do so tomorrow.
By contrast, 87% of Reform UK voters would stick with the party next time round.
“Labour has lost 7% of its 2024 voters to the Lib Dems, 6% to the Greens, 5% to Reform UK and 4% to the Tories, while a further 17% say they don’t know who they would vote for currently,” YouGov said.
Reform UK chairman, Zia Yusuf said: “History is being made as the century-long stranglehold the two old parties have had on Britain is finally broken.
“Our membership continues to surge and we have now lead the Tories in the last three national opinion polls.
“We have all the momentum in British politics and before long we will see Nigel Farage as our prime minister.”