Farage rating crashes to -27 in new poll (Image: Getty)
Nigel Farage’s popularity has dropped to its lowest since the last General Election amid ongoing scrutiny of his finances, a new poll has revealed. The Reform UK leader has seen his rating drop to -27 with more than half of the country’s voters disapproving of Mr Farage.
It means he is beaten to the bottom of the polls only by outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who is set to be replaced by Andy Burnham in just a matter of days. Sir Keir languishes at the bottom of the poll on -45 after months of bruising arguments at the top of Labour.
Meanwhile topping the poll is Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, whose rating has jumped up to -3. Liberal Democrat boss Ed Davey, famed for his stunts such as whizzing down a water slide, sits on -5 with eco-party boss Zack Polanski at -16.
Incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham holds -8, ahead of his coronation as Labour Leader on 20 July. Mr Burnham has stormed into Downing Street after a by-election was arranged for him earlier this year when the Labour MP Josh Simons stepped down from his Makerfield seat.
Mr Farage has also seen his party’s wider popularity take a bit of a hit, down two points from last week to just 24%. Both polls, by Opinium, mark a low point for Mr Farage and Reform UK. Labour were backed by 19%, the Conservatives held 18%.
See the poll below.
The wounding poll comes just days after Mr Farage called a by-election in his own seat as he blasted the ballot as a “people versus the establishment” fight. It came amid a parliamentary probe into a £5million gift he took from the crypto-billionaire Christopher Harborne.
Clacton will head to the polls on 13 August, with all the other major parties having refused to stand candidates – leading Mr Farage to tell the Daily Express that they were “running scared”. But the Conservatives accused the Reform UK leader of throwing a “hissy fit” as they left only Jonathan Harvey, an author who stands in elections as Count Binface, to stand.
Opinium’s James Crouch said: “For the first time this Parliament, Nigel Farage looks politically vulnerable. Reform’s vote share has fallen into the low 20s, his personal ratings have hit a new low, and the standards row appears to be taking a real toll.”