Reform UK leader Nigel Farage (Image: Getty)
Reform UK has hit its highest-ever level of support in a bombshell new poll.
The survey puts Nigel Farage‘s insurgent party in first place on 29%, up two points from the week before.
Labour is second with 25%, up two, while the Tories are down three to 18%.
The Lib Dems are up two points on 13%, while the Greens are unchanged on 10% in the Find Out Now poll of 2,487 British adults carried out yesterday.
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Reform’s chairman Zia Yusuf described the findings as “huge”, saying: “The first poll to put the Tories below 20% and Reform at almost 30%. Real change is coming to Britain.”
Find Out Now voting intention:
?????? Reform UK: 29% (+2)
?????? Labour: 25% (+2)
?????? Conservatives: 18% (-3)
?????? Lib Dems: 13% (+2)
?????? Greens: 10% (-)Changes from 27th January
[Find Out Now, 5th February, N=2,487] pic.twitter.com/he05V9LJa2— Find Out Now (@FindoutnowUK) February 6, 2025
It is the latest boost for Mr Farage’s right-wing party which also topped a landmark YouGov poll earlier this week.
It comes as the Reform leader has declared he has a “34-45% chance” of entering 10 Downing Street at the next general election.
But the Clacton MP insisted he would stand aside if “some younger and better” arrived on the scene.
He told the Evening Standard: “I’d say there’s a 35-45 per cent chance. And by the way, it might not be me.
“Someone younger and better might come along. Somebody more suitable. And if they do I’ll recognise them.
“I’m not an egomaniac. It doesn’t have to be me. At the moment I’m the best person to do it.”
NIGEL FARAGE / The London Standard interview The London Standard/Mark Harrison (Image: The London Standard/Mark Harrison)
The Clacton MP described his party as “probably the frankest about the problems we’ve got”, adding: “The 10 million population explosion in the last 20 years has damaged the quality of life.”
But Mr Farage denied that Reform was a “one-policy party” focused on immigration.
He said: “The reason we are doing well is because people see us as positive. ‘Family, Community, Country’, that’s our slogan.
“We are the things we think matter to people, the things which are being undervalued and have been damaged by successive governments. We have many strings to our bow. Economics might be bigger than immigration for us at the next election.”
NIGEL FARAGE / The London Standard interview The London Standard/Mark Harrison (Image: The London Standard/Mark Harrison)
NIGEL FARAGE / The London Standard interview The London Standard/Mark Harrison (Image: -)
Reform Hits Highest-Ever Level of Support in Huge Poll Boost for Nigel Farage
Nigel Farage received a major political boost in February 2025 when a new opinion poll placed Reform UK at its highest-ever level of support at that time, intensifying the party’s challenge to Labour and the Conservatives.
The Find Out Now survey, published on February 8, put Reform on 29 per cent, up two points from the previous week. Labour stood at 25 per cent, while the Conservatives fell to 18 per cent. The Liberal Democrats received 13 per cent and the Greens 10 per cent. The poll surveyed 2,487 British adults. <Cite refs={[“turn411826search0”]}/>
The result offered Farage an opportunity to argue that voters were increasingly willing to abandon the traditional political parties. It also raised difficult questions for Labour, which had won a substantial parliamentary majority in the July 2024 general election, and for the Conservatives as they attempted to rebuild after their defeat.
However, one poll cannot establish a permanent change in voting behaviour. The figures represented a snapshot of public opinion at a particular moment, rather than a prediction of the next general election.
Nevertheless, the result captured the growing significance of Reform UK and the challenge facing Britain’s established political parties.
Farage’s political gamble begins to pay off
For years, Farage had attempted to persuade voters that Britain’s traditional political establishment was failing to address their concerns. His campaigns focused particularly on immigration, national sovereignty, the European Union and what he described as a disconnect between politicians and ordinary people.
The 2025 polling result suggested that this message was reaching a wider audience.
Reform’s appeal extended beyond its traditional supporters. Some voters were attracted by its promise of tighter immigration controls, while others were frustrated with the Conservatives’ record in government or uncertain whether Labour could deliver the changes it had promised.
Farage’s approach was to present Reform as an alternative to both parties, rather than simply another opposition movement waiting for the established parties to recover.
The poll gave that strategy fresh momentum. A party approaching 30 per cent in voting intention could no longer be dismissed as a minor political force, even though its eventual electoral performance would depend on how support translated into votes across individual constituencies.
Reform chairman Zia Yusuf welcomed the figures, describing them as a major development for the party and arguing that they demonstrated the possibility of substantial political change. <Cite refs={[“turn411826search0”]}/>
For Farage, the challenge was to turn that momentum into a durable political organisation capable of competing nationally.
Labour faces questions about its promises
The poll was also a reminder that winning a general election does not guarantee that a government will retain public confidence.
Labour’s victory in July 2024 had given the party a large majority in the House of Commons. Yet the government faced immediate pressure to demonstrate that its programme would improve living standards, strengthen public services and address concerns about immigration.
Voters who had supported Labour to remove the Conservatives from office would not necessarily remain loyal if they became dissatisfied with the government’s performance.
This created an opportunity for Reform. Farage could argue that the established parties had failed to resolve longstanding problems and that voters should consider a different political direction.
Immigration was particularly important to that argument. Reform promised a much tougher approach to irregular migration and small-boat crossings, presenting border control as a test of whether the government could enforce its own rules.
Labour faced the difficult task of showing that it could manage the issue effectively while also addressing economic pressures and the demands placed on public services.
But the poll did not establish that immigration alone explained Reform’s support. Economic concerns, distrust of politicians and dissatisfaction with previous governments could also influence voters’ decisions.
The broader lesson for Labour was that its electoral majority would not eliminate the need to maintain public confidence.
The Conservatives face a separate crisis
The Conservatives’ position in the February 2025 poll was also significant. At 18 per cent, they stood well behind both Reform and Labour in that survey. <Cite refs={[“turn411826search0”]}/>
Following their 2024 defeat, the party faced difficult questions about its future direction. It needed to rebuild trust, explain its record in government and establish a clear identity under new leadership.
Reform posed a particular challenge because the parties competed for some of the same voters.
Both appealed to people who wanted tighter immigration controls, greater emphasis on national sovereignty and changes to the way government operated. Yet Farage argued that the Conservatives had failed to deliver on many of their promises during their years in office.
That accusation placed Conservative politicians in a difficult position. They could attempt to reclaim voters by adopting some of Reform’s priorities, but doing so risked reinforcing Farage’s argument that his party had forced the established right to change direction.
Alternatively, the Conservatives could emphasise their experience of government and argue that Reform’s proposals lacked sufficient detail or practical credibility.
Neither strategy guaranteed success. The party needed to persuade voters that it could offer something distinct from Reform while addressing the concerns that had helped the challenger gain support.
The competition also raised questions about the distribution of votes under Britain’s electoral system. If Reform and the Conservatives divided support in particular constituencies, both could face difficulties winning seats even where their combined vote was substantial.
Immigration remains central to Reform’s appeal
Farage’s long-standing focus on immigration helped distinguish Reform from the established parties.
The party argued that Britain needed stricter controls, faster action against irregular migration and a more decisive response to people arriving across the Channel in small boats.
Supporters viewed these proposals as a response to concerns about border enforcement and public confidence in the immigration system. Critics questioned the feasibility, cost and legal implications of some of Reform’s suggested measures.
Those disagreements matter because immigration policy involves several distinct issues, including asylum claims, legal migration, labour-market requirements, international cooperation and the enforcement of removal decisions.
A party can promise to reduce irregular arrivals, but a government must explain how it intends to achieve that objective and what resources would be required.
Farage’s challenge was therefore twofold: maintain the political appeal of a firm message while demonstrating that Reform could translate its commitments into workable policies.
The same test applied to Labour. Its position in government meant it would be judged on measurable outcomes rather than simply on its intentions.
The debate was likely to remain important because immigration had become a central issue in arguments about public trust, national identity and the responsibilities of government.
Can Reform turn polling support into parliamentary seats?
Although the February 2025 poll placed Reform in first position, national voting intention is not the same as an election result.
Britain uses the first-past-the-post system for general elections. Voters elect individual MPs in constituencies, and the candidate with the most votes wins the seat.
As a result, a party’s national vote share does not translate directly into a proportional number of MPs. The geographical distribution of its support, the strength of competing candidates and changes in local voting patterns can all affect the final outcome.
Reform therefore needed more than favourable polling. It needed a functioning national organisation, credible candidates and the ability to campaign effectively in constituencies where it hoped to win.
The party also had to prepare for scrutiny of its policies. Voters might agree with its criticisms of Labour and the Conservatives while still questioning how its proposed tax, spending or immigration policies would work in practice.
Building a governing programme requires decisions across numerous departments, from health and education to defence, transport and economic policy.
Farage’s political profile could help attract attention, but the long-term prospects of Reform would also depend on its organisational strength and its ability to persuade voters beyond its existing base.
Farage’s leadership and the limits of personal popularity
Farage’s prominence was an important part of Reform’s appeal. His direct communication style and longstanding role in the Brexit campaign gave him a recognisable public identity.
However, the success of a political party cannot depend entirely on its leader.
Reform needed to demonstrate that it could recruit and retain capable candidates, manage internal disagreements and develop policies that extended beyond the issues most closely associated with Farage.
It also needed to explain how its proposed changes would affect different parts of the country. The priorities of voters in major cities might differ from those of people in coastal communities, former industrial areas or rural constituencies.
A national campaign would have to accommodate these differences without losing the clear message that had helped the party gain attention.
The February 2025 poll offered evidence of substantial support at that moment, but it did not establish how durable that support would prove to be.
Voters can change their minds as political circumstances evolve, rival parties alter their strategies and campaigns face closer scrutiny.
For Reform, maintaining momentum required a combination of communication, organisation and credible policy development.
Why one poll cannot settle the political argument
Opinion polls are useful because they measure voting intentions among a sample of the public. They can reveal changes in political attitudes and identify issues that parties may need to address.
But individual surveys are subject to sampling uncertainty and methodological differences. Results may also be affected by how questions are asked, how respondents are recruited and how the pollster adjusts its estimates.
The February 8, 2025, Find Out Now survey was notable because it placed Reform on 29 per cent, but other surveys could produce different results. A single poll should not be treated as proof that the party would win a general election or that Labour and the Conservatives were destined to lose support.
Subsequent polling has also demonstrated how quickly the political picture can change. In October 2026, Survation’s survey conducted from October 2 to October 5 put Labour on 30 per cent and Reform on 24 per cent, with the Conservatives on 19 per cent. YouGov’s survey from October 4 to October 5 placed Labour on 27 per cent, Reform on 22 per cent and the Conservatives on 20 per cent. <Cite refs={[“turn339955search0″,”turn339955search1”]}/>
These later surveys show why the February 2025 result should be understood in its historical context. Reform’s record level in that particular poll was an important moment in the party’s development, not a permanent measure of its standing.
A warning for the established parties
The February 2025 figures demonstrated that Reform had become an important force in Britain’s political debate. They gave Farage a fresh opportunity to argue that voters wanted a different approach to government and increased pressure on Labour and the Conservatives to respond.
For Labour, the challenge was to show that its policies could deliver improvements that people would notice in their daily lives. For the Conservatives, it was to rebuild credibility and explain why voters should return to the party rather than support Reform.
For Farage, the challenge was different: prove that the support reflected in polling could be converted into a sustainable political movement with the organisation and policies needed to compete for government.
The 29 per cent result was therefore significant, but it was not a verdict on Britain’s political future.
Ultimately, the next election would depend on the choices voters made after considering the parties’ records, promises and proposed solutions. Reform’s rise had changed the terms of the political debate, but the party still had to prove that its appeal could endure.
The February 2025 poll offered Farage a powerful headline and a clear opportunity. Turning that opportunity into lasting electoral success would require considerably more than one favourable set of figures.