Fewer than a fifth of Brits think Nigel Farage looks like a prime minister-in-waiting, according to a new poll.
YouGov has found that just 19% believe the Reform UK leader is ready for No.10, a drop of seven points from just June.
In a further blow to Farage, two-thirds of the public – including more than a quarter of Reform voters – think he is not capable of doing the top job at all.
Farage’s net favourability has fallen down to -44 as well, having peaked at -27 last summer.
Support for his performance as Reform leader has also plummeted by a staggering 51 points from +18 this time last year to -33.
When YouGov asked the public to describe the Reform leader in three of their own words, the pollsters found the words “racist” (15%) and liar” (12%) came up most often.
A further 8% described him as dishonest, corrupt or crooked, untrustworthy or unreliable (7%), self-serving (6%) or sleazy or dodgy (5%).
Approximately 60% of Brits told YouGov they see the wider Reform party as untrustworthy, serving their own interests, prejudiced and extreme.
The findings came the Reform leader was sworn back into the Commons after winning the Clacton by-election against comedy candidate Count Binface.
Farage triggered the contest earlier in the summer by choosing to stand down as an MP amid heightened scrutiny over his finances.
His return means the parliamentary probe into the undeclared £5 million donation he received from crypto-billionaire Christopher Harborne before the 2024 general election will now resume.
The More in Common think tank also confirmed on Tuesday that Reform had slumped to third place behind Labour and the Tories.
The survey put Labour in the lead on 26%, three points ahead of the Conservatives, with Reform a point behind on 22%.
It is Reform’s lowest vote share since January 2025, and the first time they have been behind the Tories in 18 months – a bleak result for the right-wing party shortly before their annual conference in Birmingham this weekend.