Nigel Farage hit by poll blow days before Clacton by-election

Labour has overtaken Reform UK in an opinion poll for the first time in 18 months, in a blow to Nigel Farage. A new YouGov survey puts Labour on 24%, up two points from the week before, as the party enjoys a bounce under new leader Andy Burnham. Reform is second place with 22%, down one point from the last poll. It is the joint-lowest level of support for Mr Farage's party that the pollster has recorded since January 2025.

The Tories are close behind Reform with 21%, up two points from the week before. Zack Polanski's Greens are down one point on 12%, a drop of nine points from their February peak. The Lib Dems are also down one point with 11%, the joint-lowest figure YouGov has recorded since the 2024 general election.

Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain, which is posing a threat to Reform on the right of British politics, is on 4%.

It comes as Labour has gone up in the polls, following the departure of Sir Keir Starmer and Mr Burnham's coronation.

Meanwhile, Reform's popularity appears to have been hit amid ongoing questions over Mr Farage's financial affairs.

He quit as an MP to trigger a by-election in Clacton, which has been snubbed by the main parties, as he faced an investigation by the parliamentary standards commissioner over a £5 million gift from a crypto billionaire before he entered Parliament.

The probe, looking at whether he should have declared the money when he became an MP, was suspended on his resignation, but is likely to resume if he wins the by-election.

If he is found to have broken the rules and a suspension of more than 10 days is imposed, it could trigger a recall petition and the prospect of a second by-election.

Mr Farage has denied any wrongdoing and insisted the money was to pay for his security amid ongoing threats.

YouGov polled 2,417 people on August 9-10.