Reform UK has been handed a record-breaking polling lead just days after taking hundreds of council seats across England in the local elections.
Nigel Farage’s party now sits 12 points clear of the Conservatives and seven clear of Labour.
Reform is now also the only out of the top three parties to have made gains since the last survey was conducted.
Fresh data released by YouGov this morning has revealed that 29 per cent of Britons would vote Reform if a General Election were held tomorrow – with 22 opting for Labour, and just 17 for the Tories.
That represents an increase of three per cent for Reform, and slumps of one and three per cent respectively for Labour and the Conservatives – the latter of which now sits just one point clear of the Liberal Democrats.
The last time the Tories polled so low in YouGov data came almost six years ago in June 2019 – just before Boris Johnson was selected as their leader.
Reform has never polled this highly – though reached 26 per cent in the same month in June 2019 as the Brexit Party.
FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE DAY…
Britain stands ready to ‘support’ India AND Pakistan as dozens killed in opening salvos of conflict
Britain stands ready to “support” both India and Pakistan to de-escalate tensions following an exchange of fire between the two nations, the Business Secretary has vowed.
Jonathan Reynolds said the situation in Kashmir was “hugely worrying” and told the BBC: “Our message would be that we are a friend, a partner to both countries. We stand ready to support both countries.
“Both have a huge interest in regional stability, in dialogue, in de-escalation and anything we can do to support that, we are here and willing to do.”
Reynolds will speak to GB News shortly after 9am – you’ll be able to watch his interview with Eamonn Holmes and Ellie Costello in full here.
Yvette Cooper left in the dark about migration impact of controversial India trade deal – reports
Yvette Cooper was left in the dark about Labour’s plans to make it cheaper for Indian workers to come to the UK as part of yesterday’s controversial trade agreement.
The Home Secretary was not informed about controversial elements of the deal – which is set to see Indian workers and companies avoid National Insurance, just as British employers are forced to pay more.
Home Office bigwigs are said to have been “confused” by the process of agreeing the deal, The Guardian reports, and had expected to be told about anything which could increase migration to Britain.
But Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds defended the deal.
He claimed some people were “getting a little bit carried away as to what this actually means”.
“We have 17 of these agreements with the EU, with South Korea, with the US and a whole range of partners,” he blasted.
“What it is about is making sure when people are inter-company transfers between the UK and India… they don’t simultaneously pay into both social security systems.”