Reform UK supporters are increasingly mainstream, poll indicates

Reform UK’s base is becoming increasingly mainstream as the party attracts new support, polls published before the party’s annual conference show.

Nigel Farage’s party could face challenges in how to balance the priorities of “cautious converts” with its more engaged supporters as its voter base expands, a report from More in Common suggested.

It found a narrowed gender gap, a more even distribution of support across age groups than Labour or the Conservatives has and that many Reform supporters were broadly in line with average views on social issues – aside from immigration.

Luke Tryl, director of More in Common, said: “What jumps out from this research is how difficult it now is to pigeonhole Reform voters; as their support base has grown, their voters look more and more like the average Briton.

“That brings with it challenges too; can Reform balance the more radical demands of its most engaged online supporters with its more cautious recent converts?

“Can Reform maintain its disillusioned broad church with a focus on immigration, or does a coalition split right and left on key economic policy questions prove ultimately too unstable?”

Some 40% of current supporters backed Reform UK in 2024 and others have since switched from Labour and the Conservatives, or were non-voters.

The polling found that Reform UK supporters placed more importance on immigration than the average voter – some 86% would support a reduction in net migration compared with 58% of the wider public.

However, Reform UK supporters were broadly in line with general public opinion on abortion, same-sex marriage and gender equality.

Those who voted for the party in 2024 cite immigration as the number one issue facing the country, while newer supporters rank the cost of living first and put immigration second.

Fewer of the party’s newer supporters oppose net zero – 39% compared with 52% of 2024 supporters.

Looking at those who have turned to Reform UK since the last General Election, the poll found that the gender gap has narrowed from around 1.4 men for every woman voting Reform in 2024 to roughly 1.2 men now.

Reform also has a more even age distribution than Labour or the Conservatives, with a vote share above 20% in every age group, it found.

It also found that new supporters spend less time online than Reform UK’s 2024 voter base.

Reform UK will kick off its two-day conference on Friday, with speeches by its four MPs as well as former chairman Zia Yusuf.

Fringe events will focus on how to run Reform-controlled councils and carve out a pathway to Downing Street in 2029.

Mr Yusuf, now in charge of the party’s Doge (department of government efficiency) unit, will lead a side event on crypto finance, while MP Lee Anderson is scheduled to appear at a conversation on the “crisis facing young men”.

Two Tory former cabinet ministers are also set to attend: Michael Gove will interview Mr Yusuf while Jacob Rees-Mogg will join a panel.

On Thursday, Labour unveiled a website laying out what it called Reform UK’s “don’t know” manifesto for Britain.

The party pointed to a lack of clarity on Reform UK policy, including whether it would deport children under its plans for asylum seekers and what it would seek to replace the Online Safety Act with under its policy to repeal the law.

Environment Secretary Steve Reed said: “Nigel Farage is a disgrace. All anger, no solutions.

“You can’t run a country with “don’t know” answers. It’s time Reform came clean and gave the British public the answers they deserve.”

Published: 05/09/2025 by Radio NewsHub