Wire flash
PoliticsNigel Farage's popularity hits record low, net approval at -46
Editorial responsibility
- No named human review is recorded for this page.
- Source reporting is collected, normalized, translated or condensed automatically when needed.
- Automatically published source-backed update
Nigel Farage's popularity has plummeted to a record low, with YouGov polling showing only 22% of British voters hold a favorable opinion of the Reform UK leader, while 68% view him negatively. His net approval rating of minus 46 is the joint-lowest ever recorded by YouGov, worse than Boris Johnson's post-Partygate rating and Keir Starmer's rating upon resigning as PM. The decline follows revelations that Farage failed to declare a £5 million gift from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne before his Clacton MP campaign. Farage denies wrongdoing, calling it a 'witch-hunt,' but faces a parliamentary standards investigation. He resigned as Clacton MP to trigger a by-election on August 13, where no major party is fielding a candidate, leaving Count Binface as his main opponent. Separately, the poll found Andy Burnham is the most popular new prime minister since Theresa May in 2016.
Source report
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is under mounting pressure as new polling data reveals his popularity has fallen to an unprecedented low.
According to a YouGov survey, only 22% of British voters now hold a favourable opinion of Farage — the lowest figure recorded by the pollster's approval rating tracker since 2020.
Conversely, more than two-thirds of the country (68%) view him negatively, with 56% saying they see him "very unfavourably."
Farage's net approval rating now stands at minus 46, the joint-lowest ever recorded for him by YouGov. This is worse than:
- Boris Johnson's minus 41 rating during the Partygate scandal
- Keir Starmer's minus 45 rating when he resigned as Prime Minister
Background to the Controversy
Farage has been under scrutiny since The Guardian reported in April that he failed to declare a £5 million gift from Thailand-based crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne, received shortly before his campaign to become MP for Clacton.
While Farage insists he has broken no rules and claims he is the victim of a "witch-hunt," the matter is now under investigation by parliament's standards watchdog.
In a dramatic move earlier this month, Farage resigned as MP for Clacton to trigger a "people versus the establishment" by-election, scheduled for August 13. However, none of the main parties are fielding candidates, leaving Count Binface as his primary opponent.
Other Polling Highlights
The YouGov survey also found that Andy Burnham is the most popular new prime minister since Theresa May in 2016. This follows a separate poll by More In Common showing Burnham's approval ratings have already surpassed those ever achieved by Keir Starmer.
Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed.
Related Articles
- Reform MP Lee Anderson In Angry Radio Clash Over Nigel Farage's Finances
- Voters Turn On Nigel Farage Amid Crypto Donation Sleaze Row
- Nigel Farage Says He Is Being Treated Like 'A War Criminal' By The Media
Source
HuffPost UK - Athena2 - All Entries (Public)Western
Part of this Story
Nigel Farage faces UK standards watchdog probes over undeclared donations and benefits