TIM SHIPMAN

Reform now ahead of Tories among male voters

A new poll suggests Rishi Sunak may be forced to choose between the crumbling red wall and Tory heartlands

Rishi Sunak’s Tories have only a two-point lead in England over Richard Tice’s Reform
Rishi Sunak’s Tories have only a two-point lead in England over Richard Tice’s Reform
Tim Shipman
, Chief Political Commentator
The Sunday Times

If Sir Keir Starmer wins the general election, the size of his majority will have as much to do with the performance of the Reform Party as it does the Labour Party.

A poll by YouGov has shown that Reform, the descendant of the Brexit Party, is now ahead of the Tories among men, reinforcing the idea which has taken root with Conservative MPs that the next election could amount to an “extinction-level event” for them.

Some 19 per cent of men — nearly one in five — now back Reform, with the Conservatives trailing on 17 per cent, while Labour is on 41 per cent. The British Election Survey after the 2019 election showed that the Tories got 47 per cent of male votes