Nigel Farage’s big poll leap leaves Reform breathing down neck of Labour and Tories
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Exclusive: The first Techne UK weekly tracker poll of 2025 has put Reform ‘within the margin of error’ for a three-way split at the top with Labour and the Tories. The onward march of Reform has seen the party come “within the margin of error” of topping the first of 2025’s weekly tracker polls for The Independent in a major blow to Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch.
![[Nigel Farage is close to topping the Techne poll]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/11/20/44cd88f24892d5380f5c3bcee3b39fe4Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzM2Njg5OTYz-2.78655965.jpg)
According to the polling of 1,645 voters on Wednesday and Thursday, Labour still leads by one point at 26 per cent, having dropped 1 per cent from before Christmas. The Tories also fell by 1 per cent to 25 per cent but Reform UK is at 23 per cent and up two points.
![[Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch during an appearance on LBC Radio for a phone-in]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/17/15/e583fe819487f78ad43c40ac6a484c7fY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzM3MjExMDc4-2.78711408.jpg)
The Lib Dems trailed in fourth with 12 per cent and Greens on 7 per cent - both unchanged from last month. It revealed that despite rows with Elon Musk and disagreements over far-right activist Tommy Robinson, as well as councillors quitting the party, Mr Farage and Reform have continued to make a strong advance.
It also suggested that Kemi Badenoch’s speech on where the Tories went wrong has failed to bolster her party. Meanwhile, Labour’s economic woes and criticism of chancellor Rachel Reeves’ policies and China trip have pushed their support further down.
Techne’s chief executive Michela Morizzo pointed out that all three parties are effectively within the margin of error of being the leader in the race for public opinion. She said: “Our first Westminster tracker poll of 2025 reflects broadly the continued problems the major parties have. Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party, who are struggling to make headway in what is a particularly gloomy economic climate as the new year starts, drop one point in national vote share.
