A summer of Reform scandals and a new leader have given Labour an edge – if it can resolve three key battles
As recently as late July, Westminster was in flux. Nigel Farage’s Reform UK was still leading the polls over Labour, as it had been for 18 months, but the Conservatives were close behind, with the Liberal Democrats and Greens in the fray too. Five parties all with hopes of advancement was a rare event in UK politics.
Then came Andy Burnham. His takeover in Downing Street from the unpopular Keir Starmer has led to substantial change in the political landscape, particularly since it coincided with a summer of scandal and an embarrassing by-election for Reform.
In the polls, Labour has moved into a narrow lead, with Reform slipping to second or even third place. A poll conducted in late August by More in Common, a non-profit research agency, put Labour on 26%, the Tories on 23%, and Reform on 22%, while the Lib Dems and the Greens were squeezed down to 11% and 9% respectively.
The situation may look better for Labour, but the shift has not been huge. If the figures for Reform and its rebel offshoot, Rupert Lowe’s Restore Britain Party, are taken together, the far-right’s support matches that for Labour.
