Nigel Farage has criticized one of the leading polling firms in the country, accusing it of underestimating the level of support for Reform UK.
The leader of Reform expressed his frustration following YouGov’s most recent survey, which indicated that the right-wing party, predominantly comprised of former Tories, had garnered a 23% share of the vote. This put them marginally ahead of the Tories led by Kemi Badenoch at 19% and the Labour party at 17%.
Contrastingly, another poll conducted by More in Common this week suggested that Reform UK was polling as high as 30%. In the same survey, Labour had 22% and the Tories stood at 19%. However, Pollster JL Partners reported a decrease for Reform, down to 27%.
Taking to his social media platform, Mr. Farage stated, “Reform is performing strongly in all polls except YouGov. They are applying strange adjustments to suppress the actual figures.” He also sent a strongly-worded letter to the firm, emphasizing the importance of accurate polling in shaping public opinion, especially on social media.
In response to the allegations, YouGov refuted the claims and defended their methodology, which had been updated before the previous general election to better reflect tactical voting trends. Anthony Wells, the global head of politics at YouGov, explained that their polling approach involves asking two questions about voting intentions to capture a more accurate representation, particularly in constituencies where parties like the Liberal Democrats are competitive.
The debate continues as Farage and YouGov clash over the accuracy and methodology of polling data, reflecting the ongoing scrutiny and importance placed on political polls in shaping public perception.