Polling from thinktank More in Common shows Reform UK is increasingly being favoured by a surprising group of voters.
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK is more popular with Gen Z women, polling shows (Image: Getty)
Nigel Farage‘s Reform UK is attracting a demographic the outfit has struggled to woo in the past, polling shows. Reform’s vote share among Gen Z women, those aged 18-26, soared in May from 12% to 21% after the local elections, figures from the thinktank More in Common first shared with Politico show.
The data appears to show a majority ditched the Conservatives for Reform. Louis O’Geran, Research Assistant at More in Common, said: “In the General Election, you could confidently say the median Reform voter is a middle-aged man who voted for Brexit. The gender gap is narrowing, but also that age distribution is spreading out.”
Mr O’Geran said young women are dissatisfied with Labour and the Conservatives, with a “sense” the two main parties aren’t working.
More in Common’s May voting intention survey shows 21% of Gen Z women opting for Reform; 33% for Labour; 26% Green Party; 9% Liberal Democratsm and 6% Conservatives.
This compares to 26% of Gen Z men favouring Reform, 16% Green, 35% Labour, 6% Lib Dem and 13% Conservative.
The polling is based on an average of four surveys carried out last month among some 9,000 UK adults.
Mr O’Geran said: “While the increase in support among Gen Z women is really significant, they started on a far lower base than any other age group.”
He added: “The increase is probably part of a wider expansion of Reform’s support following the election.”
Mr Farage’s rising popularity among Gen Z women may come as a surprise to some, with Reform UK’s leader once having praised the controversial influencer Andrew Tate, who faces criminal charges in Romania and the UK, which he denies. Reform’s leader said Mr Tate was an “important voice” for “emasculated” men.
Reform UK’s election manifesto also includes a pledge to ditch the Equality Act, part of which prohibits discrimination on gender.
Meanwhile, Reform UK surged into third place in Holyrood’s by-election vote in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse on Thursday (June 5). Reform secured 26% of the vote, while the Tories won just 6%. Labour won the seat.
Reform’s rise in the polls has led Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to regard Mr Farage’s outfit as Labour’s main opposition, despite Reform having only five MPs.
Tory leader, Kemi Badenoch, insisted on Friday (June 6) that the Conservatives are still the main opposition to Labour despite the result north of the border.
Mrs Badenoch dismissed Reform as a “protest party” and said claims it was the real opposition were “nonsense”.
Dismissing Reform as “another left-wing party”, she said: “What they’re trying to do is talk this situation into existence.
“Labour is going to be facing the Conservative Party at the next election and we’re going to get them out.”