Nigel Farage is Reform UK’s “only ticket” to 10 Downing Street, according to a leading pollster. James Johnson of JL Partners said the party would not have won any seats at the last general election if the arch-Brexiteer had not made his bombshell comeback.

He added that the Clacton MP is Reform’s “number one asset by a long way”. His comments come as the party, which has topped national opinion polls in recent months, has been engulfed by a civil war after Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe questioned Mr Farage’s leadership in an outspoken interview.

Mr Johnson said: “It’s extremely hard for a new party to break through in the UK. I mean literally no one’s done it for more than a century.

“For Reform to have any chance of being in the next government they need absolutely every asset they have, and their number one asset by a long way is Nigel Farage.

“He’s the most popular politician in the country, or probably more accurately the least unpopular. And he’s got that name recognition that follows through.

“So to me as a pollster it is baffling that people think somehow Farage isn’t the answer. It’s very clear to me that Farage is their only ticket to Number 10.”

Mr Johnson added that Mr Farage’s return as Reform’s leader was a “transformative moment” ahead of last July’s election.

He said: “I don’t think Reform would have won a single seat if Farage had not become leader in June 2024.

“The reason is that actually Reform’s vote was going down a little bit at the start of that campaign.

“Richard Tice did not have name recognition with the general public or even with Reform voters, and the Conservatives were starting to squeeze Reform’s vote down and increase their own.

“But when Farage came in the entire picture was transformed. He had name recognition, he had a stronger reputation after going into the jungle and he had political brand assets that others didn’t have, such as sort of frank speaking and sort of perceived strength and speaking the truth on things like immigration.

“So certainly from my perspective as a pollster in the campaign that was a transformative moment.”

Mr Johnson said the row over Mr Lowe may damage Reform “in the short term”.

T he former Brexit Party MEP was last week reported to police and had the whip suspended over claims of violent threats against the party chairman and allegations of office bullying, which he denies.

Splits emerged after Mr Lowe said that Reform remained a “protest party led by the messiah” under Mr Farage.

Mr Johnson said: “I think it could hurt Reform in the in the short term because they might look divided.

“But I imagine that the rationale is that it’s better to get this pain out the way now than have this bugging them for the entire parliamentary term and closer to an election.

“There isn’t an election anytime soon so it’s ok for them to be a bit divided for a few months while they do whatever they need to do to sort this out.

“And I suppose their calculation is that it’s better to have this guy out than in and that may end up being a politically savvy choice.

“So there might be a short-term hit but if they can get their act together and united again then no one’s going to remember this in four years’ time.”

It comes as new YouGov polling found a third of Reform voters think the party would be doing better under another leader.