British politics has been rocked by an unprecedented seismic shift as Reform UK has overtaken the Conservative Party in a stunning new poll, dealing a devastating blow to Rishi Sunak's campaign just three weeks before the country heads to the polls.
The latest YouGov survey for The Times reveals that Reform has climbed to 19% of voting intention, while the Conservatives have slumped to a dismal 18% - the first time Reform has led the Tories in any major poll during this election campaign.
Political Earthquake
Reform UK leader Richard Tice declared the results "historic" as his party surges ahead of the governing Conservatives. The poll positions Labour firmly in the lead at 37%, but the real story is the dramatic collapse of Tory support and the remarkable rise of the right-wing challenger.
"We are delighted with this historic poll that shows Reform UK is now the real opposition to Labour in hundreds of constituencies across the country," Mr Tice told The Independent, barely containing his excitement at the breakthrough moment.
Conservative Campaign in Crisis
The poll results come as a catastrophic blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has been desperately trying to rally Conservative voters with warnings about a "supermajority" for Labour. Instead, his campaign appears to be haemorrhaging support to Reform UK on the right while failing to make inroads with centrist voters.
Political analysts are describing this as potentially the most significant realignment in British politics since the Brexit referendum, with the traditional Conservative vote fragmenting dramatically.
What This Means for July 4th
With the general election just weeks away, this poll suggests we could be witnessing a fundamental restructuring of the UK's political landscape. The Conservative Party, which has governed Britain for 14 years, now finds itself in third place behind a party that didn't even exist five years ago.
The surge in Reform support raises crucial questions about vote splitting on the right and whether this could lead to even more Labour gains in traditionally safe Conservative seats. As one senior Tory strategist privately admitted: "This is our worst nightmare coming true."
