A seismic political shockwave has hit Westminster as a new poll reveals Nigel Farage's Reform UK has surged past Rishi Sunak's Conservatives in the Prime Minister's own constituency backyard.
The devastating survey for the Tories places Reform in second place in Epping Forest, trailing just behind Labour and pushing the governing party into a humiliating third position. This unprecedented result signals potential electoral oblivion for countless Conservative MPs across the country.
Westminster in Turmoil as Tory Heartland Crumbles
The poll, conducted by Whitestone Insight, shows Labour's Keir Starmer's party leading with 37% support, while Reform UK has catapulted to 21%, narrowly edging out the Conservatives at 20%. This represents a catastrophic collapse from the 2019 election where the Tories secured a commanding 60% of the vote.
Political analysts are describing this as the most dangerous moment for the Conservative Party in modern history, with Farage's insurgent movement threatening to split the right-wing vote and deliver a Labour landslide.
Sunak's Personal Constituency Under Threat
Most alarmingly for the Prime Minister, this erosion of support is occurring in constituencies previously considered Tory strongholds. Epping Forest, represented by Dame Eleanor Laing, has been a safe Conservative seat for decades, making this poll result particularly devastating.
The findings suggest that Sunak's strategy to win back the 2019 Tory coalition has fundamentally failed, with Reform UK successfully appealing to disaffected Conservative voters on key issues including immigration and Brexit delivery.
Senior Tories Break Ranks Amid Panic
The poll has triggered open panic within Conservative ranks, with Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch becoming the first senior minister to publicly acknowledge the existential threat posed by Reform UK. Her warning underscores the deep fractures within the party as it faces what could be its worst electoral defeat in history.
With the general election campaign intensifying, these numbers suggest Farage's return to frontline politics has completely reshaped the political battlefield, potentially condemning hundreds of Conservative candidates to defeat.
The political establishment is now bracing for what could be the most dramatic realignment in British politics since the Brexit referendum, with Farage once again positioned as the catalyst for historic change.
