A new survey has confirmed what Westminster has long refused to understand - that support for Reform UK is so much more than just a protest vote.
The latest British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey, published yesterday, has found that Reform UK voters are motivated more by ideology than by dissatisfaction. It is true that those voting Reform UK are unhappier with the state of the country than the general population. For instance, 60% were "very dissatisfied" with the NHS, compared to 51% of the public. But the differences are much more stark when it comes to political and cultural beliefs.
While just 35% of the public believe that immigration has had a negative impact on Britain’s cultural life, this rises to 75% among Reform UK voters. The same goes for the economic impact of immigration, with 67% of Reform UK supporters saying it has been bad for the economy, compared with 33% of the public. On welfare, too, Reform UK voters are more likely to believe that the system should reward work, with 78% saying unemployment benefits are too high, compared with 60% of the wider public. Clearly, there is something deeper going on here than mere protest.
Sir John Curtice, one of Britain’s leading pollsters and co-author of the BSA survey, has made clear that the establishment “shouldn't necessarily assume that support for Reform is going to melt away”. This is significant. For years, SW1 has comforted itself with the idea that Reform voters are simply throwing a temporary tantrum before returning meekly to Labour or the Conservatives. This survey shatters that illusion.
Curtice also warned that, “unless the other parties can address some of the concerns people who are voting Reform have about immigration and equality policies, then it's difficult to believe Reform is necessarily going to disappear entirely from our landscape.” But the uniparty should by no means take this for granted. Even if Labour and the Conservatives do throw a bone, no one should expect voters to come running.
The old parties have had chance after chance. The Conservatives promised to take back control, and then presided over record immigration, higher taxes and national decline. Labour promised change, and has so far delivered only more of the same, if not worse, failures. British people are now waking up to the fact that these promises mean nothing.
Voters are obviously fed up with the state of broken Britain. But that is not the only reason why they are backing Reform UK. We are the only party offering a vision of optimism and change. We are the only party offering a genuine alternative.
The latest British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey, published yesterday, has found that Reform UK voters are motivated more by ideology than by dissatisfaction. It is true that those voting Reform UK are unhappier with the state of the country than the general population. For instance, 60% were "very dissatisfied" with the NHS, compared to 51% of the public. But the differences are much more stark when it comes to political and cultural beliefs.
While just 35% of the public believe that immigration has had a negative impact on Britain’s cultural life, this rises to 75% among Reform UK voters. The same goes for the economic impact of immigration, with 67% of Reform UK supporters saying it has been bad for the economy, compared with 33% of the public. On welfare, too, Reform UK voters are more likely to believe that the system should reward work, with 78% saying unemployment benefits are too high, compared with 60% of the wider public. Clearly, there is something deeper going on here than mere protest.
Sir John Curtice, one of Britain’s leading pollsters and co-author of the BSA survey, has made clear that the establishment “shouldn't necessarily assume that support for Reform is going to melt away”. This is significant. For years, SW1 has comforted itself with the idea that Reform voters are simply throwing a temporary tantrum before returning meekly to Labour or the Conservatives. This survey shatters that illusion.
Curtice also warned that, “unless the other parties can address some of the concerns people who are voting Reform have about immigration and equality policies, then it's difficult to believe Reform is necessarily going to disappear entirely from our landscape.” But the uniparty should by no means take this for granted. Even if Labour and the Conservatives do throw a bone, no one should expect voters to come running.
The old parties have had chance after chance. The Conservatives promised to take back control, and then presided over record immigration, higher taxes and national decline. Labour promised change, and has so far delivered only more of the same, if not worse, failures. British people are now waking up to the fact that these promises mean nothing.
Voters are obviously fed up with the state of broken Britain. But that is not the only reason why they are backing Reform UK. We are the only party offering a vision of optimism and change. We are the only party offering a genuine alternative.
