Gawain Towler, a close ally of Nigel Farage, has claimed that people should take the attitude of “if it makes you feel good, ignore it” after it was revealed that Reform UK has surpassed Labour in a new poll.
Reform has overtaken Labour for the first time in the new poll, pushing Starmer’s party into third place.
The survey by Find Out Now, conducted on December 4, shows the Conservatives leading with 26 per cent of public support.
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has surged to second place with 24 per cent, up two percentage points since late November.
Reform UK is now ahead of the Labour Party in the polls
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Labour, who won a historic landslide just five months ago, has dropped two points to 23 per cent, marking a dramatic shift in voter intentions.
Speaking to GB News, Farage’s ally Gawain Towler said: “I have a hard and fast rule about polling. If it makes you smile, ignore it. Don’t believe it.
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“If it makes you feel good, don’t believe it. This didn’t make me smile, this made me laugh out loud when I read it yesterday.”
He added: “What I do believe is the trajectory, the direction of travel. I do not believe that poll.
“Across the board I mean this is extraordinary figures for Reform. But I do believe the trajectory. It is not unusual that we’re hitting the 20s.
“It is not unusual that we’re pushing the Tories and we are pushing Labour.
Gawain Towler said Reform “should be in governance”
GB News
“I’m delighted, it made me laugh beyond belief. But do I believe it? No.
“That being said, yes, there’s absolutely no reason why Reform shouldn’t have the ambition to be the governance of this country, or at least part of the government of this country.”
According to Find Out Now head of research Tyron Surmon, the poll’s methodology differs from other polling companies.
The firm explicitly asks people if they will vote before asking about party preference, avoiding encouraging unlikely voters to select a party.
Nigel Farage tweeted after overtaking Labour in the polls
GB News
It also excludes respondents who say they “don’t know” how they plan to vote, rather than assigning them to parties based on demographics.
“Labour voters are less likely to say they’ll vote. Only 84 per cent of 2024 GE Labour voters say they would “definitely” or “very likely” vote if there were a general election called tomorrow, compared to 95 per cent of Conservatives and 90 per cent of Reform UK voters,” Surmon explained.
Reform UK chairman Zia Yusuf celebrated the poll results with a bullish statement about his party’s future.
He said: “British people want real change after years of failure and deception. Reform will form the next government of the United Kingdom.”
