Reform within touching distance of Labour as poll suggests ‘new era’ for British politics

Published

10 months ago

January 14, 2025

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Reform UK has grown in support to within one percentage point of Labour according to a new poll for Sky News by YouGov which suggests Britain has entered a new era of three-way party politics.

Sir Keir Starmer looks set to spend the parliament locked in a fight with two right-wing parties after Labour support dropped sharply in the first YouGov poll since the general election.

The poll shows the Tories have now been pushed into third place – two months after Kemi Badenoch was elected leader.

The data collected over the weekend puts Labour on 26%, Reform UK on 25%, Conservatives on 22%, Liberal Democrats on 14% and Greens on 8%.

This is a huge switch from the general election, when Labour was on 35%, Conservatives on 24%, Reform UK on 15%, Lib Dem on 13% and Greens on 7%.

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This is the first of YouGov’s weekly voting intention polls for Sky News, shared with The Times.

It reflects a drop in satisfaction with the government, a rise in support for Reform UK, and shows how the Labour vote has split in all directions since the election.

Labour has retained 54% of their vote at the general election – 7% have gone to the Lib Dems, 6% to the Green Party, 5% to Reform UK, 4% to the Tories – while 23% of those polled did not say, did not know or would not vote.

Reform UK’s vote has grown since the general election at the expense of all other parties, with 16% of voters who backed the Tories at the ballot last year now saying they’d support Reform.

The judgement on Sir Keir’s first six months in office is damning, however.

Some 10% say the government has been successful while 60% say unsuccessful.

Older voters have turned away from Labour. Just 14% of over 65s would now vote Labour, down from 22% around the time of the election.

However, there are signs the Tory party remains a toxic brand. Reform UK are the least unpopular party, with a net favourability rating of -32, Labour a touch worse on -34 and the Tories down on -45.

YouGov interviewed 2,279 voters in Great Britain on Sunday 12 January and Monday 13 January.

Politics

US Senate to vote on bill to reopen gov’t with crypto bill in limbo

Published

4 hours ago

November 7, 2025

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US Senate to vote on bill to reopen gov’t with crypto bill in limbo

The shutdown of the US government entered its 38th day on Friday, with the Senate set to vote on a funding bill that could temporarily restore operations.

According to the US Senate’s calendar of business on Friday, the chamber will consider a House of Representatives continuing resolution to fund the government. It’s unclear whether the bill will cross the 60-vote threshold needed to pass in the Senate after numerous failed attempts in the previous weeks.

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Amid the shutdown, Republican and Democratic lawmakers have reportedly continued discussions on the digital asset market structure bill. The legislation, passed as the CLARITY Act in the House in July and referred to as the Responsible Financial Innovation Act in the Senate, is expected to provide a comprehensive regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies in the US.

Although members of Congress have continued to receive paychecks during the shutdown — unlike many agencies, where staff have been furloughed and others are working without pay — any legislation, including that related to crypto, seems to have taken a backseat to addressing the shutdown.

At the time of publication, it was unclear how much support Republicans may have gained from Democrats, who have held the line in demanding the extension of healthcare subsidies and reversing cuts from a July funding bill.