Reform UK support could plateau as it relies on socially conservative views, study finds
Party could struggle to push ratings as strategy increasingly focuses on views held by minority of voters, research finds
TL;DR
- Reform UK's political support is increasingly reliant on socially conservative views.
- A study by psephologist John Curtice suggests this reliance may cause Reform's poll ratings to plateau.
- Recent recruits to Reform are driven more by ideology than discontent with public services.
- Reform supporters are disproportionately older, male, less qualified, and more likely to have voted for Brexit.
- A significant majority of Reform supporters hold negative views on immigration and believe equal opportunities for minority groups have gone too far.
- Dissatisfaction with politicians and government's ability to improve things is a common trait among Reform supporters.
- Reform's strategy may limit its support to around 30%, though this could still be enough to win a general election.
- Improving public services alone may not be enough to counter Reform's rise due to its sharp ideological distinctiveness.