Balance of Power

British Politics Is Fracturing in Populist Era

Support for Farage’s Reform UK surges in poorest neighborhoods.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage addresses voters in Clacton-on-Sea, UK, in July 2024. Photographer: Jose Sarmento Matos/Bloomberg

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By Isobel Finkel

November 4, 2025 at 11:07 AM UTC

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When Nigel Farage descended the staircase of London’s art deco Banking Hall to rip up his Reform UK party’s pre-election manifesto — unfortunately titled “Our Contract With You” — the Trumpian echoes were unmistakable.