What is behind the rise in popularity of Reform UK – and is it a threat to the main parties?

The relative success of Reform UK in the latest pair of by-elections has confirmed that the apparent rise in the party’s popularity in the opinion polls isn’t an illusion. He says Reform is solidifying itself as the UK’s third-biggest party, adding that “it takes time to build a brand”. Thus, the Reform UK “party” is actually “Reform UK Party Limited”, a company registered with Companies House; it is, in fact, the same company as “The Brexit Party Limited” under a different name. They include, aside from Brexit: “To campaign for a programme of national revival and, to that end, promote a full range of long-term domestic policies at parliamentary and local elections” and “To work to free individuals, families and businesses alike from excessive government interference in the conduct of their affairs and seek to return authority and responsible autonomy to all levels of local government, whether borough, city or district, whilst rejecting the idea of an extra layer of government in the form of regional assemblies, which would alienate voters by distancing them further from government, and undermine the principle democratically accountable local government.” Does it have policies? Unlike the Brexit Party, which campaigned solely on the issue of Brexit, Reform does have some eye-catching, if not eye-popping, proposals, such as: Increasing the threshold at which people start paying income tax to £20,000, as well as cutting fuel duty and taxes for businesses A freeze on non-essential immigration and a “one-in, one-out” policy Getting NHS waiting lists down to zero in two years Proportional representation in parliament Nationalising 50 per cent of key utility companies Turning back small boats at sea So a bit on the populist side, yes, and begging some obvious practical questions.