Blow for Reform as voters seek to block Farage's route to No10 with boost in tactical voting support for Labour and Tories

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 09:43 EDT, 23 September 2026 | Updated: 09:43 EDT, 23 September 2026 Opposition to Reform gaining power appears to be hardening in the UK with voters increasingly willing to try to block Nigel Farage from entering No10. New analysis of tactical voting suggests the public is increasingly willing to vote for a 'stop Reform' candidate in their area, especially if the alternative is Labour or the Conservatives.YouGov data shows that if a seat was a toss up between Andy Burnham's Labour and Reform, Labour would win 41 per cent of the vote to Reform's 26 per cent, with the gap widening by 11 points since February.The numbers show that Green and Lib Dem voters would be most willing to lend their support to Mr Burnham's candidate, with Tory voters twice as likely to back Reform.Additionally, the data from 6,077 people suggests that Reform also loses in head-to-head battles with the Conservatives by a similar 15-point margin, 35 per cent to 20 per cent, with the gap widening by eight points in seven months.Mr Farage's party also loses a head-to-head against the Lib Dems by an increased margin, and against the Greens, despite Zack Polanski's party also suffering a drop in popularity.It comes after Mr Burnham replaced Sir Keir Starmer and follows a raft of controversies surrounding Reform and its finances, including record-breaking donations totalling £72million from two crypto-billionaires. New analysis of tactical voting suggests the public is increasingly willing to vote for a 'stop Reform' candidate in their area, especially if the alternative is Labour or the ConservativesIt comes the day after new data suggested Mr Burnham could need a Left-wing 'rainbow coalition' deal if he pulls the trigger on a snap election.Rumours are swirling at Westminster that the PM is considering going to the country early to get his own mandate.Although he has dismissed the idea, the move could free him from the commitments in Sir Keir Starmer's manifesto, including red lines against increasing income tax and unwinding Brexit.However, YouGov research indicated that the result would currently be a Commons deadlock, with the main parties effectively tied.The survey found Labour was ahead on 23 per cent, but Mr Burnham's bounce since taking over as PM seems to have stalled.Meanwhile, the Tories were up a point over the past week to 21 per cent support, matching Reform. Mr Farage's party dropped two points to record its lowest score since January last year.