Reform’s portrayal of Connolly as a political prisoner under Keir Starmer’s government has escalated tensions, with Nigel Farage recently traveling to Washington to criticize Britain’s online safety regulations, even equating the UK’s environment to North Korea regarding free speech, reports 24brussels.
Cabinet ministers condemned Farage’s U.S. visit as a “Talk Britain Down” tour, with Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds asserting it was “as anti-British as you can get.”
A survey by More in Common reveals that public opinion is divided on Connolly’s sentencing, yet 51 percent of respondents feel politicians should distance themselves from her, including a significant portion of Reform’s own supporters.
“The transnational neoconservative right is a massive danger to the British right, not an opportunity,” warned IPPR’s Morris.
Polling further indicates that many of Reform’s newer backers view U.S.-style populists like Donald Trump unfavorably. Social attitudes also appear to be evolving, with 60 percent of voters supporting same-sex marriage and 46 percent believing that the legal abortion limit should remain at 24 weeks.
Policy Pitfalls
Despite Reform’s current lead in national voting intention polls, concerns are mounting over its specific policy proposals. Notably, a suggestion to collaborate with the Taliban to facilitate the return of Afghan asylum seekers has met with mixed reactions. According to a YouGov poll, 45 percent of Britons deemed it “completely unacceptable” to provide financial assistance to the regime for repatriation purposes.
