Reform UK has emerged as the largest political party in the United Kingdom by membership, according to leaked figures, in a dramatic development ahead of the next general election.
The party’s leader, Nigel Farage, declared that “the age of two-party politics is dead” after figures suggested Labour’s membership has fallen below Reform UK’s self-reported total. Reform claims nearly 269,000 members, while leaked data seen by The Times indicates Labour now has fewer than 250,000 members. Labour did not dispute the figures.
Farage described the moment as a “huge milestone”, arguing it confirmed what Reform supporters had long suspected. “Reform is now the largest political party in British politics,” he said.
The disclosure represents a fresh setback for Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party, which has trailed behind Reform in opinion polls for much of the year. Reform UK is currently averaging close to 30 per cent support, around 10 points ahead of both Labour and the Conservatives.
In February, Labour was reported to have 309,000 members, but numbers have since declined sharply. When Sir Keir became leader in 2020, Labour boasted more than 500,000 members, making it the largest political party in Europe at the time. Membership fell following the departure of Jeremy Corbyn, whose new political movement, Your Party, has attracted around 50,000 members.
Labour traditionally keeps its membership figures confidential, with even its ruling National Executive Committee not routinely informed. A Labour spokesperson said: “Our membership figures are published in our annual report. We do not give a running commentary on them throughout the year.”
Reform UK had already overtaken the Conservative Party in membership on Boxing Day last year. Latest figures show the Conservatives now have around 123,000 members. The decline has coincided with a series of high-profile defections to Reform, including former Tory chairman Sir Jake Berry, ex-cabinet minister Nadine Dorries, and MPs Danny Kruger and Ben Bradley.
Read Also:
Conservative party calls for ban on foreigners claiming disability benefits
Nigel Farage’s Reform Party poised to become UK’s largest
UK Asylum seeker who repeated ‘I don’t know’, ‘I can’t remember’ granted leave to remain
Other parties have also seen shifts in their membership. The Green Party has grown significantly, rising from 126,000 members in October to around 180,000. The Liberal Democrats, by contrast, now stand at 83,174 members, a slight decrease on the previous year.
Labour’s weak polling performance, combined with a troubled run-up to the Budget, has fuelled speculation about a potential leadership challenge to Sir Keir, speculation the party has sought to play down.
Meanwhile, Reform UK has secured a symbolic electoral breakthrough north of the border. The party won its first-ever seat in Scotland following a council by-election in West Lothian. David McLennan was elected in the Whitburn and Blackburn ward with 1,177 votes on a turnout of 22 per cent.
The SNP’s Callum Cox finished second with 1,026 votes, while Labour’s Samuel McCulloch came third with 627. Farage hailed the result as “fantastic”, saying Reform had been confident of victory.
With rising membership, strong polling numbers and growing electoral success, Reform UK’s momentum is reshaping the political landscape, intensifying pressure on Britain’s traditional parties as the general election approaches.
