Farage spars with YouGov

Oliver Dean | 13th March 2026 | Politics, Polling
Robert Jenrick and Nigel Farage (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)
Robert Jenrick and Nigel Farage (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

Nigel Farage has claimed that YouGov are trying to "suppress the true figures" when it comes to Reform's polling success.

Nigel Farage has accused one of Britain's leading pollsters of deliberately understating Reform UK's support. This is a charge which YouGov has flatly denied, insisting its methodology is more rigorous and detailed, not more hostile. In a letter to the company, the Reform leader alleged that "bizarre adjustments" were being used to "suppress the true figures" about his party's popularity. Across YouGov's last ten polls, he claimed, Reform averaged five points lower than surveys conducted by rival firms. The row erupted after YouGov's latest poll placed Reform just four points ahead of the Conservatives on 23 per cent, which was sharply below the 30 per cent recorded by some competitors. YouGov, however, claims that this gap is a feature, not a flaw. The company overhauled its voting intention model during the 2024 general election campaign to capture tactical voting, which has become an increasingly significant factor in British elections. Rather than asking voters a single question ab...

Subscribe to The Mace

Join the member community shaping British politics and stay ahead of what's really happening in the world of politics and public affairs, with expert analysis, breaking news, and insider insights from Westminster and Brussels. The Mace is the leading news source and resource for the government affairs industry, offering required reading and lobby intelligence for professionals.

To see what you are missing out on by not subscribing to The Mace, click here to download our full membership info-pack. This includes having no paywall on op-ed content or profiles/interviews, allowing professional profiles to be read with maximum impact and visibility by government, special advisers, MPs, peers, civil servants, and policy and political decision-makers.



Did Burnham rule out an early election too soon? The polling suggests so

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | November 5, 2026

Labour is riding high on the so-called ‘Burnham Bounce’, but Kemi Badenoch is steadily catching up

The ex-Cameron outsider who ran out of road in California

William Cash | November 4, 2026

Steve Hilton, David Cameron's one-time guru, has lost his bid to become California's first Republican governor in 20 years. So where does a man of so many reinventions

Donald, the lame duck: Trump after the midterms

William Cash | November 4, 2026

Trump told America to treat the midterms as a vote on him. It did. Now comes the reckoning, writes Mace editor-in-chief William Cash from California.

Tough Love: Is cutting benefits for young people fair?

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | November 3, 2026

It sounds like a straightforward fix: fewer young people on benefits, more in work. But is the reality so simple?

Steve Hilton’s California gamble

William Cash | November 2, 2026

A former Downing Street strategist is standing to be elected as the first Republican governor in 20 years. He's campaigning as if the polls are wrong.

UK Budget 2026: Energy Bill Relief, North Sea Oil and Gas, and the Cost of Britain’s Green Transition

Anna Bryzhko | October 29, 2026

The government has promised to ease energy bills while investing in Britain's energy future. But can it support North Sea production, expand clean power and meet climate commitments

Found the Budget boring? Burnham may be thinking of an early election

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | October 28, 2026

After weeks of anticipation, Healey’s maiden budget looks to designed to re-assure the markets that Labour are fiscally responsible.

Is Britain’s welfare Bill out of control?

Ella Beadman | October 27, 2026

Ahead of the hotly anticipated Budget on Wednesday, Ella Beadman analyses what it could mean for welfare spending

What Can Britain Expect for Defence Spending in the Autumn Budget?

Anna Bryzhko | October 22, 2026

The government has pledged billions more for Britain's military. But can it finance those promises without squeezing other public services?

Healey’s first Budget: Economic pressures and potential tax rises

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | October 21, 2026

With just a week until the first Budget of the Burnham government is released, Mace analyses what the Chancellor’s biggest challenges are and what taxes might be brought