Politics / Reform UK projected to become second strongest political force in the isles
ALMOST ONE in six voters in the Northern Isles would cast their vote for Reform UK, a YouGov projection shows.
The party is in line to become the second largest force in the isles, despite not having any local branches in Orkney or Shetland.
YouGov predicts that 49 per cent of voters (down 6 per cent) would vote for the Lib Dems, 16 per cent for Reform UK and 15 (down from 17.3 per cent) for the SNP.
South Ronaldsay fisherman Robert Smith has in recent years represented Reform UK in parliamentary elections, picking up around 7.7 per cent of the vote in July last year.
The latest data from YouGov shows the dramatic changes in domestic politics through the rapid rise of Reform UK.
YouGov predicts a hung parliament where Reform UK would become the largest party with 271 MPs (+266), while the Conservatives fall behind the Lib Dems into fourth place.
However, the next general election is likely to be four years away as isles MP Alistair Carmichael pointed out when asked to comment on the findings.
“Any opinion poll is to be treated with caution but the rise in support for Reform is something that we see across the whole of the UK,” he told Shetland News on Monday.
“Their performance in the recent Hamilton by-election shows that Scotland is not immune from that.
“The reasons for the growth in Reform support are doubtless complex but I am certain that they are rooted in the failure of our political system to deliver the change that is needed.
“Liberal Democrats have long seen the need for that change too, albeit that we would tackle it in a very different way.
“The change that Reform would bring is one that would deepen divisions rather than healing them. That is why I believe they can be beaten in the isles, but I do not discount the challenge that they will pose.”
Reform UK was contacted via their Highlands and Islands e-mail address, but no response has been received so far.
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