The new polling comes ahead of Thursday’s by-election in Clacton
Labour has overtaken Reform UK in an opinion poll for the first time in 18 months, in a blow to Nigel Farage. A new YouGov survey puts Labour on 24%, up two points from the week before, as the party enjoys a bounce under new leader Andy Burnham. Reform is second place with 22%, down one point from the last poll. It is the joint-lowest level of support for Mr Farage’s party that the pollster has recorded since January 2025.
The Tories are close behind Reform with 21%, up two points from the week before. Zack Polanski’s Greens are down one point on 12%, a drop of nine points from their February peak. The Lib Dems are also down one point with 11%, the joint-lowest figure YouGov has recorded since the 2024 general election.
Nigel Farage’s party is down in the polls (Image: Getty)
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Rupert Lowe’s Restore Britain, which is posing a threat to Reform on the right of British politics, is on 4%.
It comes as Labour has gone up in the polls, following the departure of Sir Keir Starmer and Mr Burnham’s coronation.
Meanwhile, Reform’s popularity appears to have been hit amid ongoing questions over Mr Farage’s financial affairs.
He quit as an MP to trigger a by-election in Clacton, which has been snubbed by the main parties, as he faced an investigation by the parliamentary standards commissioner over a £5 million gift from a crypto billionaire before he entered Parliament.
Labour has seen a poll bounce under Andy Burnham (Image: Getty)
The probe, looking at whether he should have declared the money when he became an MP, was suspended on his resignation, but is likely to resume if he wins the by-election.
If he is found to have broken the rules and a suspension of more than 10 days is imposed, it could trigger a recall petition and the prospect of a second by-election.
Mr Farage has denied any wrongdoing and insisted the money was to pay for his security amid ongoing threats.
State pension age latest as petition to get payments from 60 reaches major milestone
A petition has reached an important milestone as its deadline arrives today.
Your state pension age is the earliest age you can start receiving your State Pension (Image: Getty)
A petition calling for the state pension to be paid to everyone from the age of 60 has reached a significant milestone. The petition is calling for a fundamental change to the current pension system, arguing that people should receive the state pension from their 60th birthday. It opened on February 10, 2026, and closes today, Monday, August 10. The petition, created by Denver Johnson, also calls for the payment to be linked to the National Living Wage.
Under the proposal, the state pension would be equivalent to 48 hours of work at the National Living Wage. The campaign calculates this at £610.08 a week, or around £31,724 a year. The petition says the payment should be available to all people aged 60, including those living overseas. The petition has now attracted 6,171 signatures at the time of writing.
The UK State Pension age is gradually increasing from 66 to 67 between April 2026 and April 2028 (Image: Getty)
The official Parliament petition page states that 10,000 signatures are required before the Government is obliged to respond. A petition reaching 100,000 signatures can be considered for debate in Parliament.
The petition states: “We want the Government to make the state pension available from age 60 and increase it to equal 48 hours a week at the National Living Wage. Hence from April 2026 a Universal State Pension should be £610.08 per week or about £31,724.16 per year as a right to all including expatriates, age 60 and above.
“We think that Government policy seems intent on the State Pension being a benefit not paid to all, while ever increasing the age of entitlement.
“We want reforms to the State Pension, so that it is available to all including expatriates, from age 60, and linked to the National Living Wage, for security.”
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed the state pension age is rising for people born in two years. The state pension age has now started to rise from 66 in April 2026 and will reach 67 in April 2028.
The age at which people can claim their State Pension, however, depends on their date of birth.
The increase affects people born on April 6, 1960, onwards. For those born between April 6, 1960 and March 5, 1961, the State Pension age rises in monthly steps. This means some people will reach State Pension age at 66 years and one month, while some other individuals will have to wait until they are 66 years and 11 months. People born from March 6, 1961, onwards are currently due to reach State Pension age at 67.
The Government said about the increase in State Pension age: “The Pensions Act 2014 brought the increase in the State Pension age from 66 to 67 forward by eight years. The State Pension age for men and women will now increase to 67 between 2026 and 2028.
“The Government also changed the way in which the increase in State Pension age is phased so that rather than reaching State Pension age on a specific date, people born between 6 April 1960 and 5 March 1961 will reach their State Pension age at 66 years and the specified number of months.”
The State Pension age timetable according to the Pensions Act 2014
- April 6, 1960 – May 5, 1960 – 66 years and 1 month
- May 6, 1960 – June 5, 1960 – 66 years and 2 months
- June 6, 1960 – July 5, 1960 – 66 years and 3 months
- July 6, 1960 – August 5, 1960 – 66 years and 4 months
- August 6, 1960 – September 5, 1960 – 66 years and 5 months
- September 6, 1960 – October 5, 1960 – 66 years and 6 months
- October 6, 1960 – November 5, 1960 – 66 years and 7 months
- November 6, 1960 – December 5, 1960 – 66 years and 8 months
- December 6, 1960 – January 5, 1961 – 66 years and 9 months
- January 6, 1961 – February 5, 1961 – 66 years and 10 months
- February 6, 1961 – March 5, 1961 – 66 years and 11 months
- March 6, 1961 – April 5, 1977