Reform UK has overtaken Labour to become Britain’s largest political party by membership, marking a striking moment in Nigel Farage’s reshaping of the country’s political landscape.
The populist party now claims close to 270,000 members, according to a live counter on its website. While Labour reported around 333,000 members at this point last year, leaked figures cited by The Times suggest its numbers have since fallen below 250,000, amid declining poll ratings for Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Hailing the milestone, Farage said it represented a “huge step on our journey to winning the next election”, which must take place by 2029. He added, “The era of two-party politics is over.”
Reform’s rise ahead of both Labour and the Conservatives, the only parties to have produced a prime minister in the past century, highlights a growing fragmentation in British politics as voters turn away from traditional power blocs. The shift is echoed elsewhere on the political spectrum, with the Green Party announcing last month that its membership had climbed to 170,000, surpassing the Conservatives.
Reflecting wider national shifts, support for both the Greens and Reform UK is also rising within the British Indian community. The findings suggest that major parties can no longer take British Indian votes for granted, as the electorate shows increasing movement towards both the right and left of the political spectrum.
