LONDON — Brits are skeptical of Nigel Farage’s claim that the political establishment is out to get him and reckon his by-election gambit will backfire, according to new polling conducted for POLITICO.
A majority said the Reform UK leader’s decision to resign his Clacton seat to give locals a referendum over mounting questions about his finances is a pointless waste of time and money, the new survey by Public First shows.
Respondents across the U.K. also rated the satirical candidate known as Count Binface — Farage’s main likely opponent in the Aug. 13 by-election — as more trustworthy and likeable than the man who hopes to be prime minister.
Farage has faced recent scrutiny over big-money donations he’s received, including investigation by the parliamentary standards commissioner. He responded last week with a high-stakes strategy: He quit as an MP to trigger what he billed as a “people versus the establishment” by-election, part of a broader effort by the Brexiteer to claim the Establishment is out to thwart him as his party continues to top public opinion polls.
But the Public First polling shows that 44 percent of U.K. voters disagree that Farage is a victim of the political establishment, compared to 28 percent who believe he is.
The only group of voters which, on balance, back that claim are those who already intend to vote Reform (66 percent to 10 percent). Voters currently siding with Reform’s Conservative rivals on the right sided against the anti-establishment claim (30 percent agree with Farage to 41 percent disagreeing), suggesting Farage may have little ground to gain on this strategy.