Reform UK rebuilds Johnson's voter base

TL;DR

Reform UK under Nigel Farage is putting together the same mix of voters that backed Boris Johnson in 2019.
Polls show Reform UK at 25%, ahead of other parties amid voter frustration with Labour and Conservatives.[[1]](https://www.economist.com/britain/2026/04/16/britons-are-more-politically-promiscuous-than-ever)
This signals a realignment on Britain's right, with Farage's fed-up supporters resembling Johnson's coalition more than radicals.

The story at a glance

The Economist argues that Reform UK is rebuilding Boris Johnson's 2019 electoral coalition of working-class and Brexit voters disillusioned with the establishment. It profiles supporters like Linda, a small-business owner in Wymondham, Norfolk, who fondly recalls Johnson as working for England. Reporting comes now as Reform leads polls at 25% and British voters grow more promiscuous, per the paper's build-a-voter model.[[1]](https://www.economist.com/britain/2026/04/16/britons-are-more-politically-promiscuous-than-ever) This builds on Reform's post-2024 gains from disaffected Conservatives.

Key points

Reform supporters are "fed up, not radical," sharing traits with Johnson's 2019 voters: small-business owners, older workers in places like Norfolk and Norwich who feel ignored by Labour and Tories.[[2]](https://www.economist.com/britain/2026/04/16/reform-uk-is-reassembling-boris-johnsons-electoral-coalition)
Polling places Reform at 25%, Lib Dems at 12%, Greens at 17%, with Labour and Conservatives together at just 38%—the lowest since the 1910s.[[1]](https://www.economist.com/britain/2026/04/16/britons-are-more-politically-promiscuous-than-ever)
The Economist's build-a-voter model highlights how unfaithful voters are switching parties freely, eroding the old Conservative-Labour duopoly.[[2]](https://www.economist.com/britain/2026/04/16/reform-uk-is-reassembling-boris-johnsons-electoral-coalition)
Supporters praise Johnson ("I liked Boris... he was working for England") but back Farage for addressing immigration and economic woes more aggressively.[[2]](https://www.economist.com/britain/2026/04/16/reform-uk-is-reassembling-boris-johnsons-electoral-coalition)
Reform targets Johnson's "Red Wall" voters from industrial heartlands, drawing half of his 2019 Leave supporters per other analyses.[[3]](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy853rj2kzo)

Details and context

Reform UK has surged since the 2024 election, topping polls for months and winning big in 2025 local elections, especially in England. This follows Labour's landslide but stems from voter anger over immigration, taxes, and net zero policies—issues where Reform promises "net negative migration" and deportations.[[4]](https://www.economist.com/britain/2026/03/29/how-poor-data-hobble-britains-immigration-policy)

Johnson's 2019 win relied on a volatile coalition: Brexit voters in Labour heartlands plus southern Conservatives. Reform is reassembling it by attracting ex-Tories (half of Johnson's voters now back Farage) without the scandals that sank the Conservatives.[[3]](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy853rj2kzo)

The article, from Norwich, notes these voters are mainstream—small-business types hit by regulation—not fringe radicals. Yet Reform's odd mix of libertarians and traditionalists could test cohesion.

Key quotes

“I liked Boris,” says Linda, a small-business owner in Wymondham, Norfolk. “I think he was working for England.”[[2]](https://www.economist.com/britain/2026/04/16/reform-uk-is-reassembling-boris-johnsons-electoral-coalition)

Why it matters

Reform's rise challenges the two-party system, potentially handing it control of the right ahead of the next general election. For voters and businesses, it means harder lines on immigration and taxes, with Reform positioned to draw Tory defectors and Red Wall seats. Watch local election results in May 2026 and any Tory-Reform pact talks, though polls can shift with economic news.