A new YouGov poll signals a dramatic shift in the political currents of the United Kingdom, with 44% of Britons saying Reform UK is now doing more than any other party to set the national agenda. The governing Labour Party trails far behind at 14%, with the Conservatives at just 4%.

The poll points to the degree to which Nigel Farage’s insurgent force has moved from the margins to the centre of British debate, capturing the frustrations of voters who see little to cheer about in the country’s economic direction.

Nearly half of respondents told YouGov they believe Farage is performing well as Reform’s leader, while a third said he is doing badly. The party’s breakthrough is not confined to its own base.

Among Conservative supporters, a full 69% rate Farage’s performance positively, an extraordinary endorsement from voters who once would have been unlikely to look outside the Tory tent.

Reform’s rise has unfolded against a backdrop of economic malaise. Since the global financial crisis of 2008, the UK’s per capita GDP has stagnated, with the country failing to regain its pre-crisis momentum. One UK investment manager told The Common Sense that this is the longest period of stagnation since the Napoleonic wars, a verdict that puts the present malaise into historical context.

Public disaffection is also shaped by a perception that mainstream parties have lost control of the core drivers of social well-being. Frustrations over unchecked immigration, and what many see as political timidity, are fuelling support for Reform.

British politics is being upended with a sizable portion of the electorate now looks beyond the established parties for answers, willing to reward a party promising a sharper break from the past.