Nigel Farage clear winner of ITV debate, poll reveals

In the aftermath of the latest TV debate, Yahoo News UK asked readers who they think won the ITV Election Debate

Ellen Manning
·2-min read

Watch: Leaders Clash on Tax and Immigration in ITV Election Debate

Nigel Farage has been tipped as the clear winner in Thursday night's general election TV debate, which saw him declare Reform UK party 'the true opposition to Labour'.

Farage's appearance came as a poll suggested for the first time that Reform UK had overtaken the Tories. A YouGov survey for The Times newspaper said Reform’s support had increased by two points to 19%, putting them ahead of the Tories’ tally of 18%, with Labour clearly ahead on 37%.

Farage used the poll result to say in his opening statement: “We are now the opposition to Labour”, later responding to a claim by Penny Mordaunt that he is a “Labour enabler” with the retort: “We are now ahead of you in the national polls. A vote for you is now a vote for Labour.”

Farage went up against Mordaunt, Labour’s Angela Rayner, Daisy Cooper of the Liberal Democrats, Stephen Flynn of the SNP, Carla Denyer for the Green Party and Rhun ap Iorwerth of Plaid Cymru.

In the aftermath of the latest TV debate, Yahoo News UK asked our readers who they think won the debate, and their answer was resoundingly in favour of Farage.

Farage debate
Farage debate

Our poll asked: 'Who do you think won the ITV election debate?', and of the 3,628 votes it received, 62% thought Farage had won the debate.

In secon place, Labour's Angela Rayner was much further behind, tipped as the winner by 19% of people, while Penny Mordaunt received 7% of the vote.

62% of Yahoo readers thought Farage had won the debate

On Friday Rishi Sunak played down the poll results, insisting that voting for Reform UK would be “handing Labour a blank cheque”.

The Prime Minister emphasised that “we are only halfway through this election” and the choice between the Tories and Labour will “crystallise for people between now and polling day”.

Our original poll article can be found here.

Read more of Yahoo UK's Poll of the Week articles

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