A new poll by More in Common has put the Conservatives ahead of Reform UK for the first time in over 18 months, pushing Nigel Farage's party into third place. The shift matters politically because it suggests Kemi Badenoch may be gaining traction after a difficult period, while Reform's momentum appears to be stalling amid internal turmoil, and it comes as Labour's poll bounce under the influence of Andy Burnham also shows signs of fading.

The survey put Labour on 26 per cent (down one point), the Conservatives on 23 per cent (up one point), and Reform UK on 22 per cent (down one point and its lowest level in 18 months). The Liberal Democrats stood at 11 per cent, the Greens on 9 per cent, and Rupert Lowe's rival party Restore Britain on 4 per cent. Pollster Luke Tryl cautioned the changes were within the margin of error, but noted the figures marked the Conservatives' best showing since January and Reform's weakest in a year and a half. The findings follow Badenoch's major frontbench reshuffle, including replacing Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride with Andrew Griffith, and come as Badenoch posted a net positive approval rating of +1, well ahead of Farage's -27.