Key facts
- Reform UK councillors are instructed to call a police inquiry into party donations an 'establishment stitch-up'.
- The police investigation concerns a £500,000 donation from Fiona Cottrell, mother of George Cottrell.
- George Cottrell is a convicted fraudster and close friend of Nigel Farage.
- Nigel Farage's net favourability rating has dropped to -46, its lowest in a decade.
- Labour and Conservative parties are gaining ground on Reform UK in recent polls.
Reform UK has advised its local councillors to dismiss a police investigation into party donations as an 'establishment stitch-up,' according to The Times. Internal briefing documents instruct councillors to frame the Metropolitan Police inquiry into a £500,000 donation from Fiona Cottrell, mother of convicted fraudster George Cottrell, as a politically motivated attack.
Councillors are reportedly to use phrases such as "It is now clear that the establishment will try anything to stop us" and "The British people are tired of the establishment media doing anything they can to stop Reform. A daily routine of hit jobs and smears will not deter us from winning the next general election and fixing broken Britain."
This strategy emerges as new polling from YouGov indicates a significant decline in Nigel Farage's popularity, reaching a decade-low net favourability rating of -46. The poll shows only 22% of people view him positively, while 68% hold a negative view.
Separate polling by More in Common suggests that the new prime minister, Burnham, has a net approval rating of +13, with early voter-pleasing policies potentially boosting his standing. YouGov's voting intention poll for The Times and Sky News shows Labour and the Conservatives closing the gap with Reform UK. Labour is at 21%, the Conservatives at 20%, and Reform UK at 23%, with Labour experiencing a 'Burnham bounce' to its highest popularity since January.