Nigel Farage is missing out on hundreds of thousands of extra votes in an untapped corner of the United Kingdom, new polling has revealed.
New research, conducted by Lucid Talk, found that nine per cent of voters in Northern Ireland would definitely vote for Reform UK if it puts up candidates across Ulster at the next General Election.
The figure soars to 19 per cent among Northern Ireland’s Unionist community.
Meanwhile, an additional 15 per cent of voters would consider supporting Reform UK, including 30 per cent of Unionists.
Mr Farage could also attract three per cent of Nationalist voters and three per cent who currently support cross-community options, such as Alliance or the Green Party.
The Reform UK leader would garner most support among supporters of Jim Allister’s Traditional Ulster Voice outfit, with 27 per cent certain to support Mr Farage and an additional 32 per cent considering a switch.
The figures among Democratic Unionist Party voters are 20 per cent and 34 per cent respectively.
Ulster Unionist Party voters express less support for Reform UK, dropping to 14 per cent certain to vote for Mr Farage and just 17 per cent considering a switch.
Nigel Farage is missing out on hundreds of thousands of extra votes in an untapped corner of the United Kingdom, new polling has revealed
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It has been rumoured that Mr Farage is considering running candidates in Northern Ireland at the next General Election.
However, the DUP, many of whom have been longstanding allies of Mr Farage, has been speaking to the Reform UK leader about issues in the province.
DUP leader Mr Robinson said: “I think whenever we have conversations with him, normally it is to broaden his understanding of Northern Ireland and the complexities we have.
“He made commentary in the summer about ECHR and about how he was frustrated by constraints of the past, so he would deliver a solution and then think about Northern Ireland thereafter.
Voters Reform UK could gain by community group in Northern Ireland
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LUCID TALK
“He is not saying that now. We have indicated to him very clearly we are not going to be in a second-tier role from the rest of our country.
“There is a unity and an integrity to our immigration policy on the basis that it is UK-wide.”
Mr Farage also established cordial relations with Mr Allister ahead of the 2024 General Election.
However, the Reform UK leader’s friendship with pals Ian Paisley and Sammy Wilson deteriorated relations.
Unionist parties appear particularly vulnerable to Reform UK contesting seats in Northern Ireland
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LUCID TALK
Despite Mr Farage’s close ties with Unionist figures in Northern Ireland, Reform UK hinted at establishing an operation in the untapped province.
“We are reaching out to explore the possibility of developing (our) presence in Northern Ireland,” Reform UK told its members earlier this year.
While we’ve seen strong growth across much of the UK, we’re now looking to understand whether there is local interest and appetite for building something meaningful in Northern Ireland, and we want to hear from our members first.”
In the correspondence, the party’s then campaigns chief Michael Hadwen added: “At this early stage, we’re simply trying to identify individuals who may be interested in… helping set up interim branches, co-ordinating local activity, being a local point of contact.”
Nigel Farage has formed a close friendship with Ian Paisley
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Reform UK might look to target the predominantly Unionist seats in Northern Ireland which voted to leave the European Union in 2016, including Belfast East, East Antrim, Lagan Valley, North Antrim, South Antrim, Strangford and Upper Bann.
However, a majority of voters in Northern Ireland, 56 per cent, voted to remain in the Brussels bloc, including Unionist seats of East Londonderry and North Down.
Mainstream British parties barely contest General Elections in Northern Ireland, with the Conservative Party peaking at 102,631 votes in 2010.
However, the Tory Party have previously entered into an electoral alliance with the UUP and formed a confidence and supply arrangement with the DUP in Westminster.
Sammy Wilson also formed a close friendship with Nigel Farage during the Brexit years
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Meanwhile, the Northern Irish Labour Party returned John Beattie to Westminster from 1943 to 1950 and 1951 to 1955.
The Social Democratic and Labour Party is also the sister party of Britain’s Labour Party, taking two seats behind Sir Keir Starmer.
Northern Irish parties have also had representatives in mainland Great Britain, with ex-Basingstoke MP Andrew Hunter holding the DUP whip in 2004.
Mr Hunter became the first mainland MP in Great Britain to represent a party based in Northern Ireland since TP O’Connor represented Liverpool Scotland as an Irish Nationalist between 1885 to 1929.
