Half of Britons say that they want radical change, but Reform UK seen as both solution and risk

New data from Ipsos in the UK’s Political Pulse survey, taken November 10th – 13th, reveals that while half of Britons say that the country needs radical change, Reform UK are both most trusted to deliver the kind of change Britian needs – but they are also seen as the most likely to deliver undesirable reforms.

Public wants change

• A significant 50% of Britons believe the country requires radical change, showcasing a desire for systematic overhaul. 37% believe that the country needs moderate change, while 6% think that it needs minimal change.

Trust in parties for delivering change

• Reform UK are both most trusted to deliver the kind of change Britian needs but also seen as most likely to deliver the wrong kind of change too. 23% believe that it would deliver the kind of change that Britain needs, while 34% believe it would deliver change that the country does not need.
• Among those who believe that Britain needs radical change, 37% trust Reform UK to deliver. However, this drops to 11% among those who think that the country needs moderate change.
• Conversely, the Labour Party is trusted by 27% of those wanting moderate change, but just 4% of those wanting radical change.
• The Green Party is trusted by 13% of those wanting radical change, and 12% of those wanting moderate change.

Where are various politicians and parties on the ideological spectrum?

• Three in ten Britons would describe the views of Nigel Farage (31%) and Reform UK (32%) as being “extreme right”.
• 12% consider the views of Keir Starmer to be extreme left, while 14% consider him to be left wing, 18% consider him to be left of centre, and 15% consider him to be centre.
• A third (33%) of Britons would describe the views of US President Donald Trump to be “extreme right”.

Favourability towards politicians 

• Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has a net favourability of -21 (down significantly from -9 last month) with 30% of Britons viewing him favourably and 51% unfavourably.
• Prime Minister Keir Starmer's net favourability stands at – 42, down slightly from -40 last month (19% favourable, 61% unfavourable).
• Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch has a net favourability of -34, down significantly from -22 last month. 18% are favourable, with 52% unfavourable.  
• 21% hold a favourable view of Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey, while 34% are unfavourable, giving him a net score of -13 (down slightly from -7 last month).
• 13% are favourable towards Chancellor Rachel Reeves, while 59% are unfavourable, giving her a net rating of -46 (down slightly from -40 last month).
• A quarter (25%) are favourable towards Green Party leader Zack Polanski, while 30% are unfavourable.

Favourability towards political parties 

• Two in ten (20%) are favourable towards the Labour party, with 56% unfavourable (net -36).
• Reform UK has a net rating of -20, down significantly from -5 last month. Three in ten (30%) hold a favourable view of the party, with 50% unfavourable.
• 20% express a favourable view of the Conservative party, with 53% unfavourable (net -33, down slightly from -28 last month).
• The Green Party’s net rating is -2, up slightly from -6 last month. 31% are favourable towards the party, while a third (33%) are unfavourable.
• The Liberal Democrats continue to sit at -10 (n/c from last month). 24% express a favourable view and 34% unfavourable.

Government performance 

• When asked to score the government’s performance on a scale of 0-10, the Labour government receives an average performance rating of 3.2 out of 10 (-0.1 from last month). Those aged 16-34 (4.8) and Labour voters (5.0) continue to rank the government highest, while those aged 55+ (2.3) and Reform UK voters (1.3) continue to score it lowest.
• Healthcare/the NHS (61%), inflation/the cost of living (58%), and immigration (50%) continue to be the issues that Britons say will be most crucial in deciding their vote for the next general election.

Keiran Pedley, Director of UK Politics at Ipsos said:

With half of Britons saying that the country needs radical change, it's clear that there's a significant appetite for transformation in the country's political and social institutions. However, the polarised perceptions of Reform UK illustrate a broader uncertainty about what that change should look like. This survey highlights the challenges facing political leaders today – they must work to both inspire confidence in their policies and assuage fears about potential negative consequences.

Technical note: 

• Ipsos interviewed a representative sample of 1,133 adults aged 18+ across Great Britain. Interviews were conducted online between the 7th – 10th November 2025.
• Data are weighted to match the profile of the population. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.