The scandals hurt Farage, but the party continues to win over Tory voters

Will last week's scandals surrounding Nigel Farage and his right-wing populist reform UK put an end to the party's rise in public opinion? Well, John Craig at Sky News and Paula Surridge at The Guardian both answer in their analyses.

“The ugly racist row may have come too late to put the brakes on Farage's monster that threatens to crush the Tories,” writes Craig.

Many reform UK campaigners have been exposed for statements such as the shooting of illegal immigrants, feminism as cancer and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak being quoted in the UK media as a racist slur.

But many already vote by mail, Craig says, and others don't care. After all, after rising from 11 to 16 percent, the Reform UK has fallen somewhat in public opinion, and cannot overtake the conservative Tories into second place after Labour, Surridge writes. Now the Tories have to fight tooth and nail for every vote.

“But voters for Reform UK are just as disillusioned with the Conservatives as voters for other parties, and it's unclear what strategy can win them back.”