Farage effect is starting to wear off': Readers say Reform slump is helping Badenoch

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"Independent readers were quick to pour cold water on claims of a Conservative revival, arguing that Kemi Badenoch's polling boost says less about renewed faith in the Tories and more about Nigel Farage's fading appeal. Many suggested Reform UK has hit a hard ceiling, with its anti-establishment image undermined by an influx of familiar Conservative faces. Defections were widely dismissed as self-serving career moves, reinforcing the view that Reform is becoming a refuge for politicians voters have already rejected."

The Independent provides on-the-ground reporting across issues such as reproductive rights, climate change, and Big Tech. Investigations include financial scrutiny of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC and documentary work like 'The A Word' focusing on American women fighting for reproductive rights. The outlet emphasizes parsing facts from messaging and maintains free access by avoiding paywalls, depending on reader donations to fund journalists. Reader reactions suggested Kemi Badenoch's polling rise reflected Nigel Farage's waning appeal rather than a Conservative revival. Many readers described Reform UK as hitting a ceiling, criticized defections as careerist, and saw Conservatives and Reform as largely indistinguishable.

Read at www.independent.co.uk