Farage and his Reform UK are shaking up Britain's two-party system

After a hundred years of Tory and Labour rule, the two-party political system of Great Britain Britain could fall. Nigel Farage's populist Reform UK party is throwing the main groups face a serious challenge, but it is the conservatives who face existential threat - write British and American media.

Reform UK made a big splash in Thursday's election local elections, and in addition, the candidate of this party won the by-elections to British Parliament; it cemented Farage's reputation as the chief "subversive" British politics. Above all, however, it means that he has managed to shake traditional, two-party political system - he assesses in a Sunday article Stephen Castle, London correspondent of The New York Times.

Reform UK's big win is 'a problem for Labour; for the Conservatives are an existential threat" because "the Farage gang is devouring a certain part" of the Tory electorate, explains the British "Economist". On the other hand, The Liberal Democrats are also taking votes away from the Tories, and the popularity of this party is clearly growing. "If this growth continues, (the party) will become equally as influential as Farage's group," the weekly notes.

For almost the entire past century, governments in the United Kingdom The Kingdom has been ruled alternately by Tories and Labour. But now, as the growing the importance of Reform UK, as well as several other smaller groups, the fate of this duopoly are no longer clearly defined, says the NYT correspondent.

"The two main parties have been notified of a possible eviction after "a hundred years of use of Downing Street" - comments on the election result Robert Ford, Professor of Politics, University of Manchester.

The Conservative Party, which has not yet recovered from after losing power last year, suffered a catastrophic defeat in Thursday's elections defeat, but also the Labour candidates paid for the bad vote in this the condition of the British economy and the taxes raised by their government - explains Castle.

Claire Ainsley, former policy adviser to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, believes that the local election results are a result of a long-term trend, which leads to a "breakdown of traditional class loyalties among voters", the growth of nationalist tendencies, as well as social fragmentation. Voices The British people are now divided between Tories, Labour, Reform UK, centrist Liberal Democrats, Greens and independent candidates.

Of course, this trend will be really tested in national elections, but it is already clear that British politics is becoming unpredictable. A particularly painful test of popularity is faced by the Tories, whose Eurosceptic, right-wing and populist Farage party faces a difficult choice: if they move too far to the right, win over Reform UK voters, moderate Conservatives will vote Liberal Democrats, Castle explains.

In February, a YouGov poll showed that Reform UK wanted every fourth Briton will vote, including every fifth Conservative voter. The Economist It reminds us, however, that Farage has always been an influential figure, but he managed to avoid responsibility for his own policies, and for the members of his party, even exercising power in the county may prove very difficult. "And what about the country" - the weekly emphasizes.

Reform UK came first in the survey with support from 25 percent, ahead of the ruling Labour Party (24 percent) and the Conservative Party (21 percent). However, the advantage is within the margin of statistical error. (PAP)

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