Across Europe, the mainstream right is being eclipsed by more extreme rivals. The same fate could await the Tories
A recent YouGov poll marked a pivotal moment in British politics. For the first time, Reform UK was shown to have edged ahead of the Conservatives among male voters. As Labour solidifies its base, the rise of Reform is clearly to the detriment of the Conservative party. Overall, Tory support has dwindled to levels not witnessed since Liz Truss’s tenure, with fewer than one in five voters inclined to vote for them.
This shift, while unique in the UK, mirrors trends across the Channel. It could join a growing number of European countries in which the far right has eclipsed the mainstream right, including France, Italy and Sweden. But for Conservative politicians and advisers hoping to win back support from Reform by moving further to the right, one country emerges as a cautionary tale: the Netherlands.
