Nigel Farage gets a rock star welcome at party rallies that other political leaders can only envy and his fans hope he will win the keys of Downing Street at the next election. The party aims to transform British politics for good, and there are two clear frontrunners for when the time comes for Mr Farage to hand onto a successor.

Polling commissioned by Conservative peer Lord Ashcroft of 850 Reform members found Zia Yusuf – the entrepreneur whom Mr Farage wants to make Home Secretary – was the most popular choice (22%). But deputy leader Richard Tice is on almost level pegging on 21%. He is followed by former Conservative MP and party chairman Lee Anderson (11%).

In fourth place was ex-Tory immigration minister Robert Jenrick (6%), who is on course to become Chancellor in a Reform Government.

There is no evidence of any clamour for Mr Farage to move on. Ninety-nine per cent of those polled had a positive attitude to the veteran Brexiteer. Eight out of 10 members want him to stay as leader if Reform is out of government after the next election, with just 13% saying he should step down.

The polling also shows what party members make of Conservatives joining Reform ranks. Six out of 10 said the balance is “about right” while just 22% said Reform should attempt to attract more Tories; 15% said the party has let too many ex-Tories join.

Party members look to the future with confidence. Forty-eight per cent think Reform will win an overall majority at the next election; 45% expect it will be the largest party in a coalition with the Conservatives.

Lord Ashcroft’s polling reveals great openness to a link-up with the Tories. When asked what Reform should do if it is the largest party after the next election but lacks a majority, nine out of 10 said it should form a coalition or do a deal with the Conservatives. A mere 7% wanted Reform to stay in opposition.

However, nearly nine out of 10 (89%) think that if Reform is the largest party the “political establishment and the civil service” will do everything they can to deny it the chance to form a Government and take office. Nearly six out of 10 Reform voters (59%) lacked confidence that elections in the UK are carried out fairly.

The research uncovers deep pessimism about the state of modern Britain. Nine out of 10 Reform members think life in Britain is worse than it was 30 years ago; this is the case for 71% of people who voted Tory in 2024 and 58% of those who backed Labour.

While 91% of Reform members think the “Christian faith is an important part of Britain’s culture and it should continue to be so”, this was the case for 66% of Conservative voters and just one in three of those who voted for Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour party.