Reform UK Claims Membership Surpasses Labour’s

Reform UK asserts that it has now become the largest political party in the United Kingdom, following reports indicating a decline in Labour’s membership.

As reported by a leading newspaper, Labour’s internal data reveals that its membership has dipped below 250,000.

In contrast, Reform UK states it has surpassed 268,000 paying members, suggesting it has overtaken Labour in terms of membership size in the UK.

Labour has chosen not to verify the membership statistics cited in the newspaper, with a spokesperson indicating that such figures will be disclosed in the party’s upcoming annual report.

Political parties are not legally required to disclose their membership numbers, and these figures remain unverified by independent organizations.

Reform monitors its membership through a real-time online counter, which only includes individuals who have paid an annual fee of either £25 or £10 for those under 25 years of age.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage remarked, “As we have suspected for some time, Reform has overtaken Labour to become the largest political party in British politics – a huge milestone on our journey to win the next election. The age of two-party politics is dead.”

The party has consistently led in national opinion polls since the spring season.

Labour’s membership has shown a steady decline since Sir Keir Starmer assumed leadership in April 2020, based on the latest accessible data.

The party’s annual financial statements released in August indicated that membership stood at 333,235 at the close of the previous year, a significant drop from over 530,000 during Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.

Despite Labour’s significant electoral victory, the party lost 37,000 members throughout 2024, and trends suggest this decline is ongoing.

In February, a political news website indicated that Labour’s membership had decreased to approximately 309,000, while the recent report claims it has now fallen below 250,000.

A spokesperson for the Labour Party stated, “Our membership figures are published in our annual report. We do not provide ongoing updates on them throughout the year.”

The standard membership fee for the party is £70.50 annually, with discounted rates available for specific demographics at £35.50 or £12.

A new Labour campaign group, the Mainstream network, which includes supporters of Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, commented, “To transform Britain and defeat the far-right, Labour needs a grassroots movement in every community. Our plummeting membership figures prove the top-down model has failed. The answer is to democratize, open up, and empower members.”

Meanwhile, the Green Party has reported a significant increase in its membership since Zack Polanski became the new leader in September, rising from around 70,000 to over 180,000.

The Conservative Party does not regularly disclose its membership numbers. In last year’s leadership election, approximately 131,680 members were eligible to vote, but recent reports suggest that this number has decreased to about 123,000.

Additionally, the Liberal Democrats have also experienced a decline in membership, nearly halving over the last five years to around 60,000.

Your Party, a newly established left-wing organization founded by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana, claims to have 55,000 paid members.

To stay informed about the latest developments in Westminster and beyond, consider subscribing to our Politics Essential newsletter.