Exit poll predicts party winning 13 seats and early declarations in north-east show them outperforming Tories
Nigel Farage has hailed Reform UK’s “almost unbelievable” early performances in former leave-voting seats, predicting the party will win “many many seats right across the country” as the election unfolds.
The hard-right party was projected to win as many as 13 seats in the general election, according to the 10pm exit poll. Declarations in north-east England showed them outpolling the Conservatives to come second to Labour.
The projection also indicated that Farage, who sparked a political earthquake on the right after he returned as leader of the party last month, was set to win the Essex seat of Clacton.
Farage used a video posted on X to deliver his first response to the exit poll, saying: “It’s midnight, there are two results in from the north-east of England that put Reform on 30% of the vote; that is way more than any possible prediction or projection. It is almost unbelievable.
“And what does it mean? It means we’re going to win seats, many many seats, I think, right now, across the country. But to watch the TV coverage it’s almost comical.
“There’s not a single representative on there from Reform UK, mainstream media are in denial just as much as our political parties. This is going to be 6 million votes-plus. This, folks, is huge.”