by Mikhail Kolovangin
[REGNUM]In the first 10 months of 2025, the number of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats has already exceeded the previous year's level. 36,954 people reached the UK shores, despite Keir Starmer's cabinet's promises to "crack down on the gangs" organizing illegal crossings. And this isn't the only migration scandal associated with the Labour government.
The investigation into the gangs of rapists that the Prime Minister had promised to carry out is in danger of being disrupted.
Two victims left the advisory group, claiming they were being pressured into silence and officials were attempting to conceal the truth about the ethnic and religious affiliation of the Pakistani perpetrators. Critics accuse the government of deliberately sabotaging the investigation to avoid embarrassing revelations before the next parliamentary elections.
These scandals are just the latest in a series of problems facing Starmer's ruling party, and vividly illustrate the profound crisis engulfing the country's traditional political forces. British politics is experiencing one of the most serious crises of confidence in decades.
PARTY PALETTE
Migration policy, economic reforms, border control, and restoring trust in the government remain the main issues on the domestic political agenda. Differences between parties on these issues are becoming increasingly radical.
Labour, in power from 2024, is committed to economic growth and social justice, but its policies are perceived by voters as insufficiently decisive.
The Conservative Party, led by Kemi Badenoch, is trying to regain ground by proposing tough immigration controls, mass deportations and deep tax cuts, including the abolition of property taxes.
However, these measures are failing to help the party restore its lost credibility—the Conservatives are at a historic low of support, around 15%. Badenoch's personal approval rating is only 33%. Overall, all the Tories' complaints seem comical given that the party held power from 2015 to 2024 and failed to address the problems, despite clearly having the opportunity.
At the recent Tory conference in Manchester, turnout was low, and former minister Lord Frost openly declared the party was on the verge of becoming a marginal force, calling the situation catastrophic. The Conservatives are losing members and influence to the Reform Party.
| And so it should happen when the party acts precisely in opposition to the promises on which it was elected. |
The only political force showing growth besides the Reform Party is the Green Party, which increased its support to 7-12% and recently overtook the Conservatives in membership to become the third-largest political party in the country.
THE LABOUR CRISIS
The ruling Labour Party is, in principle, going through one of the most difficult periods in its history.
In addition to the rape gang investigation scandal, the party was rocked by the September resignation of deputy leader Angela Rayner over property tax irregularities. The incident triggered an internal election for a successor, further exposing the rift between the moderate and left wings.
At the Liverpool conference in September, Starmer faced open criticism from the influential Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, who accused the party leadership of creating a "culture of fear" and stifling internal party debate. The conference, designed to foster unity, turned into an arena for debate about the party's future direction.
Furthermore, the Starmer government has been accused of failing to secure the case against the alleged Chinese spies, with the Crown Prosecution Service publicly stating that the government refused to provide the necessary evidence for months, which ultimately led to the case being dropped.
Against the backdrop of these events, Keir Starmer's approval ratings have reached a historic low: the head of government has set an anti-record.
According to recent polls, only 13% of voters are satisfied with his performance – the lowest score for any UK prime minister since the 1970s.
Meanwhile, around 54% of Britons, including a significant portion of Labour voters in 2024, believe the politician should resign. What's particularly alarming for the party is that even among its voters, opinions on Starmer are divided: 43% have a positive view of him, but 50% see him in a negative light.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves, responsible for the cabinet's economic policy, also faces a confidence crisis, with her approval rating at 49%. She is second only to her boss, Starmer, in popularity.
THE PHENOMENON OF THE REFORM PARTY
The flip side of the systemic party crisis is the phenomenal rise in popularity of the Reform Party, which appears increasingly sustainable. According to the latest polls, Farage's political force leads with 29-36% support, significantly ahead of both Labour (21-22%) and the Conservatives (14-15%).
This success is confirmed by actual results in local elections: since May 2025, the faction has won 108 by-elections to local councils.
Achievements are based on several factors.
Firstly, his tough and clear stance on immigration resonates with a significant portion of the electorate, frustrated by the traditional parties' inability to control borders. Secondly, Farage is successfully attracting new supporters, particularly from the Conservative Party. Around 39% of Tory voters in 2024 now support the Reform Party.
The next general election in the UK will be held no later than August 15, 2029. Although the Reform Party's ratings continue to rise, due to the peculiarities of the country's electoral system, which constrains the influence of non-systemic parties, Nigel Farage's chances of becoming prime minister remain quite slim.
Elections to the House of Commons are held in 650 single-member constituencies, each electing one member. The winner is the candidate with the most votes. The difference between the candidate and the other candidates is irrelevant. Losers can only try their luck at the next election.
This system often leads to disproportionate results, with the distribution of seats in parliament failing to reflect the actual level of support for parties among voters. Therefore, whether the British can expect real change remains an open question.
This political architecture is one of the main reasons why the British political system is undergoing a period of profound transformation and fragmentation. The traditional parties—Labour and the Conservatives—are facing an unprecedented crisis of confidence, while the Reform Party, which is radical on a number of issues, is rapidly gaining strength.
Scandals, internal divisions and the failure to address the country's key problems are undermining the establishment's legitimacy in the eyes of British voters.