REFORM UK is making unexpected headway among British Indian voters, with support more than trebling since the general election, according to a new research from Oxford academics.
The 1928 Institute, which studies the British Indian community, found that backing for Nigel Farage's party has jumped from just four per cent at the last election to 13 per cent now.
While this remains lower than Reform's support across the wider UK, the growth rate is far steeper than the national trend, suggesting the party is winning over voters in groups where it has typically struggled, reported the Guardian.
The research, released around the time of Diwali celebrations, highlighted how Britain's largest ethnic minority group is becoming an increasingly important group of swing voters.
The Indian community, making up roughly three per cent of the British population, was historically closely tied to Labour, seen as more welcoming to immigrants in the post-war decades.
However, this bond has weakened as the community has become more settled and developed new political priorities. Many British Indian voters, particularly among Hindu communities, have shifted to more traditionally conservative views on social issues and national identity, drawing them further to the right politically.
The research team surveyed over 2,000 voters earlier this year and compared results with previous elections. At the last general election, 48 per cent of British Indians backed Labour, 21 per cent voted Conservative, and four per cent chose Reform. Five years earlier, Reform had secured just 0.4 per cent of the British Indian vote.
Labour support has dropped to 35 per cent, while Tory backing has fallen sharply to 18 per cent. Support for the Green Party has climbed significantly, reaching 13 per cent compared with eight per cent at the election, particularly among younger voters.
Researchers found that British Indian voters' priorities have shifted substantially. Education remains their top concern, but their second-biggest worry has changed from health five years ago to the economy now. Crime now ranks as their third priority, replacing environmental concerns that previously ranked higher.
One co-author of the study, Nikita Ved, noted that "Reform UK's rise is disrupting traditional voting patterns within the British Indian community. As economic and social frustrations deepen, both major parties may face growing pressure to engage more directly with a community whose political loyalties can no longer be taken for granted."
The findings come at a time when Farage has taken a mixed stance on South Asian migration, criticising recent government policies that he said make it easier to hire workers from India, while previously expressing a preference for Indian and Australian migrants over those from Eastern Europe.
