Nigel Farage is expected to take “votes from major parties” in the UK, following yesterday’s announcement that he will lead Reform UK into next month's general election there.

That’s according to former UK Government Special Advisor Lauren McEvatt, who expects he will be a “big problem” for the Conservatives and Labour alike.

Mr Farage, a former leader of the Brexit Party and UKIP, will be running in the Clacton constituency on July 4th, his eighth attempt at a seat in the House of Commons.

On Newstalk Breakfast, Ms McEvatt said he is “likely to win” the Clacton seat.

“It’s most unfortunate for public discourse because he will then be in public life for five years at least,” she said.

“If he wins in Clacton, it will be a tremendous upset to the apple cart, but it’s not out of the realms he could win.

“This is a seat that voted to leave the EU by some distance and has a lot of Reform support already.

“They were already majorly targeting the seat for the next election and it’s smart for him to have chosen this seat to parachute himself into.”

Nigel Farage 'a problem'

Ms McEvatt thinks Reform will take votes “from both major parties in the coming weeks” thanks to their new leader.

“I listened to his announcement yesterday and he made the very interesting point that they have taken more votes from Labour in many areas than they have off the Conservatives,” she said.

“I think it’s a problem for both major parties and I think it’s going to change the nature of this election.

“Nigel Farage, as an example, will be in the seven-way leadership debate now and he’s a very good debater.”

Rishi Sunak pictured making the general election announcement at Downing Street. Image: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo

Ms McEvatt said the Conservatives, her former party, face an uphill battle at the polls.

“Five weeks is a long time in politics, but it doesn’t look good for my party," she said.

"There are a lot of people in the electorate who want to give my party a kicking because they feel things have gotten worse in the last seven years.

“I also feel the only poll that matters is the one on ballot day and it’s actually very hard to work out what the exact figures will be.”

The latest poll suggests Labour are on course to surpass Tony Blair’s landslide majority in 1997, returning 422 seats, a majority of 194, compared to 140 for the Conservatives.

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Main image: Nigel Farage. Image: Matthew Horwood / Alamy Stock Photo