The rise and fall of the Brexit Party

The rise of Nigel Farage's new political project, the Brexit Party, was rapid. Initially geared toward the European Parliamentary elections in May, the party of staunch Eurosceptics quickly positioned itself as a promising alternative for Brexiteers frustrated by the stalemate in Westminster. As polling figures from YouGov show, the party reached its current peak among voters in June, when just over a quarter said they would give their vote to Farage and co.

Interest waned though over the summer, stagnating around the still respectable 12 percent mark as hope in Boris Johnson's ability to 'get Brexit done' grew. In November though, having previously declared he and his party would contest over 600 seats across the country, Farage backed down, announcing the Brexit Party would not stand in any of the 317 Conservative-held constituencies. The move was met by consternation within his party and, as our chart shows, among voters too. In the most recent voting intention poll by YouGov, only 4 percent now say they will vote for the Brexit Party on 12 December.