The pro-Remain Liberal Democrats would win a U.K. general election if it were held now, according to a new YouGov poll for the Times newspaper.
The Lib Dems would win 24 percent of the vote, closely followed by Nigel Farage’s new Brexit Party on 22 percent, relegating the ruling Conservative Party and opposition Labour Party into tied third place with 19 percent of the vote each.
“For the time being at least, voters seem to be looking for the parties that represent their views on Brexit, rather than their usual party loyalties, to the benefit of those parties that have clear pro- and anti-EU positions, rather than the compromises that the main two parties have contorted themselves into,” said Anthony Wells, director of political research at YouGov.
But Wells warned against “reading the last rites over Britain’s two-party system,” saying: “Much of today’s poll findings will be the result of the immediate short-term impact of the European election results.”
The Brexit Party, formed only a few months ago, was the clear winner of the U.K.’s European parliamentary election, gaining 31 percent of the vote. The Lib Dems came in second on 20 percent, followed by Labour on 14 and the Green Party on 12. The Conservative Party came in fifth on just 9 percent of the vote.
YouGov researchers also noted that under the U.K.’s first-past-the-post electoral system, the Lib Dems could be the most popular party yet still likely trail Labour and the Conservatives in terms of parliamentary seats.
The Lib Dems are currently searching for a new leader to replace the departing Vince Cable, with current deputy Jo Swinson announcing Thursday that she will challenge Ed Davey for the role.
The next U.K. general election is due to be held by May 2022.