Nigel Farage's heavy social media presence could put Reform UK on course to hoover up Gen Z voters at the expense of Sir Keir Starmer's Labour Party, GB News analysis has suggested.
As the Prime Minister's first anniversary in power edges ever closer, Labour appears to have opted to downplay Starmer's prominence online, opting to shine a spotlight on potential future leader Angela Rayner instead.
Research conducted by the People's Channel showed that Starmer does not appear in 75 per cent of the content shared on TikTok since the start of the month.
It also revealed that Labour has spent approximately 35 per cent of its content launching attacks on Farage and Reform UK.
PA/TikTok
And comparing Labour's content to Reform UK's appears to expose the startling discrepancy between “two-tier Keir” and the digitally-savvy Brexiteer.
Farage continues to use the ever-growing social media platform as Reform UK prepares for seismic electoral bouts in Wales and Scotland next summer.
Armed with slick campaign videos, rampant rhetoric and an avalanche of ardent supporters, the Brexit supremo is certainly not afraid of the limelight - even on Labour ground as he tours the nation, welcoming his newest councillors after his party stormed to victory on May 1.
Social media guru Sebastian Ellis suggested Reform UK's strategy is becoming increasingly attractive to Gen Z voters, with opinion polls pointing to a turquoise surge among men aged 18 to 24.
Managing Director of Ellis Digital, Sebastian Ellis, told GB News: "Reform is relevant. This engaging content is interesting, and they're going to smash it, I think, with the Gen Z audience."
On the danger of not appealing to the younger generations, Ellis added: "That's the risk the other parties are going to have is that, if they're not doing well on TikTok, they're going to lose that demographic, and that's only becoming bigger and growing as much."
The battle to reach smart phone users also comes as the Prime Minister sees his authority dwindle within the Labour Party.
The Prime Minister was forced to buckle to a mega-rebellion of 127 Labour backbenchers earlier this week, with other U-turns on Winter Fuel Payments and grooming gangs compounding No10's problems.
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The three parties exhibit a stark difference in their social media strategy
TikTok
In Labour List's latest polling of card-carrying members, Starmer was handed the unfortunate honour of being named as the third least popular Cabinet member - only being spared of bottom spot by Work & Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall and Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
Meanwhile, former Labour leader Ed Miliband and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner topped the list.
Weighing in on just why Reform has managed to nab the young voters, newly-elected Kent councillor Max Harrison boasted: “Reform UK is the only political party that offers young people a sense of optimism, excitement and a sense of national pride.
“Nigel Farage is a bastion of hope, of ambition, and inspiration to young people at a time when we have such futile and pathetic leadership from two-tier Keir, who is leading not only his country into decline, but his own political party and this Government.”
“It’s great seeing a mass movement of Gen Z voters to come to Reform, because they’ve had enough of their country falling apart at their very feet,” Harrison added. “It’s exciting times for young people."
With 18-year-old George Finch now being catapulted into the position of interim leader of Warwickshire County Council, Reform UK is increasingly handing out opportunities to young right-leaning Britons.
However, the Tory Party hit out at the appointment, taking to X to share that Reform was “not a serious party” by having a teenager lead the authority.
Plenty retaliated, with campaign consultant Liam Deacon reminding the Tories that the youngest Conservative MP was just 24, while ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson ennobled a 30 and 31-year-old.
Deacon even dubbed the Tory criticism “utterly stupid, nasty and, dare I say, unserious”, with an ex-Tory MP even joining the pile on against his former colleagues.
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The 18-year-old has now taken on the role of interim leader of the county council
X/George Finch
Ex-Migration Minister Tom Pursglove said: “Not only do we have many superb young Conservative councillors, but this is the sort of stuff some colleagues used to say when I was first elected as a councillor back in 2007 - and I ended up a minister in Government!”
Meanwhile, Harrison lauded Finch for taking on the ambitious new leadership role, adding: “People are putting themselves forward because enough is simply enough.
“They want to have families and futures that are worth having and they know that only a Reform UK Government will bring about the prosperity and growth that is needed in this country.
“Young people are getting rapidly behind this movement and I have no doubt, with their support, with their creativity, and with the drive that they know how, that they will get behind the only political party that is going to put their futures first - that is with Reform UK.”
Unpicking just how Reform has charmed Gen Zers, a Reform UK spokesman told GB News that the party “understands the digital age”, unlike Labour and the Tories.
He added: “We understand you have to go where the younger audiences are and have a message that resonates with them and that’s just what we do.”
“Labour are stuck in a 2010 digital mindset that attracts no one and barely gets recognised,” Reform's spokesman slammed.
Beyond Reform’s mastery of the digital realm, social media gurus also laud Farage's finesse for digital success.
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Founder of GB Insight George Buchan told the People's Channel: "Farage is well-versed in communicating about the main issues that haunt the average person, from the cost of living to immigration.
“It always boils down to the issues. And the reason that Farage has managed to do so well so far is that he’s good at communicating about the issues”.
He explained that the Clacton MP’s digital style is “correct” pointing out that the combination of “being a natural communicator” and reaching out to an audience where they consume their news was the secret of his success.
“You have to communicate with people where they're consuming news from, but you can't expect young people to be reading the comments section in The Telegraph,” Buchan said.
“You've got to go to where they are and [Reform is] doing a good job at that.”
Others who have jumped on the tech-savvy bandwagon include Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick.
Jenrick, a former Tory leadership hopeful who is already being anointed as Kemi Badenoch's successor-in-waiting, attracted a flurry of headlines after approaching brazen fare-dodgers on the London Underground.
The Newark MP's original video, which showed him confronting London's lawbreakers, has now totted up an eye-watering 14 million views, putting it level with the most amount of votes even amassed by a Tory Prime Minister when John Major pulled off his shock victory in 1992.
Robert Jenrick sent one fare-dodger towards TfL security guards
X / ROBERT JENRICKJenrick’s team has continued to produce a series of personal videos, directly addressing the voter and building up the ex-Housing Minister’s profile.
These very videos could possibly transform the ways in which the public perceive the ever-dwindling party. And, just last month, ConHome’s Shadow Cabinet league table suggested Jenrick's social media presence was resulting in some major cut-through.
It showed Jenrick emerging as the top Tory among the Conservative Party's dwindling card-carrying base - with 66 points.
Among young people, however, Kemi Badenoch has only managed to satisfy seven per cent as leader, according to Ipsos.
Meanwhile, a staggering 64 per cent admitted they were dissatisfied with the way the ex-Business Secretary was running the Tories, Ipsos revealed - despite the party’s endless promises of “renewal” under the North West Essex MP.
Offering his own advice to the Leader of the Opposition and Prime Minister, Ellis said: “If I was in charge of running social media accounts for any of the parties, I would probably focus on their goals, their missions, their skill sets, what they're trying to achieve, and reach their voters. But I’d do it in a way that works for TikTok.”
With TikTok becoming one of the fastest-growing platforms in the UK and across the world, its use as a campaign tool is increasing by the day - and it's easy enough to do so with it being an “amateur” app.
On the matter of using social media to launch political attacks, as Labour has done, Ellis said: “I don't know if it's necessarily the best way to go.
“I think sometimes with social, you know, it depends on what you're trying to achieve and who the algorithm favours.”
GB News has approached the Labour Party for comment.
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