As Donald Trump threatened Europe with new tariffs, POLITICO spoke to a group of women living in Stevenage, a town about 30 miles north of London. All study participants' names have been changed to maintain their anonymity.
“Stevenage Woman” has become shorthand for pollsters for mothers living in towns and suburbs – a group that was seen as crucial to Labor's victory in the 2024 general election.
Farage may “just be a pawn” of Trump, Lauren, who works as a mental health care worker, tells us. “Maybe he's just his errand boy.” This worries me a bit, adds the 54-year-old.
– No one will stand up to him. “Trump will say, 'Do this, do that,' and Nigel will just nod,” says Jane, a 51-year-old stay-at-home mother of three.
When asked what the biggest threat to Britain is now, Rachel, a 47-year-old property manager, replies: “I think it's Trump, period.”
Our interlocutors are not alone in their feelings. A survey of a larger group, conducted by the think tank More in Common, showed that 25 percent women see Farage's support for Trump as the most important reason not to vote for Reform UK. For comparison, among the surveyed men this percentage was 21%. The study was conducted on January 10–13 on a sample of 2,036 people.
Farage has repeatedly expressed his admiration for the American president. The leader of Reform UK gained notoriety when, after Trump's triumph in the 2016 election, he published in the media a photo of him with the winner, taken in Trump Tower. This relationship continues. The two met in the Oval Office last September when Farage was on a visit to Washington.
But Farage's support for Trump has its limits. This week, Farage called US threats to introduce tariffs over Britain's opposition to the annexation of Greenland “misguided”. One by one, European leaders condemned Trump's economic aggression against NATO allies.
“Friends may disagree,” Farage said in an interview with Bloomberg in Davos on Thursday, emphasizing that a close relationship with the United States does not mean being “at its mercy”.
Voters have lost trust in Starmer's government
Despite reservations about Trump Many women in Stevenage still lean towards voting for Farage's Reform UK. — I liked it in [reality show] “I'm a Celebrity” and then only more – says Alice, a 55-year-old construction manager, referring to Farage's TV appearance in 2023. – God knows what would happen if he came to power. But could it be worse? [niż obecny rząd]? she asked, to which the others in the room responded with an emphatic “no.”
— Reform UK is gaining support somewhat by accident, right? – says Lauren quoted earlier, pointing at growing loss of trust in mainstream parties.
“I feel like everything would be better than what it is now, and it depresses me,” admits Megan, a 48-year-old regional manager at a brewery. – If I saw even a glimmer of hope for the future of our children, I would go in this direction – she says about Reform UK.
Despite attempts to exploit Farage's perceived foreign policy weakness this month there is little indication that Starmer is benefiting from this. When asked about the British Prime Minister's assessment, 63-year-old retiree Sandra replied: – Poor. Nothing has actually changed. We thought the new government would come with all these promises, but nothing… We're still in the same mess, right?
Keir Starmer, British Prime Minister, on his way to Parliament. London, January 21, 2026EPA/NEIL HALL / PAP
The women from Stevenage interviewed by POLITICO make it clear that they are no longer supporters of Starmer's Labor Party, but, as More in Common director Luke Tryl notes, the Trump factor remains a risk for Farage.
— This group of women has no patience for Trump and his tricks, they wondered what the president's unpredictability would mean for their safety, sense of stability and the future of their children – says the head of the think tank.
— Since British women are already saying that Farage's relationship with Trump is the main obstacle to support for Reform UK, especially among women, and more than half the country sees Farage as a British version of Trumpthere is a real risk that the Reform leader's connections with the American president will make Farage's premiership perceived as too great a risk, he adds.
