Most Britons have not heard the term - including Reform voters

Key takeaways

  • 21% have heard the term ‘Boriswave’
  • But this figure falls to 14% who also actually knows what it means
  • 79% have never encountered the term
  • Reform UK voters are most likely to know what the term means (34%) but most still haven’t heard of it (59%)

The term ‘Boriswave’ seemingly originated online in mid-2024, referring to the rise of immigration to the UK during the premiership of Boris Johnson. Originally seen as a term used only in hardcore anti-immigration circles, the term has gone more mainstream, gaining attention across the press.

More recently, ‘Boriswave’ has been used by Nigel Farage and Reform UK, with several press conferences focusing on policies targeting this group of immigrants and arguing this ‘wave’ has had a number of negative impacts on the UK.

But has the term entered the public lexicon? A new YouGov poll looks at whether Britons have caught onto this term, finding that a large majority are unaware of it.

Boriswave breakthrough?

We asked Britons whether they have heard of the term ‘Boriswave’, with only 21% saying they have - 79% report that they have never come across the phrase. We then asked the one in five Britons who said they had heard the term to explain in their own words what they thought ‘Boriswave’ meant.

Of this group, 69% identified that the term was about immigration (generally, or specifically talking about the immigration rule changes under Boris Johnson) – a further 19% identified it was something to do with Boris Johnson (but without referencing immigration), 4% gave some other form of incorrect answer, while 8% answered “don’t know”.

Compiling the results of these two questions together shows that only 14% of the public have both heard of the term Boriswave and can link it to immigration. A further 7% have heard of it, but are unsure or have a different idea of what it means, while 79% have never heard of it.

Even the majority of Reform UK voters are unaware of the term

Unsurprisingly, Reform voters are the most likely to report hearing of the ‘Boriswave’, with 41% of those who backed the party in 2024 indicating they have, with 34% overall able to link this to immigration. However, this means that, despite the press, the majority (59%) of Reform UK voters are unaware of the term.

By comparison, all other voting groups are similarly much less likely to have heard of the term or know what it is.

See full results here

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Photo: Getty

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