“The discontent is a by-product of dire Tory poll ratings and a perception that Badenoch, 45, has performed poorly and focused on the wrong issues"
More than two dozen Tory MPs believe Kemi Badenoch is not the right person to take the party into the next general election and would prefer she be removed sooner rather than later.
Bloomberg reports that disgruntled Tories say that Badenoch has failed to hold back Reform UK or close the gap on the Labour Party and after the party suffered its worst defeat in its parliamentary history last year, it is expected to fall yet further behind.
With local elections due to take place later this week, the Tory party is expected to suffer significant losses. There are 1,641 council seats, in 37 councils, up for election. Of these, 1,182 are held by the Conservatives. The last time these seats held elections the Conservatives, under Boris Johnson, had a significant lead in the national opinion polls.
With the Tories now not only trailing the Labour party, but also losing voters to Reform and the Liberal Democrats, Tory MPs have run out of patience with their party leader.
Bloomberg reports: “The discontent is a by-product of dire Tory poll ratings and a perception that Badenoch, 45, has performed poorly and focused on the wrong issues, leaving her party squeezed by Nigel Farage’s right-wing Reform Party.”
It goes on to add: “Until recently, the assumption within the party had been that Badenoch would be given until the summer of 2026 to improve the party’s fortunes before she faced a leadership challenge, according to the Tory figures. But there is a worst-case scenario where the time-line could be brought forward to this year, they said.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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