Disenchanted Conservative members are losing faith in Kemi Badenoch, as half of the party’s constituents believe she is not suitable to lead them into the next election. According to a recent YouGov poll, only 46% of party members endorse her leadership for the upcoming polls, while 50% express opposition.
There is a divide among members regarding Badenoch’s future tenure, with 49% predicting her premature exit before the next election and 47% believing she will retain her position, as per a survey conducted for Sky News. Despite winning over Robert Jenrick in the previous leadership race, the poll indicates that Jenrick now enjoys greater popularity among members, with a margin of 46% to 39%.
As the Reform UK party gains momentum over the Tories, a significant 64% of Conservative members advocate for an electoral pact with Nigel Farage’s party. Furthermore, nearly half (46%) of the members support a complete merger with Reform UK.
Although Conservative members strongly oppose forming a coalition with the Labour party by a substantial margin of 93% to 6%, a notable 73% are in favor of a coalition with Reform UK, while only 25% oppose the idea. Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, has garnered favor from over half (53%) of Tory members, while 45% hold an unfavorable view of him.
Despite growing calls for collaboration with Reform UK, Badenoch has consistently rejected the notion, citing Farage’s previous statements about dismantling the Conservative party. Shadow minister Andrew Rosindell has suggested aligning with Reform UK to prevent another Labour government, emphasizing commonalities in policies related to the European Court of Human Rights, human rights, and immigration. He advocates for right-of-center groups, including the unionists in Northern Ireland, to work together for the greater benefit of the country.
The Conservative party’s struggle for significance was evident at a lackluster party conference in Manchester, where delegates expressed disappointment over the subdued atmosphere due to low attendance, including a notable absence of customary protesters.
The YouGov poll was based on the responses of 652 Conservative members surveyed for Sky News between September 26 and October 2.