Investigation: Conservative Party Set To Replace Badenoch As Leader After Poor Ratings

Unrest is brewing within the Conservative Party as pressure mounts to replace Kemi Badenoch as leader following a sharp drop in the party’s poll ratings ahead of next week’s local elections.

The Tories are bracing for heavy losses, with many members blaming Badenoch’s leadership style and policy focus for the party’s struggles. In just six months at the helm, Badenoch has faced mounting criticism for prioritizing cultural battles over clear, detailed policy proposals. Polls suggest her approach has failed to connect with voters at a time when the party is desperate to regain its footing after last year’s general election defeat to Labour, ending 14 years of Conservative rule.

More than two dozen Tory MPs told Bloomberg they believe Badenoch is not the right leader to take the party into the next general election, scheduled for 2029. Many now back Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, as her potential replacement. Seen as a figure capable of consolidating the right-wing vote, Jenrick has made clear his ambitions to neutralize the threat from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, which has recently outperformed the Conservatives in national polling.

The internal push for change reflects broader concerns about the Tories’ direction under Badenoch. While she has spent much of her leadership railing against what she calls “left-wing nonsense”—including identity politics and overregulation—critics argue this has come at the expense of developing a comprehensive policy platform capable of winning back voters.

As the local elections loom, Badenoch’s leadership hangs in the balance, with senior party figures signaling that a swift change at the top may be necessary to prevent further political erosion.