Senior Conservatives are already discussing removing Kemi Badenoch as party leader after disastrous local election results. The party lost hundreds of council seats across England and was nearly wiped out in areas that used to be strongholds. Talks about replacing her had already begun before Thursday’s vote. Now, senior Tories are pushing Robert Jenrick, who finished second to Badenoch in the last leadership contest, to challenge her. Critics accuse Badenoch of lacking clear policies, struggling at Prime Minister’s Questions, and failing to take on the growing threat from Reform UK. Before the elections, rumours spread that Jenrick was planning a leadership bid, especially after a recording surfaced of him discussing a possible deal with Reform, an idea Badenoch opposed. He also sent a letter to candidates that left out her name, adding fuel to the speculation.
One senior MP told The Independent: “I am messaging Robert to get his act together and make a bid to be leader. We cannot continue like this.”
Another added: “It is now just a matter of timing. There is no way she can lead us into a general election.”
A former ally of Badenoch said: “She just does not have it. We have a choice of replacing her with Robert or a lot of us switching to Reform.”
However, some MPs warn against changing leaders again, saying it would make the party look foolish to voters.
Former home secretary James Cleverly is also seen as a possible contender, though he’s stayed quiet so far.
Although losses were expected (since the Tories had done well last time these seats were contested), the scale of the defeat has shocked many. In Durham, the party won just one seat while Reform took 65. In Lincolnshire, Reform seized control of the council, and former Tory MP Andrea Jenkyns won the mayoralty. The Tories also suffered heavy defeats in Kent, Devon, and Shropshire.
Overall, their projected vote share in key areas dropped to just 15%, placing them behind Reform (30%), Labour (20%), and the Lib Dems (17%).
A leadership challenge would require 30% of Tory MPs to back a confidence vote. Party co-chair Nigel Huddleston has defended Badenoch, saying she should not face a challenge:
“Kemi’s position is certainly solid. She’s only been a leader for six months, and she was out and about right across the country, and I can tell you this, everywhere we went, people wanted to see her more and hear more from her.”
“She doesn’t go around telling people what they want to hear. That’s the easy route in politics.”
Badenoch herself tried to downplay the losses, saying: “These were always going to be a very difficult set of elections coming off the high of 20221, and our historic defeat last year, and so it’s proving. The renewal of our party has only just begun, and I’m determined to win back the trust of the public and the seats we’ve lost in the years to come.”
