Massive boost for Kemi Badenoch as Conservatives begin fightback after disastrous defeat
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has received a huge boost after bombshell polling showed the Tories catching up with their rivals. The survey by More in Common found 22% of voters would back the Conservatives if an election were held today, up by 3%.
It puts Mrs Badenoch’s party in second place behind Reform UK, which is backed by 25% of voters, with Nigel Farage‘s party down by 5%. The poll suggests the gap between the Conservatives and Reform is narrowing, offering hope to Mrs Badenoch and her team ahead of the next general election, which might not take place until 2029.
It follows the devastating Tory defeat in the 2024 election, when voters turned firmly against the party following years of civil war and leadership changes.
Mrs Badenoch has struggled to convince voters to take her party seriously again despite insisting it is “under new management”. However, recent polls suggest she may have started to restore the Conservative Party’s credibility.
Reform leaders hope that gains in local elections on May 7 will demonstrate that they, not the Conservatives, are the only real opposition to Labour on the Right.
The More in Common poll found Labour was backed by 21% of voters, and the Greens were backed by 13%.
A separate poll by JL Partners for The Telegraph found Reform is set to be the big winner in May’s local elections and could take control of 69 councils in England.
Labour is likely to suffer the biggest defeats and could lose control of Red Wall councils such as Sunderland and Barnsley. But Tories could also lose control of councils, such as two in Surrey.