Badenoch says it could take 2 years until Tory voters return
Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch has said it will take some time after the Tories’ historic defeat before the voters they have lost return their support.
“It is certainly going to take some time, because we just lost an election – we had a historic defeat,” Badenoch said today on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme.
Asked about her previous comments that it takes about two years until people stop being angry, Badenoch said she aims to use this time to develop considered, realistic policies instead of easy answers.
“I have been told that it takes about two years for people to move on from a government that has just lost, but I need to use this time as wisely as possible,” Badenoch said.
“That means rebuilding my party but also making sure that we hold the government to account—that we expose some of the dishonesty and the failings which they have had.”
She argued that the government is doing so badly that voters are rushing to challenger or protest parties, and that she is using this time to develop a credible agenda.
“I could have come rushing out with policies to chase the polls, but that’s the wrong thing to do,” Badenoch said.
Reform surges in recent polling data
Recent polling data published by More in Common found that both Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch could be at risk of losing their leadership positions before the next election as the UK enters a new era of multi-party politics.
The data also showed a surge of support for Reform, which gained support from both Labour and Tory voters. Reform leader Nigel Farage also surpassed Starmer as the most probable next Prime Minister, although almost half of those polled were uncertain over who would be leading the country in 2029.
The results also showed uncertainty about Kemi Badenoch’s future as Conservative leader. Just 4% of voters think Badenoch will be Prime Minister after the next election, while 45% don’t think she will still be Tory leader at the next election.
46% of Conservative supporters think Badenoch is doing a worse job as party leader than Boris Johnson, while 42% think she is worse than Rishi Sunak.
