It is in the national interest that Conservatives provide some effective opposition
6 days, 18 hours ago

It is in the national interest that Conservatives provide some effective opposition

The Independent  

In her new year message, Kemi Badenoch warned her Conservative Party that its renewal process is “a long-term project” that “may be bumpy along the way”. This time, Ms Badenoch faces fierce competition on her right flank from Reform UK; the opinion polls put Nigel Farage’s latest party in a three-way battle with Labour and Tories. If Ms Badenoch cannot halt Reform’s undoubted momentum, calls from within the Tory party for an electoral pact with Mr Farage to “reunite the right” will grow, even though she opposes such an agreement. When Mr Farage trumpeted claims it had overtaken the Tories’ 131,680 grassroots members, Ms Badenoch walked straight into his elephant trap by disputing his figures, foolishly amplifying the story during the quiet Christmas period. If they fail in that duty to the country under Ms Badenoch’s leadership, the winner will not be Labour but Mr Farage, as his right-wing nationalist populism emerges as the most popular alternative to Sir Keir’s party.

Labour Reform Party Keir Badenoch Ms Badenoch Tory Tories Farage Mr Farage  effective  conservatives  ms  mr  national  policy  sir  tories  party  labour  interest  tory  provide  farage  opposition  badenoch

History of this topic

Why the latest defection to Reform could trigger a wave of Tories switching to Farage’s party
Trending News
4 days, 21 hours ago

Why the latest defection to Reform could trigger a wave of Tories switching to Farage’s party

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. It is the latest in a series of regional …

Are there really more Reform members than Tories as Nigel Farage claims?
1 week, 5 days ago

Are there really more Reform members than Tories as Nigel Farage claims?

The Independent  

Nigel Farage has called Kemi Badenoch “absolutely disgusting” for accusing him of lying about Reform UK’s membership numbers. Kemi Badenoch’s claim Ms Badenoch accused Mr Farage of “not understanding the digital age” and pursuing a kind of fakery that is easily uncovered. Reform UK’s evidence But Mr Farage was quick to invite one of the “Big Four” consultancy firms to …

Kemi Badenoch has fallen for Nigel Farage’s membership trap – hook, line and sinker
1 week, 5 days ago

Kemi Badenoch has fallen for Nigel Farage’s membership trap – hook, line and sinker

The Independent  

It was a classic Boxing Day publicity stunt, so you can see why Kemi Badenoch is suspicious of Nigel Farage’s claim – on a quiet news day – that his party has overtaken the Conservatives in members. She called Reform’s automated online ticker “fakery”, thus falling effortlessly into the trap that Farage set. This dispute could run for days if …

It’s time for Labour and the Tories to show Nigel Farage is not the answer to the UK’s problems
1 week, 6 days ago

It’s time for Labour and the Tories to show Nigel Farage is not the answer to the UK’s problems

The Independent  

Normally, when either Labour or the Conservatives are doing badly, the other prospers. The new Tory leader’s strategy of delaying major policy announcements until much closer to the next election might have been right if her party were facing a traditional fight with Labour. The prime minister has another dilemma after Mr Farage offered to act as a go-between to …

Can Kemi Badenoch turn the Tories’ fortunes around?
2 weeks, 2 days ago

Can Kemi Badenoch turn the Tories’ fortunes around?

The Independent  

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has insisted she will not be rushed into policy positions, claiming there is no “quick fix” following the party’s historic defeat in July’s general election. Nearer to the next general election she will no doubt be pushed by circumstances into making some definite policy commitments, but they too may be vague and hedged around with caveats …

Badenoch: No quick fix for the Tory party
2 weeks, 2 days ago

Badenoch: No quick fix for the Tory party

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “And I think what many commentators need to understand is that this is a …

Labour fears Nigel Farage – but he’s Keir Starmer’s secret weapon against the Tories
2 weeks, 4 days ago

Labour fears Nigel Farage – but he’s Keir Starmer’s secret weapon against the Tories

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Morgan McSweeney, …

The next 18 months will decide whether Nigel Farage’s Reform UK is a serious party or just Candy crush
4 weeks, 1 day ago

The next 18 months will decide whether Nigel Farage’s Reform UK is a serious party or just Candy crush

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Nigel Farage Farage’s poll surge The recent polls have shown a …

Nigel Farage isn’t the threat to the Tories that Kemi Badenoch thinks he is
4 weeks, 1 day ago

Nigel Farage isn’t the threat to the Tories that Kemi Badenoch thinks he is

The Independent  

Conservative MPs are worried. They weren’t worried when Andrea Jenkyns, formerly one of their number, defected to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party. They were properly spooked, however, by last week’s unsourced report that Elon Musk was considering a $100m donation to Farage – which prompted follow-up stories about how the American billionaire could get around the ban on foreign donations …

Farage makes sixth US trip as MP to be headliner at MAGA gala which has snubbed ‘loser’ Tories
4 weeks, 2 days ago

Farage makes sixth US trip as MP to be headliner at MAGA gala which has snubbed ‘loser’ Tories

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Nigel Farage will be in the USA on Sunday for an …

Kemi Badenoch honeymoon ends as new poll shows farm protests fail to hurt Starmer
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Kemi Badenoch honeymoon ends as new poll shows farm protests fail to hurt Starmer

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Keir Starmer has endured a tough week with farmers protesting over …

Tories get a Badenoch bounce! Poll shows Conservatives leapfrogging Labour to go two points ahead after new leader took charge
1 month, 4 weeks ago

Tories get a Badenoch bounce! Poll shows Conservatives leapfrogging Labour to go two points ahead after new leader took charge

Daily Mail  

The Tories have enjoyed a 'Badenoch bounce' after installing their new leader, according to a poll today. Research by More in Common found the Conservatives were up three points since November 1 - the day before the leadership result was announced - on 29 per cent support. Research by More in Common found the Conservatives were up three points since …

DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Why a Tory revival can't come too soon?
2 months ago

DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Why a Tory revival can't come too soon?

Daily Mail  

The hurly-burly's done, the battle lost and won, and the Conservatives finally have a new leader. Kemi Badenoch is relatively inexperienced but clearly has great strength of character and will Just weeks after winning a massive majority, Labour is behind the Tories in the polls – a damning indictment of Sir Keir Starmer’s ‘changed’ party The road back to power …

Pollsters warn Kemi Badenoch to avoid being ‘overly combative’ to win back voters
2 months ago

Pollsters warn Kemi Badenoch to avoid being ‘overly combative’ to win back voters

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Kemi Badenoch has …

Voters now have a real choice between two clear political paths
2 months ago

Voters now have a real choice between two clear political paths

The Independent  

As the United States prepares for a landmark election on Tuesday, British politics also stands at a pivotal moment. After Rachel Reeves’s “tax, spend and borrow” Budget and the choice of a right-wing Tory leader in Kemi Badenoch, who rather strangely believes her party “talked right, but governed left” before losing July’s election, both main parties have arguably edged away …

Is Kemi Badenoch the right person to rebuild the Tories?
2 months ago

Is Kemi Badenoch the right person to rebuild the Tories?

The Independent  

The thing to understand about Kemi Badenoch is that, for all her manifest shortcomings, she is not stupid. No – unmistakably a woman of the Right who’d had private qualms about the Heath government’s statist instincts and interventionist tendencies, she felt she had to build an inclusive shadow cabinet and to develop new policies carefully and as collegiately as possible. …

Kemi Badenoch calls for Tories to be honest about mistakes as she’s elected Conservative leader
2 months ago

Kemi Badenoch calls for Tories to be honest about mistakes as she’s elected Conservative leader

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Kemi Badenoch has called for the Tories to “be honest” about …

Kemi Badenoch’s first duty must be to provide an effective opposition
2 months ago

Kemi Badenoch’s first duty must be to provide an effective opposition

The Independent  

The election of Kemi Badenoch as leader of the Conservative Party is an intriguing moment. Not only would withdrawal from the ECHR have been wrong in principle, it would not be the magic solution to the problem of irregular immigration – a point made with some courage by Ms Badenoch – and the policy would have plunged the Tory party …

The daunting challenge for new Tory leader Kemi Badenoch: Recovering from worst EVER election result... with just 121 MPs and Nigel Farage waiting in the wings
2 months ago

The daunting challenge for new Tory leader Kemi Badenoch: Recovering from worst EVER election result... with just 121 MPs and Nigel Farage waiting in the wings

Daily Mail  

The bitter battle for the Tory crown has been going on for nearly four months. And the party suffered its worst ever election defeat in July, returning just 121 MPs as a swathe of big beasts fell to Labour and the Lib Dems. Nigel Farage, now finally in Parliament alongside a small group of fellow MPs, has made no secret …

Badenoch has the strength to fight both Labour and Reform
2 months, 1 week ago

Badenoch has the strength to fight both Labour and Reform

The Telegraph  

Being leader of the opposition is known as the worst job in politics, and Kemi Badenoch might find that is putting it mildly as she contemplates the scale of the task she now faces. The Tories should rightly use this moment to celebrate the fact that they have elected the first black leader of a major political party – not …

Telegraph readers on Kemi Badenoch’s victory: ‘She will give Starmer a headache’
2 months, 1 week ago

Telegraph readers on Kemi Badenoch’s victory: ‘She will give Starmer a headache’

The Telegraph  

On July 5, former prime minister Rishi Sunak announced he would be stepping down as leader of the Conservatives. Six candidates entered the race to become the next party leader: Priti Patel, Mel Stride, Tom Tugendhat, James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch. ‘A little bit of Thatcher about her’ Many readers expressed enthusiasm for the result, voicing high expectations …

The Tories, even with a new leader, need huge change to be effective in opposition
2 months, 1 week ago

The Tories, even with a new leader, need huge change to be effective in opposition

The Independent  

Despite the near-universal – and understandable – indifference displayed by the public towards the future of the Conservative Party, what it does and who leads it matters. Even if they are not going to make it to No 10, they will obviously be leader of the opposition, and thus principally responsible for ensuring the Labour government is scrutinised and accountable …

‘Badenoch is a Thatcher for our times’: Readers on who should be the next Tory leader
2 months, 4 weeks ago

‘Badenoch is a Thatcher for our times’: Readers on who should be the next Tory leader

The Telegraph  

Meanwhile, Ian Cunliffe stated his conditions for Mr Jenrick to become a successful Tory leader. He said: “Jenrick as leader would stand the best chance of getting me back but only so long as he doesn’t go soft on immigration and the ECHR. “I would also like to hear him be much more strident against wokeness such as ‘assigning gender’ …

In ousting Cleverly, the Conservatives have lost their last claim to normality
2 months, 4 weeks ago

In ousting Cleverly, the Conservatives have lost their last claim to normality

The Independent  

Despite everything, including an almost total lack of interest on the part of the public, the Conservative leadership election, now moving towards the final stage of its elephantine gestation, does matter. Mr Jenrick or Ms Badenoch will be presenting themselves, with a straight face, as the only realistic alternative prime minister whenever the next general election comes. Soon after the …

If you thought James Cleverly’s elimination from the Tory leadership race was a shock, read on…
2 months, 4 weeks ago

If you thought James Cleverly’s elimination from the Tory leadership race was a shock, read on…

The Independent  

When the herd moves, it moves, as Boris Johnson said of his parliamentary colleagues. It looks as if Conservative MPs assumed that James Cleverly would definitely be in the final two for the party leadership – not least because that was the unanimous opinion of the pundits. That means Badenoch goes into the final round, the members’ vote, in the …

Nigel Farage has scared the Tories into abandoning the centre for the hard right
2 months, 4 weeks ago

Nigel Farage has scared the Tories into abandoning the centre for the hard right

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The decision to choose Kemi Badenoch versus Robert Jenrick for …

A toxic tinge of Trumpism has infected the Tory party in Birmingham – and its would-be leaders
3 months, 1 week ago

A toxic tinge of Trumpism has infected the Tory party in Birmingham – and its would-be leaders

The Independent  

Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch, the frontrunners in the Conservative leadership contest, both appear to be flirting with Trumpism in the hope of appealing to party members. All the evidence suggests that his kind of reality-detached politics would be unpopular in Britain, but Mr Jenrick and Ms Badenoch seem to think that a form of politics that is at least …

Badenoch warns Tories are no longer ‘natural party of government’ in 40-page booklet on Conservatives in crisis
3 months, 1 week ago

Badenoch warns Tories are no longer ‘natural party of government’ in 40-page booklet on Conservatives in crisis

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Kemi Badenoch warned …

STEPHEN GLOVER: Like it or not, Farage isn't going anywhere. The Tories must shoot his fox by shifting to the Right - without terrifying centrist voters
6 months ago

STEPHEN GLOVER: Like it or not, Farage isn't going anywhere. The Tories must shoot his fox by shifting to the Right - without terrifying centrist voters

Daily Mail  

Many Tories are remarkably chipper given that their party has suffered the biggest defeat in its history. Nigel Farage's Reform UK split the centre-Right vote on Thursday, probably depriving the Tories of 80 or 90 seats in return for just five because of our first-past-the post system No political party has achieved power in modern times with so small a …

Braverman warns Tory party will cease to exist unless it neutralises Farage and Reform
6 months ago

Braverman warns Tory party will cease to exist unless it neutralises Farage and Reform

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. No party has the right to exist.” Ms Braverman also …

Farage does not want ‘Tory poison’ in his party as he plans for Reform to replace Conservatives
6 months ago

Farage does not want ‘Tory poison’ in his party as he plans for Reform to replace Conservatives

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Alex Anderson, an independent councillor in Thurrock had been a …

If the headless Tories panic, they risk being eaten alive by Nigel Farage
6 months ago

If the headless Tories panic, they risk being eaten alive by Nigel Farage

The Independent  

The joke about the Conservative Party having only two settings – complacency and panic – was never truer than it is today. After being complacent about the threat from Nigel Farage and his Reform UK party, the Tories are now in full panic mode after losing more seats than at any previous election – and mostly thanks to Farage’s efforts. …

Allison Pearson meets Nigel Farage: ‘Kemi Badenoch was very unpleasant’
6 months, 1 week ago

Allison Pearson meets Nigel Farage: ‘Kemi Badenoch was very unpleasant’

The Telegraph  

I notice Farage is perfectly happy to stand on the pavement and debate his critic about the invasion of Ukraine for several minutes, even though two bodyguards with earpieces are hovering anxiously. Sure enough, on Friday, Channel 4 claimed to have carried out a sting on one Reform canvasser who was filmed calling Sunak vile names and suggesting the Army …

Labour and Tories turn fire on Reform UK and Farage
6 months, 1 week ago

Labour and Tories turn fire on Reform UK and Farage

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he shared Rishi Sunak’s “disgust” at the use …

‘Britain’s on its knees’: The broken UK town backing Nigel Farage
6 months, 2 weeks ago

‘Britain’s on its knees’: The broken UK town backing Nigel Farage

Al Jazeera  

Clacton-on-Sea, with high unemployment and low immigration, looks set to finally deliver the right-wing populist to parliament on his eighth attempt. He’s much cleverer than I am.” Reform’s ‘contract’ Reform, formerly known as the Brexit Party and founded by Farage, has branded its manifesto as a “contract”. Toby James, professor of politics and public policy at the University of East …

The ghosts of Tory past can’t help Rishi now
6 months, 2 weeks ago

The ghosts of Tory past can’t help Rishi now

The Independent  

After 14 years of mismanagement, deceitful governance and obfuscation, Rishi Sunak compounds his party’s disgrace by enlisting the assistance of David Cameron and Boris Johnson to gain much-needed votes. David Nelmes Newport National service is a nonsensical gimmick Can anyone from the Tory party explain in detail the consequences of the government’s so-called “flagship policy”, which has already been described …

The Tories should be highlighting Farage’s failures – not running scared from him
6 months, 3 weeks ago

The Tories should be highlighting Farage’s failures – not running scared from him

The Independent  

The Conservatives are running scared of Nigel Farage and Reform’s progress in the polls. Many, like me, voted to remain because we saw a better future for our children and grandchildren within the European community, in a world where the sharing of common interests, freedom of movement, and the right to settle and seek work in 27 countries offered enormous …

Labour calls for tactical voting to oust Tory leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Labour calls for tactical voting to oust Tory leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. But Kemi Badenoch, the longtime frontrunner to replace Mr Sunak among the bookmakers, is in …

Sunak urges voters not to hand Labour a ‘blank cheque’ by choosing Reform
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Sunak urges voters not to hand Labour a ‘blank cheque’ by choosing Reform

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Rishi Sunak has insisted that voting for Reform UK would …

The extinction of the Tory party is no longer an impossibility
7 months ago

The extinction of the Tory party is no longer an impossibility

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Redfield and Wilton’s new poll suggests …

Tories face ‘existential risk’ as Farage declares he will stand as a candidate for Reform UK
7 months ago

Tories face ‘existential risk’ as Farage declares he will stand as a candidate for Reform UK

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Lord Hayward, a Tory peer and top pollster, told The Independent that Mr Farage’s original …

Nigel Farage issues ‘political revolt’ warning as he makes U-turn in MP bid
7 months ago

Nigel Farage issues ‘political revolt’ warning as he makes U-turn in MP bid

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “So I am going to stand in this election.” With Reform seeking to take …

Nigel Farage fuels speculation with ’emergency’ General Election announcement
7 months ago

Nigel Farage fuels speculation with ’emergency’ General Election announcement

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Nigel Farage said he intends to make an “emergency” General …

Kemi Badenoch rules out serving in Tories if Nigel Farage joins accusing him of wanting to 'trash' the party - after Brexit champion said he is plotting a 'takeover'
7 months ago

Kemi Badenoch rules out serving in Tories if Nigel Farage joins accusing him of wanting to 'trash' the party - after Brexit champion said he is plotting a 'takeover'

Daily Mail  

Kemi Badenoch today ruled out serving in the Tories if Nigel Farage joins insisting the Brexit champion wants to 'trash' the party. Nigel Farage has said he is planning a Tory 'takeover' after the general election Kemi Badenoch hit out after Mr Farage alarmed moderates with the suggestion he will exploit a heavy election defeat on July 4 Rishi Sunak …

Reform 'could cost the Tories 28 seats' even though Nigel Farage U-turned on plan to run as an MP as insurgent party's votes threaten to hand constituencies to Labour
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Reform 'could cost the Tories 28 seats' even though Nigel Farage U-turned on plan to run as an MP as insurgent party's votes threaten to hand constituencies to Labour

Daily Mail  

Reform UK could cost the Conservatives up to 28 seats at the general election despite Nigel Farage dodging another bid to become an MP, an analysis has found. Mr Farage's decision was seen as a huge boost to Rishi Sunak as the PM attempts to overhaul Labour's huge poll lead over the Tories over the next six weeks. Reform UK …

Badenoch criticises Tory plotters but does not rule out leadership bid
11 months, 1 week ago

Badenoch criticises Tory plotters but does not rule out leadership bid

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Kemi Badenoch has hit out at Conservative plotters for “stirring” …

DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Now embattled PM faces jungle jeopardy
1 year, 1 month ago

DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Now embattled PM faces jungle jeopardy

Daily Mail  

As if the past week hadn't been gruelling enough for the Tory party, another political predator is lurking in the undergrowth ready to pounce. The Prime Minister may have hoped that being 10,000 miles away and contemplating a diet of maggots and kangaroo testicles might limit Nigel Farage's ability to deepen the Government's current woes. Mr Farage is a great …

Backbenchers should unite behind Prime Minister, says Badenoch
2 years, 2 months ago

Backbenchers should unite behind Prime Minister, says Badenoch

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. But International Trade Secretary Ms Badenoch urged her party to “get behind” the Prime …

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