In the wake of the Conservative Party’s near annihilation in the 2024 election, a search began for the person who could salvage the burning wreck of the Party and return it to something that resembled a credible electoral force. Those who remained from the ill-fated Sunak government organised to try and ensure their faction would steer the Conservative ship through the next five years of opposition. However, due to some ill-fated calculations by the James Cleverly camp, the members were presented with two archetypal politicians from the right of their Party. 

The 2024 Tory leadership campaign was a bizarre affair; policy debate was almost non-existent and focuses rested solely on the personality and ‘temperament’ of the prospective leader. Due to Robert Jenrick’s seeming lack of charm, Kemi Badenoch became the members’ preferred choice. Certainly not your stereotypical Tory, Badenoch had long been a figure of fascination within British politics and in particular within the Conservative Party. Choosing Badenoch for leader was by no means an uncontroversial choice, given that her colleagues described her as often being rude and frequently came across as combative with the media. However, she also seemed to possess oratory abilities that could pose a challenge to new PM Starmer at weekly Prime Minister’s Questions as well as being able to attract attention from the lobby (a vital skill in opposition). I think the mixed affirmations surrounding her potential were best surmised by one senior Tory who said: “We know she’s the next Mrs T - we just don't yet know if that ‘T’ is Thatcher or Truss”. After her first 4 months in office, it is clear she is certainly more lettuce than iron.

The problems with Kemi Badenoch’s leadership are plentiful and severe. For example, her Shadow Cabinet is bereft of strong communicators and many of her most experienced colleagues (such as James Cleverly) refused to serve under her leadership. This immediately added a sense of weakness to her leadership as many viewed this move as the One Nation Group biding their time, eagerly awaiting the opportunity to pounce when her leadership collapsed. These problems got worse when it became apparent that Badenoch’s supposed strength at PMQs appears to have been dramatically overstated. She continuously fails to land a blow against Keir Starmer despite a string of unpopular decisions his government have made. On top of this, her tenure as Leader of HM Opposition has so far been consumed with picking pointless fights, such as raising the issue that sandwiches are not “real food” and that maternity pay is too generous. This has all culminated in a lack of progress in Tory polling and a significant darkening of Conservative morale as Reform continuously outperforms them in opinion polls.

So, what is to be done? If the Conservative Party wishes to improve on its dismal election results in 2024 then it must act quickly. Badenoch must be given time, however, should she not be providing results for the Party by the end of 2026 then said Party must use its characteristic ruthlessness to depose her and dramatically correct course. They must look at the lessons of the Cameron era and provide a bold vision for Britain that is not bogged down in ideological issues such as leaving the ECHR or bringing back the Rwanda policy. They must not try to mimic Reform but oppose it and present a centre-right optimistic vision of Britain that can appeal to a wider cross-section of the electorate. My personal view is that should the Party be serious about a return to power they must select James Cleverly to lead this transformation, as he is by far the most capable electoral asset within their Parliamentary Party.

This is not merely in the interest of the right in Britain, but also to the left. Should the Tories fail to advance from their current position it seems almost inevitable that Reform UK will overtake them as the main rightwing force in British politics. While I am deeply critical of the Conservative Party and do not wish to see its return to government, I would rather our opposition be a Party that includes those such as Theresa May and Alex Chalk rather than one which includes Nigel Farage and Andrea Jenkyns. That is why my message to the Conservative Party: if Badenoch does not begin to succeed, embrace your capabilities and replace her with Cleverly, and save the centre ground of British politics.

Connor Summerell

Contributor

7th March 2025