Half of UK Conservative Members Want Kemi Badenoch Replaced Ahead of Next Election
A new YouGov poll shows rising uncertainty over Kemi Badenoch’s leadership among UK Conservative Party members, with half saying she should not lead the party into the next general election. The survey, reported by Sky News on October 6, found 46 percent of members still support her staying in charge.
The poll positions Robert Jenrick, who lost to Badenoch in last year’s leadership contest, as the members’ favourite. When asked who they would prefer as Conservative leader, 46 percent chose Jenrick, compared with 39 percent for Badenoch, 11 percent for neither, and 4 percent undecided.
Party members are divided on whether Badenoch will remain in her role, with 49 percent predicting she will be out before the election and 47 percent expecting her to continue. The upcoming Conservative Party conference in Manchester is viewed as a crucial test of her leadership.
Among the 652 members surveyed between September 26 and October 2, 70 percent expressed a favourable opinion of Badenoch, while 29 percent were unfavourable. Jenrick’s ratings were slightly higher, with 73 percent favourable and 20 percent unfavourable.
On policy matters, Badenoch has ruled out any electoral pact with Reform UK for the next election. However, 64 percent of members support such an arrangement to prevent both parties from contesting the same target seats, while 31 percent oppose it.
The poll also suggests that Jenrick would comfortably defeat Boris Johnson, James Cleverly, and Priti Patel in a leadership contest, while Badenoch would narrowly beat Johnson in a head-to-head matchup.
