Kemi Badenoch has acknowledged the possibility that Nigel Farage could become the next prime minister, a startling concession following the Conservative Party’s punishing electoral setback.
The admission came after the Tories lost nearly half of the council seats they were defending in the recent local elections.
“Anything is possible. We live in politically turbulent times. It is my job to make sure he doesn’t become prime minister.”
Kemi Badenoch
Badenoch’s remarks reflect the party’s growing anxiety over the surging influence of Reform UK, led by the veteran right-wing populist Nigel Farage. Once dismissed as a fringe force, Reform has rapidly gained traction, triggering tremors throughout the Conservative establishment.
Labour health secretary Wes Streeting offered a darkly humorous take on the situation, likening the electoral duel between the Tories and Reform to a cinematic showdown.
“It’s like Alien Vs Predator, you don’t really want either one to win but one of them will emerge as the main challenger to Labour at the next general election.
“I think Reform is definitely a real threat and one that we take seriously. I think there’s clearly, on the right of British politics, a realignment taking place.”
Wes Streeting
He stressed the need for greater scrutiny of Reform UK, stating that it “deserves more air time and scrutiny of their policies.”
Tory MPs Plotting New Leadership Bid
In a separate interview, Badenoch admitted that “protest is in the air” and cautioned that it would take more than six months to restore the party’s strength. Her tone, though defiant, did little to calm nerves among Conservatives already whispering about her potential replacement.
Sources close to Westminster say that some Tory MPs are quietly laying the groundwork for a leadership challenge. Their discontent was emboldened by comments from Luke Tryl, a leading pollster with More in Common, who warned that the Conservatives have “just 12 months to turn things around.”
Tryl emphasized how the local election results in key heartland regions such as Kent and Lincolnshire demonstrated the scale of the challenge. “I think they have until next year’s local elections, Holyrood elections, and Senedd elections to show that they’re still relevant,” he said.
Meanwhile, former Conservative cabinet minister Justine Greening called on the party to reinvent itself.
“This version of the Conservative Party, which we have seen over the last decade, which has tried to outdo Reform, is finished, and it will need to reinvent itself.”
Justine Greening
Despite the turmoil, there was at least one glimmer of optimism for the party. Paul Bristow, newly elected mayor of Peterborough and Cambridgeshire, urged colleagues to stop undermining the current leadership. “Just stop it,” he said to would-be plotters, adding that it was time to “step up” and allow Badenoch to steady the ship.
However, not everyone is convinced. Phillip Blond, a former adviser to David Cameron and head of the Red Tory think tank, did not mince words.
“Our leadership post the GE has been astoundingly poor. All Badenoch has offered is inertia and inaction. She has allowed Reform to establish bulwarks on her flank that now look unbreachable… regrettably, we do need a new leader, and this surely can only be Robert Jenrick.”
Phillip Blond
Jenrick, a former immigration minister, has fuelled speculation about his ambitions with moves seen as distancing himself from Badenoch. In a recent letter to candidates, he notably omitted her name. A leaked recording also captured him advocating for a deal with Reform UK — a position directly opposed to party policy.
Meanwhile, Farage remains bullish, asserting that Reform UK has overtaken the Conservatives as the true opposition to Labour. “The Tories will never recover,” he declared. “Reform UK has supplanted them.”
As such, the Conservative Party faces an existential crossroads, grappling with internal dissent, external threats, and a shifting political landscape that could redefine British politics in the months to come.
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