Senior Conservatives are urging colleagues to avoid rash decisions such as forming alliances with Reform UK or ousting leader Kemi Badenoch despite anticipating heavy losses in next week’s local elections.
Former cabinet ministers Andrew Mitchell and John Glen cautioned against shifting strategy, with Mitchell dismissing talk of Reform deals as “misplaced” and Glen insisting Badenoch must not be “pushed off course.” The warnings come after Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen suggested a pact with Reform might be necessary, while shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick called for uniting the right though he denied advocating an official deal with Nigel Farage’s party.
Some Tory MPs speculate that Jenrick and Houchen are positioning themselves for future leadership bids, though both deny such ambitions. Privately, others whisper about potential no-confidence letters if local election results prove catastrophic, though most believe Badenoch’s brief tenure makes a challenge unlikely.
Badenoch and Jenrick publicly presented a united front, with the leader ruling out any Reform pact and Jenrick praising her as doing a “bloody good job.” However, tensions linger, particularly after Jenrick launched a campaign against tool theft without initial party approval though aides insist the effort was later sanctioned.
Moderate MPs argue the party should focus on policy rather than mimicking Reform, warning that a merger would alienate centrist voters and deepen internal divisions. As one skeptical MP put it: “It would be an unbelievably poisonous marriage.”
With the next general election years away, Glen urged patience, saying Badenoch’s methodical approach not panic is the path to rebuilding trust.
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