Senior Conservative figures are actively plotting to replace Kemi Badenoch after the party’s crushing local election defeat. The key phrase in this crisis is leadership challenge brewing.
Before the votes were even counted, insiders had already begun looking for ways to push her out, with a challenge in leadership brewing in the minds of many. Tory losses were devastating, with hundreds of council seats gone and key strongholds falling. Many Tories believe Badenoch lacks clear vision and fails to score in Parliament debates.
Now, attention has shifted to Robert Jenrick, who narrowly lost to Badenoch in the last leadership race. Several MPs have privately confirmed they want Jenrick to launch a fresh challenge. One senior Tory said bluntly, “I am messaging Robert to get his act together and make a bid.”
Adding to the tension, Jenrick has been accused of blatant manoeuvring against Badenoch. He recently sent letters to candidates that did not mention her name, intensifying the brewing leadership challenge. Rumors also swirled about his secret plan to negotiate a deal with the Reform Party, a plan Badenoch firmly rejected, but the challenge is clearly brewing.
Another major figure lurking in the background is James Cleverly, the former home and foreign secretary. Although he has kept a low profile, many suspect he is waiting for the right moment, possibly to enter the leadership brewing challenge.
The leadership challenge brewing theme keeps intensifying as the Tory results worsen. In Durham, the Tories barely survived, winning only one seat while Reform took 65. In Lincolnshire, a long-time Conservative heartland, they were crushed as Reform swept the county council and the mayoralty.
Losses spread to Kent, Devon, and Shropshire, shaking party confidence even further. Projections now place the Tories at just 15 percent nationally, trailing behind Reform, Labour, and the Liberal Democrats, prompting talk that a challenge in their leadership is brewing.
To trigger a formal leadership vote, 30 percent of Tory MPs must back a confidence motion. However, the party’s co-chairman, Nigel Huddleston, insists that Badenoch’s position remains safe. He praised her as “sensible, honest, and straightforward,” dismissing the unrest, despite the brewing challenge talk.
Despite this, the leadership challenge brewing remains the talk in Westminster. Some MPs argue that changing leaders again would damage the party’s credibility. Others warn that failing to act soon could lead to mass defections to Reform.
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