Tories united behind Badenoch - but party still needs to win over voters
Kemi Badenoch has the support of her party but the Tories still trail Labour and Reform in opinion polls.
By BBC News
Kemi Badenoch has said the Conservative Party is united behind her leadership, but the party still faces a difficult task convincing voters it can return to government.
The Conservative leader told the BBC that members had a clear sense of the party’s identity as she prepared for its annual conference. She said the party could challenge one another during internal debates but would remain united afterwards.
The comments come as the Conservatives continue to trail Labour and Reform UK in opinion polls. The party has yet to recover from its historic defeat at the 2024 general election, while Reform has become a major rival for voters on the right.
Badenoch’s personal ratings have improved more strongly than those of the party she leads, according to polling cited in the BBC’s coverage. Conservative strategists hope that narrowing the gap with Reform could help the party present itself as the main alternative to Labour.
The Tory leader has also sought to draw a clear distinction between the Conservatives and Reform. She has ruled out an electoral pact with Nigel Farage’s party and said she would prefer another general election to forming a coalition in a hung parliament.
Current polling cited in the coverage suggests Labour remains ahead, with Reform also polling above the Conservatives. The figures leave the Tories facing pressure to rebuild support among voters who backed Reform at recent elections.
Badenoch has been presenting the Conservatives as a government-in-waiting, but the party’s polling position shows that support for its leader has not yet translated into broad support for the party.