Following devastating local election results for the Conservative Party, Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch has published a defiant and reform-focused article in The Telegraph, acknowledging the scale of the party’s defeat while outlining her vision for its renewal.
In a candid piece, Badenoch recalled being warned about the likely outcome of the May 2025 local elections even before she became party leader.
“An MP of many years saw me in Parliament and took me aside,” she wrote. “It’s great you topped the MP’s ballot, Kemi,” he said, “but if I were you, I’d want to lose this one. The party is split seven different ways, headquarters is exhausted, and the May 2025 locals are going to be a total bloodbath.”
Reflecting on the results, Badenoch said bluntly: “The results confirm he was correct.” But she added that the scale of the losses was unsurprising, given that the last time these seats were contested in 2021, the Conservatives were riding high on a post-Covid vaccine boost and faced a weaker opposition.
“The Conservatives won the parliamentary seat of Hartlepool for the first time in our history, and took over two thirds of council seats. It was an unprecedented success,” she wrote. “Even in better times, defending the 2021 result would have been a tough ask.”
Badenoch emphasised that the party’s troubles cannot be solved by personality politics or internal finger-pointing. “It’s not about the politicians,” she argued. “It is about the people. The politicians will come and go. The people… the voters are what we need to think about.”
Despite the heavy losses, Badenoch pointed to signs of organisational renewal and strategic focus. She claimed that in her first quarter as leader, she raised more money than Labour, Reform, and the Liberal Democrats combined, working closely with party co-chairmen Nigel Huddleston and Dominic Johnson to rebuild Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) into a “world-class campaigning organisation.”
Describing herself as a political “chief executive taking over a company in distress,” she acknowledged the scale of the task ahead but stressed that reforms were underway: “We are making progress. The Conservative Party has stayed united since I took over. The shadow cabinet and shadow ministers are working together to hold this failing Labour Government to account.”
Badenoch also directed sharp criticism at both the Labour Government and Reform UK. She listed a series of controversies involving Labour ministers and MPs, including the resignation of the party’s transport secretary over a criminal conviction and the departure of its anti-corruption minister “over allegations of corruption.” She wrote: “Farage might be winning by-elections with protest in the air – but, set against Labour and Reform, the Conservative Party looks like an oasis of calm.”
The article reiterated several of Badenoch’s policy priorities: tougher migration rules, a statutory inquiry into grooming gangs, and a re-evaluation of the UK’s net zero commitments. “No more conveyor belt to citizenship,” she declared, highlighting a new approach aimed at ensuring all passport recipients are “net contributors.”
“These positions and policies show that, under my leadership, the Conservative Party is changing to one based on principles and purpose,” she added.
In closing, Badenoch positioned herself as a leader focused not on political theatre but on delivering a better Britain. “I stood to be the leader of the Conservative Party, not because it would be easy – and it certainly isn’t – but because I believe in a Britain better than the one Keir Starmer is forcing us to be. That is my focus. Every single second of every single day.”
The article comes as the Conservative Party assesses its standing in the wake of widespread local losses and ahead of what is expected to be a challenging general election campaign. Some within the party are already voicing doubts about Badenoch’s leadership, with increasing speculation around Robert Jenrick as a possible successor.
Read Kemi’s full article here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/05/02/kemi-badenoch-i-am-sorry-for-election-bloodbath/
Main Image: Kemi Badenoch MP. Picture by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street
Rather disingenuous.
The party is not “united”, they simply have nothing to divide (or unite) over becasue they don’t know as yet what their policies are. I believe Badenoch is correct to take that stance – in fact it’s forced on her – on all but the glaring mis-steps of Labour.
But even on the glaring mis-steps she fails to come out and say “We will repeal/reverse that”.
Also the “review” of net zero etc is Tory code for “talk about it for a while, do nothing”, as we saw with other review promises such as IR35.
In 4 years’ time, ensuring that all passports are net contributors… it will be too late. At the current rate of arrival we’ll be under Sharia law by then.
I think we should bring back Boris Johnson he was a great leader of the Conservative Party with great charisma and could deal with all situations around the world
Great Leader