The Conservative Party is deeply divided over whether Kemi Badenoch should lead the Tories into the next UK general election, a new YouGov poll has revealed.
Gatekeepers News reports that the survey of 652 Conservative Party members found that 50 percent believe Badenoch should not head the party at the 2029 general election, while 46 percent think she should remain the party’s prime ministerial candidate.
The UK’s next general election is scheduled for August 2029, with local council polls expected to take place in May 2026.
Discussions about Badenoch’s leadership intensified after the Conservatives’ poor showing in the May local elections, where the party secured just 15 percent of the vote — its worst result since 1995. The outcome followed projections that the Tories would suffer major losses amid concerns that Badenoch was “focusing on the wrong issues.”
According to the poll, 29 percent of Tory members view Badenoch unfavourably, while around 70 percent hold a positive opinion of her. However, 37 percent believe she is doing a bad job as party leader, compared to 61 percent who say she is performing well.
YouGov noted that discontent exists even among Badenoch’s early supporters.
“Even among those who voted for her to be party leader last year, 30% believe Badenoch should be replaced as party leader by the next general election,” YouGov stated in the poll results published on October 6.
The findings have further fuelled speculation about potential successors. Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary and Badenoch’s rival in the 2024 leadership contest, emerged as the membership’s top choice to replace her.
Other figures mentioned as possible contenders include former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and James Cleverly, the shadow housing secretary.
