Pictured: Conservative Party Leader Kemi Badenoch holds a meeting with Conservative Councillors
We knew it would be hard. These results show the scale of work needed to rebuild trust in the Conservative Party
As party members were voting in the final round of the Conservative Party leadership contest, an MP of many years saw me in Parliament and took me aside.
“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.”
When journalists ask me if I knew what I was getting myself into as leader of the Opposition, I always answer “yes” for this very reason. No one – and least of all I – was in any doubt about the scale of the renewal the Conservative Party required.
But 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.
Since his party’s historic majority last July, Keir Starmer has managed to lose his transport secretary for being a convicted criminal, his international development minister for opposing his policy on international development, and his anti-corruption minister over allegations of corruption.
As the Prime Minister struggles with Labour MPs punching their constituents and alleged child abuse, Nigel Farage is kicking out his own MPs while they take him to court.
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.
However, 14 years in government and a punishing general election had sapped morale and resources from Conservative headquarters.
Rebuilding HQ was an immediate priority when I won the leadership contest. Like a new chief executive taking over a company in distress, I’ve set about making critical changes and, most importantly, bringing in the money.
In my first quarter as leader, I raised more money than Labour, Reform and the Lib Dems combined. Working with my co-chairmen Nigel Huddleston and Dominic Johnson, we have started the long road to making CCHQ the world-class campaigning organisation I promised in the leadership contest. But it will take time.
Which brings me to the “bloodbath” of the local elections confidently predicted to me by that sage MP many months ago.
The results confirm he was correct. But to be honest, it wasn’t a controversial prediction to make. The last time this set of elections was fought was in 2021. Boris Johnson – coming off the post-Covid vaccine bounce, with no Reform and a Starmer-led Labour that was still struggling to throw off the stench of Jeremy Corbyn – crushed that vote four years ago.
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.
Even in better times, defending the 2021 result would have been a tough ask. After last year’s historic defeat, and with protest votes cutting across every ballot box, we knew Thursday would be hard. I’m deeply sorry to see so many capable, hard-working Conservative councillors lose their seats. They didn’t deserve it – and they weren’t the reason we lost.
These local election results show the scale of the work needed to rebuild trust in the Conservative Party and the importance of redoubling our efforts to show that this party is under new leadership and is doing things differently.
Earlier this year, I announced tougher new policies on migration, acknowledging where the last government got things wrong. It’s now up to me to rectify those mistakes. That means extending the time before people can get a UK passport – and making sure anyone who gets one is a net contributor to our country. No more conveyor belt to citizenship. And there’s so much more.
We’re forcing votes in Parliament on a full statutory inquiry into the rape gangs. Not another review. A real investigation. With real consequences, for the abusers and for those in power who looked away.
We’re also ending a decade of blithe consensus that net zero by 2050 was possible or affordable.
These positions and policies show that, under my leadership, the Conservative Party is changing to one based on principles and purpose.
But it is telling that on these, and other principled positions, the response of the Labour Government has been to disagree, dismiss or stay silent. This is the reality of Britain today. A Government and a Prime Minister too scared to stand up for what is right or defend our values.
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.
This article was originally published in The Telegraph
