A new YouGov poll has revealed that nearly half of Conservative Party members believe party leader Kemi Badenoch should step down before the next general election, highlighting growing internal divisions within the UK’s ruling party.
According to the survey, 50% of Conservative members say Badenoch should not lead the party into the 2029 general election, while 46% support her continued leadership. The poll, conducted earlier this month and reported by Sky News and BusinessDay, underscores the mounting pressure on Badenoch following the party’s historic defeat in the 2024 general election, where the Conservatives were reduced to just 121 seats in Parliament.
Badenoch, 45, made history in 2024 as the first Black woman to lead a major UK political party, but her tenure has been marred by internal rifts, poor polling, and criticism over her focus on divisive cultural issues rather than core economic concerns.
Despite the criticism, Badenoch has remained defiant. In a recent speech at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, she unveiled a bold new policy to abolish stamp duty, positioning the party as a champion of homeownership and economic revival. She insisted that only the Conservatives could “restore Britain’s economy” and dismissed fears of a mass defection to the Reform UK party.