It’s more than three months now since Kemi Badenoch took over as Tory leader. She has set out her vision in various speeches, with yesterday’s Arc address being the most recent example. So, how is she doing? Well, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, according to a poll of 2,000 voters for The Spectator by More in Common. Her approval rating sits at -19, some 22 points above Keir Starmer, but below Nigel Farage. Asked to describe the Tory leader in a single word, the nation’s favourite adjective is ‘unknown’, followed by ‘useless’ – although ‘strong’ and ‘leader’ are also high on the list.
If Andrew Bonar Law was the unknown Prime Minister then Badenoch is (currently) the unknown Leader of the Opposition, with only 66 per cent of Britons knowing who she is, just 10 points above Sir Ed Davey. How best to rectify this then? An impressive 71 per cent of voters want Badenoch to apologise for the last Tory Government – while a majority of voters would like to see Liz Truss and Suella Braverman expelled, though Conservative voters tend to disagree. But some bold action might benefit Badenoch: only 4 in 10 know what she stands for, in contrast to 66 per cent for Farage.
Unsurprisingly, the Tory brand is still struggling, with only 14 per cent of voters believing that they have improved since the last election. Half of those who abandoned the Party between 2019 and 2024 say they are unlikely to or definitely will not vote for the party at the next election, with Reform voters being the least likely to say they will come back. Of those remaining 2024 Conservative voters, two thirds (67 per cent) do not want a merger with Reform – but only narrowly oppose a pact (53 per cent to 47 per cent). Reform voters on the other hand are more keen on both a merger (55 per cent) or a pact (67 per cent).
Still, there is one boon for Badenoch: 7 in 10 voters support her strategy of restoring trust rather than setting out new policy. And she is better trusted to handle the economy, and marginally more trusted to tell the truth, than both Starmer and Farage. Onwards and upwards eh!
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