Kemi Badenoch urged to be bold as critics warn she has a year to restore Tory hopes from the 'existential' threat of Reform UK
Kemi Badenoch is set to launch a policy push as she tries to save her party from the 'existential' threat of Reform UK.
The Tory leader is lining up a set of proposals, including on sentencing and social media, after criticism she has been too slow to develop policies.
But her MPs want her to go further, and 'smash the glass' by making a new commitment to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
So far Ms Badenoch has refused to commit to quitting the ECHR, and instead launched a commission to examine it.
The Conservative party lost 674 councillors in last week's local election wipe-out, after being squeezed by both Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats.
Nigel Farage claimed his party's 'Reform-quake' marked 'the beginning of the end' of the Conservatives.
Former Labour frontbencher Jonathan Ashworth said Reform could soon be the second party in Parliament. 'I think this is existential now for the Tories,' he told Times Radio.
Ms Badenoch said the results were disappointing but pledged to reverse her party's decline.
Her allies emphasised that the results were always expected to be poor as they were coming back down from a 'historic high in 2021' when the party won many of the council seats following a Covid vaccine bounce.
But shadow communities minister David Simmonds said the results are 'not remotely' existential for the Tories and yesterday told Sky News: 'I think it's very clear, as somebody who was a Conservative councillor for 24 years, that we have been at a much lower level in local government than is the case now.'
But a source close to the Tory leader said she 'wants to learn the lessons from this set of elections', adding that Ms Badenoch 'continues her long-term plan to rebuild CCHQ and the wider Conservative Party and turn it into a world-class campaigning operation.'
Other policies backed by Ms Badenoch include raising the age of access to social media from 13 to 16, which will be put forward as an amendment to the Government's Data bill.
The Tory leader previously came out in favour of banning phones in schools, which Sir Keir Starmer dismissed as 'unnecessary'.
There will also be new proposals on sentencing and more detail on the forthcoming social cohesion policy commission announced in the coming days and weeks. Last night a Conservative party spokesman warned the party against infighting and not to 'turn in on ourselves'.
But critics of Ms Badenoch said they expect senior party figures to put her 'on notice' – as rivals start organising to be battle-ready for a 2026 putsch.
Donors and association chairmen are increasingly frustrated with Ms Badenoch and want to see improvements in the polls, where the Tories trail behind Labour and Reform UK.
MPs have been resisting launching a direct challenge, with many worried about a public backlash. 'Voters are sick of our psychodrama,' one MP said.
But last week's results have fuelled talk that Ms Badenoch could face a challenge next year, with shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick seen as the best choice to replace her.
'She will be allowed to deliver the big speech at conference, but others will be on manoeuvres by then,' one Tory MP said.
Meanwhile, Tory insiders are keen to counter reports that big-name Tory donors are unhappy with Ms Badenoch's leadership.
A source close to Ms Badenoch insisted the local elections 'have helped in focusing minds and donors are rallying round Kemi and the party.' They said the party has received 'over half a million in donations' over the past week.
It comes after the party announced that video-game tycoon and former Labour party donor Jez San has given the Conservatives £2 million this year.
A Conservative Party spokesman said: 'No one, least of all Kemi, is underestimating the scale of the renewal required to get the Conservative Party back to where it needs to be.
'Thursday's results show this very clearly.
'The local elections have woken up a lot of donors and supporters who didn't think they needed to get involved.'
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