Liz Truss Says Far-Right Activist Tommy Robinson Has Been ‘Unfairly Demonised’

Posted on 21/09/2025 by Boris Clair

Liz Truss has claimed that far-right leader and anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson has been “unfairly demonised”.

The former Conservative prime minister has been drifting further to the right ever since she was kicked out of Downing Street in 2022 – after just 49 days in office – for crashing the economy with her disastrous mini-Budget.

Truss, who also lost her seat in parliament in last July’s general election, has made her support for US president Donald Trump and his controversial former adviser Elon Musk clear since.

She was also accused of starting the “far-right bandwagon” over grooming gangs by Labour minister Jess Phillips.

Now she is speaking up in support of Robinson, who recently led a march of 150,000 people through London claiming to be in favour of free speech when the Metropolitan Police said 26 officers were injured.

Discussing Robinson’s past focus on the grooming gangs scandal, Truss said: “I think it is correct that Tommy Robinson drew attention to a problem and a heinous issue that has been brushed under the carpet by many people.”

Asked by Newsweek if thought Robinson had been “unfairly demonised”, she said: “Yes, I do.”

It comes after Truss already attracted criticism in 2024 for refusing to speak up when she chose not to speak up as former Trump adviser Steve Bannon called Robinson a “hero” while they were both on a podcast.

Former Tory foreign secretary Sajid Javid said at the time that “Liz should really know better”.

When asked by Newsweek if she might try to return to Westminster, she did not completely rule it out.

Truss said: “I’m getting my ideas and thoughts out there, because the problem with being a government minister for so long is you’re very constrained in what you can say.

“You’re very constrained in what you can do and think about and who you can talk to.

“And I think the problems are so big in Britain that we do need a revolution, and I want to work to achieve that.”

Truss is still currently part of the Conservative Party, despite previously clashing with Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, but this interview sparked calls for her to be removed as a member.

As former No.10 chief of staff Gavin Barwell wrote on X: “Rishi Sunak should have thrown Truss out of the Conservative Party when he became leader; Kemi Badenoch should definitely do so now.”

The Liberal Democrats’ deputy leader Daisy Cooper also said: “This should be the end of the road for Liz Truss in the Conservative Party.

“Kemi Badenoch needs to disavow this defence of a far-right racist and kick Truss out of her party for good.”

The Conservative Party has been approached for comment.

Is That It? Kemi Badenoch Accused Of ‘Deckchair Shuffling’ After Frontbench Shake-Up

Posted on 22/07/2025 by Boris Clair

Kemi Badenoch has been mocked over a Tory reshuffle that left nearly all of her senior frontbenchers in the same jobs.

The shake-up was prompted by the resignation of shadow health secretary Edward Argar for health reasons.

While former foreign secretary and Tory leadership contender James Cleverly made a comeback as shadow housing secretary, the rest of the reshuffle was seriously underwhelming.

It was also a major U-turn after her spokesman insisted in January that there would be no reshuffle before the next election.

Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick – who Badenoch beat to become leader last November – is staying in the same job, as are shadow home secretary Chris Philp, shadow chancellor Mel Stride and shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel.

Kevin Hollinrake becomes the new Tory chairman – as revealed by HuffPost UK this morning – while Stuart Andrew replaces Argar in the health role.

Nigel Huddleston replaces Andrew as shadow culture secretary, while Richard Holden becomes shadow transport secretary and Julia Lopez has been appointed shadow science secretary.

Badenoch said: “The Conservative Party’s mission of renewal continues, and these changes demonstrate exactly that.

“This new frontbench team reflects the rich experience within the party – from the tenacious campaigners fighting for Britain, to the experienced MPs who will keep holding this disastrous Labour government to account.

“Unlike Labour and Reform, the Conservative Party is unashamedly on the side of Britain’s makers: the people that work hard, do the right thing and want to get on in life.”

But Labour chair Ellie Reeves said: “No amount of deckchair shuffling can hide that the architects of 14 years of Tory failure still sit around Kemi Badenoch’s top table.

“The Conservatives haven’t changed and they haven’t once apologised for the mess they left behind. Only Labour is focussed on delivering a fairer Britain.”

The Lib Dems also picked up on the Titanic theme, pointing out that Cleverly had called on Tory MPs not to oust Liz Truss as prime minister.

Sarah Olney, the party’s Cabinet Office spokesperson, said: “Kemi Badenoch has appointed the very man who said that replacing Liz Truss as prime minister would be a terrible idea. It’s like appointing an iceberg apologist to a role steering the Titanic.

“The public won’t forgive this group of failed former Conservative ministers for the damage they did to our economy and NHS.”

But a former Tory cabinet member welcomed the reshuffle, telling HuffPost UK: “I think it’s positive and keeps us moving forward.”

Another former minister said: “There are some welcome moves which will hopefully bring some renewed energy to the frontbench.”

‘Tone Deaf!’ Tories Slammed After Strategy Chief Claims Party Has ‘Done The Apologies’

Posted on 06/07/2025 by Boris Clair

The Conservatives have been accused of being “tone deaf” after the party’s strategy chief claimed they have “done the apologies”.

According to The Telegraph, a leaked recording has revealed that a top ally of leader Kemi Badenoch, Baroness Maclean, told supporters the Tories have “done the mea culpas” now.

Speaking to the Conservative Women’s Organisation on June 18, she said the last government had a “tendency to make announcements without thinking through how they would be delivered.”

But, Maclean – who ran Kemi Badenoch’s leadership campaign – claimed the Tories will now be able to move forward with new policies and rebuild their reputation.

“We’ve done the mea culpas, we’ve done the apologies, we’ve done all that,” she said in the recording.

The Tories were in power for 14 years until they were unceremoniously kicked out of 10 Downing Street in last July’s general election.

Their historic defeat saw them reduced to just 121 MPs.

A year on, the party continue to decline in the polls as voters repeatedly punish them for their time in government.

Pollsters at Ipsos found the Tories were on just 15% in June, a distant third behind their right-wing rivals Reform (34%) and Labour (25%).

The Telegraph’s report comes after Badenoch issued an apology to business leaders, promising they were the “natural party of business”.

She added that she was “sorry if at any time over the last 14 years we did not seem like that.”

Responding to the leaked recording, Labour Party chair Ellie Reeves slammed the Tories for being “out of touch”.

She said: “It shows just how out of touch the Tories are that they believe they have said sorry for their 14 years of failure in government.

“The Conservatives crashed the economy and left working people picking up the tab with sky-high mortgages and rocketing bills. Yet they haven’t apologised even once for their dismal record.

“The Tories’ attitude to the mess they made is completely tone deaf. It’s the same old Tories – they haven’t learned a thing.”

Similarly, Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: “The Conservatives are completely deluded if they think the public have forgiven or forgotten the mess they’ve left behind.

“This is a slap in the face for families still paying out more for their mortgage because Liz Truss tanked the economy.

“Kemi Badenoch should urgently confirm whether she agrees with her own senior official on this, or if she will properly apologise to all those who suffered due to years of Conservative chaos under the government in which she served.”

Could Boris Johnson Really Ride To The Tories’ Rescue By Making A Dramatic Return To Politics?

Posted on 23/05/2025 by Boris Clair

Few political utterances have been as over-analysed as Boris Johnson’s final words as prime minister in the House of Commons.

“Mission largely accomplished – for now,” the then Tory leader told MPs on the day he left Downing Street, before adding: “Hasta la vista, baby.”

The literal translation of that Spanish phrase, which was made famous by Arnold Shwarzenegger in ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’, is “see you later”.

What did Johnson mean, numerous political commentators have pondered. Was it a typically flamboyant farewell, or was he giving notice that he would one day return to No.10?

The latter question seemed to be answered in the negative when, in 2023, he dramatically resigned as a Tory MP after the Commons privileges committee found him guilty of lying to parliament over the partygate scandal.

However, he did hint at a future return to the green benches by saying: “It is very sad to be leaving parliament, at least for now…”

With the Tories now fourth in the opinion polls, and Kemi Badenoch’s struggles as Conservative leader continuing, rumours are once again swirling at Westminster that Johnson is eyeing a comeback so he can revive his party’s fortunes.

The former PM did nothing to dampen such speculation by making a headline-grabbing intervention on Monday condemning Keir Starmer’s deal with the EU.

Starmer was, Johnson opined, merely “the orange ball-chewing manacled gimp of Brussels”.

His remarks were lapped up by the Tory-supporting press, who found less space to report on Badenoch’s own, more muted, reaction to the PM’s deal.

Tim Montgomerie, the former Tory who defected to Reform UK last year, then set more hares running when he told Times Radio that Johnson was very much on manoeuvres.

He said: “A big beast of the jungle, namely Boris Johnson, is definitely on the march. He’s always wanted to come back, but it’s in more advanced stages than most of us have realised up until now.”

Johnson, his supporters believe, is the only man who can take on and defeat Nigel Farage’s Reform, thereby allowing the party to then turn its fire on Keir Starmer and Labour.

HuffPost UK has been taking the temperature of senior Tory figures to gauge whether there is any appetite for Johnson’s return.

One veteran MP said: “He had his go. He blew it. Unlike Churchill, he won’t be back.

“Even his videos now look passe. Boris is the past not the future, whatever his lieutenants hope for or might want to spin.”

Johnson supporters were buoyed by recent polling by the More in Common think-tank which suggested the Tories would be leading in the polls if Johnson was leader again.

Speculation is also rife in Westminster that some Conservative MPs would even be willing to give up their seats to allow Johnson to run for parliament again.

A friend of Johnson told HuffPost UK that the main stumbling block to his return is his fraught relationship with his former colleagues.

“There’s obviously a Boris-shaped hole at the heart of British politics – we need someone with his energy, his passion and his true belief in the future of Britain,” the friend said.

“If we had a presidential system in this country it would be much easier to see him coming back, but the only way back for him is via the Conservative Party, and it was a really bad relationship at the end.”

“He had his go. He blew it. Unlike Churchill, he won’t be back.”

It is easy to forget the circumstances in which Johnson found himself having to vacate No.10 less than three years after leading the Tories to an 80-seat Commons majority.

Dogged by partygate, the final straw came with his handling of the scandal surrounding Chris Pincher, the former Tory deputy chief whip who was accused of sexual harassment.

Dozens of Johnson’s own ministers resigned in protest, forcing him to fall on his sword.

“They took him down and as that’s the only route back for him I don’t think there’s any prospect of him doing it,” said the Johnson ally. “It was a very bruising experience for him.”

He added: “Could Boris come back? Yes, definitely. Plenty of Tory MPs would offer their seat to him if he let it be known he wants to come back, but if he thinks it through, he’d realise that it would mean having to lead the parliamentary party that took him out, and I’m not sure he has the appetite for that.”

But another senior Tory was dismissive of the prospect of a Johnson return.

“In a crowded field of irrelevant former MPs he has to be pretty much at the top,” she said. “The country has changed and moved on and anyone who thinks they have a safe seat these days needs to give themselves a shake.”

Polling released by Ipsos this week contained good and bad news for Johnson.

Johnson has the second-highest favourability rating of any UK politician, with 26%. He is only beaten by Nigel Farage, who is on 31%.

However, more than half the public – 52% – have an unfavourable view of him, demonstrating just how divisive he remains with voters.

Keiran Pedley, director of UK politics at Ipsos, told HuffPost UK: “While Boris Johnson still has his fans, there are signs he might not be the election-winning weapon he once was.

“Also, in practical terms, any comeback would need him to deal with the legacy of partygate and immigration numbers under his watch.

“That said, if the Conservative Party continues to struggle, you would not be surprised if some Tory MPs took a good look at him anyway.”

It is hard to avoid the conclusion that if Boris Johnson really is the answer to the Tories’ problems, the party is in an even worse position than anyone possibly imagined.

Kemi Badenoch’s Popularity Hits New Low As Tory Crisis Deepens

Posted on 22/05/2025 by Boris Clair

Kemi Badenoch’s popularity has hit a new low as she struggles to turn around the Tories’ fortunes, according to a new poll.

The Ipsos survey shows that just 17% of the public have a favourable view towards her.

That is the lowest ever recorded for her by the pollster, and a worse rating than both Boris Johnson (26%) and Rishi Sunak (21%).

Meanwhile, 49% of voters have an unfavourable view of her, giving her a net score of minus 32.

The most popular politician in the country, according to the poll, is Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who has a favourability rating of 31%.

Boris Johnson is second, followed by Lib Dem leader Ed Davey on 25% and Keir Starmer on 23%.

Robert Jenrick, who Badenoch beat to the Tory leadership last year, has a favourability rating of just 16%, the same as chancellor Rachel Reeves.

In a further blow for Badenoch, just 20% of the public have a favourable view of the Conservative Party, putting them behind Reform, the Greens, the Lib Dems and Labour.

The Tories’ unfavourability rating of 56% is also far worse than any of their rival’s.

The findings come after a YouGov poll earlier this week put the Tories in fourth place behind Reform, Labour and the Lib Dems.

Gideon Skinner, senior director of UK Politics at Ipsos, said: “While Labour has seen a slight bump in favourability, most people still think the country is heading in the wrong direction and are critical of the prime minister and chancellor.

“In contrast, Nigel Farage and his party continue to be buoyed by very high approval ratings among their own base, even though they are more divisive among Labour, Lib Dem and Green supporters.

“The Conservatives, though, face perhaps the toughest picture, with Kemi Badenoch’s rating dipping to its lowest level as Conservative leader and the party’s overall favourability continuing to be the lowest of any party polled.

“The Conservatives are finding it particularly difficult to rebuild after their losses in the 2024 election, but both the main two parties are struggling with public disillusionment with the established political order, and a potential appetite for alternative voices in British politics from both sides of the spectrum.”

Nigel Farage Dubbed A ‘Part-Time Leader’ After Missing EU Debate To Go On Holiday

Posted on 20/05/2025 by Boris Clair

Nigel Farage has been dubbed a “part-time leader” after he missed a crunch Commons debate because he is on holiday.

The Reform UK leader confirmed he was taking his “first overseas break for three years” while Keir Starmer faced questions on the deal he has struck with the EU.

The leading Brexiteer has been notable by his absence since the PM finalised the agreement with Brussels bosses at a summit on Monday.

And the mystery deepened when he failed to turn up to quiz the PM in parliament today.

In a statement issued afterwards, Farage said: “There seems to be great consternation in the press that they have not seen me for 48 hours. Well, they will have to wait some time.

“After months of touring the UK in the run up to our hugely successful local election campaign I will resume travelling the country next week as Reform moves to the next stage.

“Meanwhile I am having my first overseas break for three years, the jungle excepted. Well I say break.. plenty of articles and fundraising calls!”

Ironically, parliament is in recess next week, meaning Farage would have been free to go on holiday then without missing any Commons debates.

A Conservative Party spokesman said: “The part-time leader of Reform UK is sunning himself in Europe while parliament is sitting. He clearly doesn’t have the stamina to stand up to Starmer.

“Only the Conservatives are providing proper opposition to this disastrous Labour government.”

A Labour spokesperson said: “Nigel Farage clearly cares so passionately about this issue he’s decided he can’t get up from his sunbed to represent his constituents or his party.

“He’s not a leader – he’s an opportunist who just talks Britain down whenever it suits him.”

Tory Frontbencher Accuses Trump And Farage Of ‘Putin Apologism’

Posted on 27/04/2025 by Boris Clair

A Conservative frontbencher has accused both Nigel Farage and Donald Trump of “Putin apologism” over their response to the Ukraine war.

Although Vladimir Putin started the conflict by invading Ukraine in 2022, the US president has repeatedly blamed Kyiv for the ongoing battle, attacked Volodymyr Zelenskyy in public and suggested the beleaguered country will have to cede occupied land in the name of peace.

But the tide seemed to turn on Saturday when Trump, who is keen to fulfil his election promise and end the war as soon as possible, said he thought Putin might not want to end the conflict after all.

Meanwhile, Trump’s ally Farage, who has previously spoken of his admiration towards Putin, has recently started to distance himself from the Russian president.

The Reform UK even said Trump’s peace plan was rewarding Putin “too much”.

Speaking to LBC’s Lewis Goodall on Sunday, shadow levelling up and housing secretary Kevin Hollinrake accused both Farage and Trump of “Putin apologism”.

Goodall pointed out how Farage once said that Nato enlargement was a mistake and that was poking the Russian bear.

He asked the Tory MP: “Do you think that is Putin apologism?”

“I absolutely do, he’s let him completely off the hook,” Hollinrake replied.

Asked if he thought the same of Trump, the Tory frontbencher said: “Some of the things Donald Trump is doing, I agree with – some of the things, I disagree with.”

Goodall noted: “Trump’s been pretty friendly with Putin as well, he’s been way more friendly with Putin than Nigel Farage.”

The Tory replied: “Precisely, [there are] many things I disagree with – President Trump’s position on Russia is plainly flawed, wrong.

“If you think it is Ukraine’s fault that Russia invaded a peaceful democratic nation, then I really think you need to look at some of the details behind that kind of statement.”

Goodall said: “So do you think Trump is a Putin apologist as well?”

“Well of course, he has done that. Of course he’s done that. He has said that it is Ukraine’s fault that Russia invaded and Ukraine started the war,” Hollinrake said.

“That’s what he said.”

He added: “I’m worried about it.”

Why Local Election Night Could Be Even Worse For Labour Than The Tories

Posted on 25/04/2025 by Boris Clair

On the face of it, the forecast did not appear to be too bad for Labour.

Lord Hayward, the Tory peer and polling expert, said his party are on course to lose 500 seats in next Thursday’s local elections.

Labour, meanwhile, could end up with roughly the same number of councillors they have now, and could even pick up a few extra.

But the headline figures do not even come close to telling the full story, and hide a worrying trend that is causing headaches in 10 Downing Street.

For a start, the Conservatives are defending around 900 council seats compared to Labour’s 250.

In the normal run of things, a bad night for the Conservatives – which May 1 will undoubtedly be – should mean a good one for Labour, with the party picking up a hefty chunk of Tory seats.

The main beneficiaries of the Tory collapse this time, however, are set to be Reform UK, who could see their number of councillors soar by around 450.

Ominously for the prime minister, many of those will be in the Midlands and the North, part of the fabled “Red Wall” of seats which were Labour for decades before switching to Boris Johnson’s Tories in 2019.

Although they reverted to Labour last July, party strategists know they are vulnerable to Reform next time around – and the local elections look set to confirm that.

What’s more, Labour could also see their 15,000 majority evaporate in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election taking place on the same day, with Reform poised to claim the seat.

But it is not just Reform who are taking support from Labour.

Polling shows that a significant chunk of those who voted for Starmer last July, and are unhappy with the government, are looking to the Lib Dems and Greens rather than throw their lot in with Nigel Farage’s right-wing party.

Lord Hayward told HuffPost UK: “Labour initially thought that their biggest threat came from Reform, and so took their eye off the ball when it comes to the Lib Dems and the Greens. They’ve finally woken up to it and are seriously concerned.

“Next Thursday could be a terrible night for Labour. They are going to get hit very hard by Reform, and are also going to do badly against the Lib Dems and Greens in Oxford and Cambridge, and possibly in the West of England mayoralty as well.”

Labour insiders describe the mayoral election for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority as “on a knife-edge” and are hoping it will provide a shaft of light on an otherwise gloomy night.

However, No.10 sources say former Tory minister Andrea Jenkyns, now in Reform, will “win easily” to become the mayor of Greater Lincolnshire.

Polling by YouGov suggests Reform are the favourites to win the mayoralty in Hull and East Yorkshire, and also confirmed Hayward’s belief that the Greens will prevail in the West of England.

One Labour source said: “Next Thursday’s going to be tough. We’ve done a lot of difficult things since last July, and it’s not unusual for a new government to get hammered in their first council elections.

“We’ll take a battering but so will the Tories.”

Policies like slashing aid spending and scrapping winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners are the main reason why many left-of-centre voters will switch to the Lib Dems and Greens.

But the Labour source said: “We don’t take our voters for granted, but we have also introduced a radical workers’ rights package and increased the minimum wage. Those are serious progressive policies which are moving the country forward.”

Keiran Pedley, director of UK politics at Ipsos, said it was not unusual for governing parties to be “attacked from left and right”.

“At last year’s general election, the Conservatives lost support to Reform UK over immigration and to Labour and Liberal Democrats over the cost of living, public services and other issues,” he pointed out. “Now in government themselves, Labour face a similar challenge.”

He said Ipsos’ data shows that around one-fifth of those who voted Labour last year now have an unfavourable view towards the party – meaning their support is now up for grabs.

“This group places immigration as the third most important issue, behind health and the cost of living, with at least some of them likely vulnerable to Reform UK,” he said.

However, Pedley also revealed that around one-third of 2024 Labour voters are now favourable towards the Lib Dems and Greens.

He said: “This suggests that if Labour do not deliver on core issues that matter to their voting coalition – as well as addressing public concern over immigration – they could be vulnerable on both their left flank and the right come the next general election, and the elections on May 1 will be a signpost to this.”

Green co-leader Carla Denyer said the government’s apparent desire to win back voters from Reform UK has presented a massive opportunity for her party.

″It’s really clear that voters want to see positive change in this country – and they’re not getting it from Labour,” she told HuffPost UK.

“On the contrary, we’ve seen a litany of failures and bad choices, whether it’s cutting benefits for disabled people or giving the go-ahead to climate-wrecking airport expansion.

“There are plenty of voters out there who feel that Labour has abandoned them in their attempts to chase Reform voters – and who can see that unlike the Labour party, the Greens are actually offering a genuine alternative to the last decade and a half of austerity and decline.”

The Lib Dem are also licking their lips at the prospect of taking votes off both the Tories and Labour next Thursday.

Party insiders agree with Lord Hayward’s analysis that the Tories could lose control of all 15 councils they currently run and which are up for election.

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey’s vocal criticism of Donald Trump, as well as his campaign for people to buy British produce to counteract US tariffs, appears to be going down well with those unhappy with Starmer’s more cautious approach.

“Disappointment with Labour is growing on the doorsteps,” said one senior party source.

Downing Street’s response to next Thursday’s results will be to keep calm and carry on, with preparations already well underway for what will be announced at Labour’s annual conference in the autumn.

However, experienced party insiders can see more storm clouds gathering on the horizon.

“This time next year it will be very difficult indeed for Labour in the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly elections,” said one. “That is when we could see people lose their minds.”

Another source said the PM had no option but to focus on keeping the promises he made to the country before the election.

“The government has just got to get on and deliver – the stakes are really that high.”

Shock Poll Shows Reform UK On Course To Win Next General Election

Posted on 20/04/2025 by Boris Clair

Reform UK are on course to win the next general election, according to a shock mega-poll.

Nigel Farage’s party would emerge with the most MPs in what would be a major political earthquake.

The More in Common think-tank asked more than 16,000 people who they would vote for if the election – expected in 2029 – was taking place tomorrow.

It showed that Reform, Labour and the Conservatives all have around 24% support among the electorate.

Using the so-called “MRP” method to give a seat-by-sea breakdown of that result, it showed Reform would have 180 MPs, a staggering 175 more than they got elected last July.

Labour would lose 246 seats leave them on just 165, the same number as the Tories.

Keir Starmer’s party would suffer “historic losses” in traditional heartlands in Wales, Greater Manchester and Yorkshire, with 10 cabinet ministers losing their seats.

Among the big names who are at risk are deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, health secretary Wes Streeting, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden and home secretary Yvette Cooper.

The Lib Dems would lose five seats to leave them on 67, while the SNP would once again re-emerge as the biggest party in Scotland, surging by 26 to leave them with 35 MPs.

A total of 10 independent MPs would be elected, according to the poll, with Plaid Cymru up one on five seats, with the Greens unchanged on four.

The result throws up the possibility of Farage becoming prime minister at the head of Reform-Tory coalition.

However, Labour could also try to piece together a rainbow coalition with the Lib Dems, SNP and Greens.

Luke Tryl, More in Common’s UK director, said: “We are a long way from a General Election and trying to predict the result is a fool’s errand, but what we can say for certain is that as of today British politics has fragmented to an unprecedented level. The coalition for change that elected Keir Starmer’s government has splintered right and left.

“Nigel Farage’s Reform UK emerges as the biggest winners of this parliament so far, with our model suggesting that they could well become the largest party in parliament, something almost unthinkable a year ago.

“Though the party remains a long way from being able to secure a majority, it is clear Reform’s momentum is real and the question is whether their new level of support represents the start of a path to government or a ceiling that Farage’s polarising brand finds hard to overcome.”

Tryl said Labour “find themselves on the wrong side of a disillusioned electorate frustrated at the slow pace of change and some of the government’s early missteps”.

He added: “The Conservatives meanwhile may breathe a sigh of relief they haven’t been entirely wiped out, but despite Labour’s unpopularity their seat total would only return to 1997 levels and they would suffer further losses to Reform UK, while winning back few of their Liberal Democrat losses in the home counties.

“But the truth is the nature of a splintered electorate more than anything means elections for the next few years will be highly unpredictable with candidates winning on small shares of the vote and knife-edge results.

“The test for all three main parties will be which one can prove to the electorate that they can really deliver the change the public so desperately wants to see.”

Tory Splits Erupt Over Kemi Badneoch’s Call For Council Coalitions With Reform UK

Posted on 13/04/2025 by Boris Clair

Kemi Badenoch has been slammed by a senior Tory after she appeared to give the green light for Conservative councillors to do coalition deals with Reform UK.

Andy Street said the Tories “should have nothing to do with” Nigel Farage’s party.

Badenoch raised eyebrows last week when she said she would not have a problem with Conservative and Reform councillors joining forces to run town halls after the local elections on May 1.

She said: “What I’m telling local leaders across the country [is] they have to do what is right for the people in their local area.”

But in a major humiliation for the Tory leader, her offer was quickly rejected by Farage himself.

On BBC1′s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg this morning, Street, the former mayor of the West Midlands, also dismissed Badenoch’s suggestion.

He said: “It’s not my decision in any way, but my feeling on it is that we should have nothing to do with alliances with them, just as Kemi has said about the national situation.

“We’ve got to put in front of voters the choice – a moderate, centre-right Conservative Party against a populist party that do not have a policy answer to any of the big questions.”

On the same programme, shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith backed his leader.

He said: “There’s always been, after elections, for local councillors themselves to decide how they run the local council. If that is needed, then historically people have done deals on a local level with all sorts of groups.

“I think the Lib Dems are quite extremist – whenever they get into power they want four-day weeks and veganism – but no one should take that off the table because those are decisions for local councillors.”

He added: “I think Kemi is reflecting the reality that we have local democracy and if people stand for local councils and they want to do the best for their communities, then they will have to, in light of how people have voted, work out what the right combination is.”

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