KEMI BADENOCH faces leadership crisis after poll reveals half of Tory members do not want her to lead party into next election.

Tuesday, October 7, 2025 - The Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, is facing a leadership crisis as an exclusive poll of party members reveals that exactly half do not want her to lead the party into the next general election.

The YouGov survey, taken ahead of the party's annual conference, highlights the deep division within the membership. While 46% support her remaining in place when the country next goes to the polls, a clear 50% are against the idea. This instability is compounded by members being split on whether she will even survive as leader until the election: 49% believe she will be out before then, against 47% who think she will remain.

The survey of 652 Conservative members shows that the members' favourite is now Robert Jenrick, Ms Badenoch’s former leadership rival.

When asked for their preferred leader, 46% of Tory members chose Mr Jenrick, placing him comfortably ahead of Ms Badenoch, who received 39% support.

 This marks a significant turn for Mr Jenrick, who lost to Ms Badenoch in the leadership contest just a year ago, but is now clearly seen by the grassroots as the best option to lead the party. 

The poll suggests he is viewed as a stronger candidate, with him beating rivals like Boris Johnson, James Cleverly, and Priti Patel in hypothetical head-to-head contests, although Ms Badenoch would narrowly defeat Mr Johnson.

Beyond the leadership question, the poll exposes a major rift between the party leader and the membership on the critical issue of Reform UK.

Despite Ms Badenoch’s firm rejection of any electoral pact with Reform UK, the vast majority of party members want exactly that. The poll found a commanding 64% of members support an electoral pact to avoid standing candidates against one another in target seats, with only 31% opposing the idea.

The appetite for collaboration is even more radical for nearly half of the membership: 46% would back a full-blown merger with Reform UK, narrowly trailing the 48% who would oppose it.

The desire to unify the right appears driven by a clear fear of a Labour government. Members are virtually unanimous in their opposition to a coalition with Labour (93% against to 6% in favour) in the event of a hung parliament

 In sharp contrast, a significant 73% of members would welcome a coalition with Reform UK in that scenario.

The findings deliver a clear message to Kemi Badenoch on the eve of her party conference: her path to the next election is obstructed by a significant faction of her own membership who favour a rival and who are demanding