The Conservative Party suffered significant losses in Thursday's local, mayoral, and devolved elections, losing around 500 councillors in England and ceding control of three local authorities to Reform UK. Despite this, party leader Kemi Badenoch has hailed the results as evidence that 'the Conservatives are coming back,' a view shared by many Tory MPs.
Badenoch highlighted gains in London, where the Tories won back Westminster Council, took the most seats in Wandsworth, and fended off Reform in Bexley and Bromley. However, the party faced severe losses in her home county of Essex, where Reform ended the Tories' 25-year control of the local authority, and in other parts of southern England, where the Liberal Democrats made inroads.
In Wales, the Conservatives secured just 11% of the vote, their lowest ever share in a Senedd election, while in Scotland their vote share dropped by 10.1 percentage points. Despite these setbacks, Badenoch struck a more cautious tone in a Telegraph article, speaking of 'green shoots' and emphasising that the party is 'rebuilding steadily, seriously and with purpose.'
Tory peer Robert Hayward noted that optimism is genuine, pointing to successes in London, an increase in vote share, and Badenoch's improved favourability ratings. He described a sense of relief among party members that losses 'could have been worse.' Badenoch's relative popularity, with a net favourability of -9 according to More in Common, and a YouGov score of 29% favourable, has bolstered her position.
Richard Holden, MP for Basildon and Billericay, said Badenoch is well-received on the doorstep, even by Reform candidates. While he acknowledged 'a shedload of work to do,' he expressed increased confidence after the election results. The slowed decline in Conservative support suggests Badenoch is less likely to face a leadership challenge, though the party remains in a precarious position.
