Within the last 12 months, the Conservatives has taken an almighty battering in both Local and General Elections. Following a tumultuous 14-year spell in government, the party is now facing an existential crisis – and some senior figures believe the entire organisation could collapse.
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Are the Conservatives heading for extinction?
When the Tories were emphatically relegated to the opposition benches via the public vote last year, they promised reflection and self-assessment. However, since Kemi Badenoch became leader, the party has failed to gain any ground with the electorate.
In fact, polls show that the right-leaning party are getting even more unpopular. They lost a whopping 670 council seats last week, and regularly dip below the 20% threshold in voting opinion surveys. Anonymous sources have previously told media outlets that they fear ‘extinction’.
Swing towards Reform and ‘lack of clear policy’ puts Tories on the back foot
However, Jason Smithers could well be the most high-profile figure to make his declaration public. The outgoing Tory leader of North Northamptonshire Council has expressed his grave concerns about Badenoch’s leadership – and her ‘lack of sound policy initiatives’.
Smithers revealed he would be calling the current party leader to raise these issues later in the week. But in a post on X/Twitter, he showed no signs of holding back – stating that Badenoch’s should stand down, and that the current approach could cause the ‘ultimate dissolution’ of the Conservatives by 2026.
“The absence of demonstrably effective and strategically sound policy initiatives from the current leadership risks a significant erosion of public trust, potentially leading to the party’s marginalisation or even its ultimate dissolution within the next 12 months.”
“Therefore, it is my considered opinion that a change of leadership is essential. The Conservative Party’s enduring strength has historically been rooted in its adherence to core principles and the articulation of policies that resonate with a broad spectrum of the electorate.” | Jason Smithers