Poll Predicts Kemi Badenoch as Leading Contender for Tory Leadership

The Conservative Home survey suggests Kemi Badenoch is leading the race to become the next Conservative Party leader, garnering 25.83% support from grassroots Tories. She is followed by Robert Jenrick and Tom Tugendhat, with Suella Braverman and Priti Patel trailing behind. Despite the clear favorite, 16% remain undecided, making the final outcome uncertain. The leadership contest is wide open, with opportunities for contenders to prove their worth and advance. Details on the process are expected by the end of the week, with no candidate yet declaring.

In the latest development of the Conservative Party leadership race, a new survey from the Party Members Project suggests that Kemi Badenoch is leading the pack with 31% support among members. The survey, which was conducted by YouGov and removed responses of "none" and "don't know," revealed that Badenoch had a significant lead over her closest competitors, Suella Braverman and Tom Tugendhat, who garnered 16% and 15% support, respectively (1).

The survey results highlight Badenoch's increasing popularity within the party and her potential to become the next party leader. However, with 16% of members still undecided, the outcome of the leadership contest remains uncertain. The exact rules for how the next leader will be chosen have not yet been established, and it is not clear what role the membership will play (1).

The data from the survey provides some insights into the preferences of Conservative members. For instance, leave supporters are more likely to support Suella Braverman and Kemi Badenoch than remainer supporters. Badenoch also attracts more support from middle-class Conservatives, while Braverman is more popular among working-class Tories. Tom Tugendhat, on the other hand, is more likely to find favor with remainer conservatives (1).

Despite her clear lead in the survey, Badenoch faces challenges from her competitors. Reports suggest that support for Suella Braverman among Tory MPs is waning, while Badenoch is said to have dressed down Rishi Sunak and his general election strategy in the first Conservative shadow cabinet meeting (1).

The leadership contest is expected to heat up in the coming days, with no candidate yet declaring their intention to run. With opportunities for contenders to prove their worth and advance, the final outcome remains uncertain.

Sources:

1. "Kemi Badenoch has double the support of Suella Braverman among members to be next Tory leader, poll suggests," News.sky.com, 16 Mar. 2023, https://news.sky.com/story/kemi-badenoch-has-double-the-support-of-suella-braverman-among-members-to-be-next-tory-leader-poll-suggests-13175817.