Kemi Badenoch Leads in Polls for Tory Leadership

Kemi Badenoch has emerged as the frontrunner in the Conservative Party leadership contest, according to a recent YouGov poll of party members. The shadow housing and communities secretary garnered 24 percent support from the 910 Conservatives surveyed, placing her eight points ahead of her closest competitor, Tom Tugendhat, who received 16 percent. Other candidates, including James Cleverly at 14 percent and Robert Jenrick at 12 percent, trail behind, while Dame Priti Patel and Mel Stride received 11 and 2 percent, respectively. The poll indicates that Badenoch not only leads in overall support but also excels in head-to-head matchups against her rivals. She outperformed Tugendhat by 18 points, Jenrick by 15 points, and Cleverly by nine points in these direct comparisons. Her backing from eight serving Tory MPs, spanning both the Left and Right factions of the party, underscores her appeal as a unifying candidate capable of challenging Labour and countering Reform UK. As the contest progresses, Conservative MPs will narrow the field to four candidates next month, who will then present their cases to party members in a conference setting. The final two candidates will be selected by MPs before the decisive vote by party members, with the winner expected to be announced on November 2. Supporters of Badenoch argue that her consistent lead in independent polls reflects her strong position among Tory members, suggesting she is the preferred choice to lead the party into the next election.