New poll shows Kemi Badenoch’s popularity rising despite Tories’ struggles
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has experienced a notable increase in personal popularity even as public sentiment towards her party remains largely negative, a new poll has found, reports BritPanorama.
YouGov has dubbed this shift a ‘Keminaissance’, with 38 per cent of Britons indicating that she is performing well in her leadership role, a significant rise from just 14 per cent in October.
Additionally, 27 per cent of respondents see Badenoch as a potential prime minister, a jump from eight per cent over the same period.
However, the general outlook for the Conservative Party is less optimistic, with only 20 per cent of the electorate intending to vote for the Tories in the next general election, a modest increase of three points since October.
YouGov researcher Dylan Difford commented, “At the core of this is the fact that opinion towards the Conservatives remains poor, even if there have been some improvements since last autumn.”
He further noted that 28 per cent of those still supporting the Conservatives believe the party has not learned lessons from past elections, with this sentiment echoed by 36 per cent of former supporters who now feel uncertain about their voting choices.
The research also revealed that the so-called “Kemi Bonus” appears particularly strong among Reform UK voters, who are 20 points more likely to view Badenoch as a potential prime minister compared to a narrower average increase of 5 to 7 points.
Difford remarked that this shift began to surface last winter, coinciding with a change in how Conservative voters perceive Badenoch, viewing her as more likely to hold leadership than believing the Tories are suitable for office.
Moreover, the polling data indicates that over 40 per cent of Britons consider her to be decisive, strong, or competent. Conversely, 37 per cent perceive her as untrustworthy, reflecting a divided public opinion.
Badenoch’s enhanced ratings position her as the UK’s second most popular political leader, achieving a net approval rating for the first time above zero, according to a recent poll aggregation.
She has surpassed Liberal Democrats’ Ed Davey and Green leader Zack Polanksi, both of whom held the top popularity spots earlier this year. The leading position now belongs to new Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who boasts a net approval of 14 points following a significant boost in support since his appointment last month.
In contrast, Reform leader Nigel Farage has seen a sharp decline, falling to a net -26 points as he and his party concentrate on the upcoming by-election in Clacton-on-Sea.
Labour has taken the lead in popularity for the first time in over a year, according to the latest YouGov figures, standing at 24 points compared to Reform UK’s 22 and the Conservatives’ 21.
