Kemi Badenoch's support among Tories tumbles after public spat with Nigel Farage, poor poll ratings and row over pensions triple lock

By DAVID WILCOCK, DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR

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Kemi Badenoch's support among Conservative Party members has tumbled after a month of flat poll ratings and attacks from Reform.

The Tory leader has fallen from first to seventh in the latest Conservative Home survey of the party grassroots, a poll she had hitherto topped every month since July's election. 

Before Christmas her net satisfaction rate surged to +70. But it has more than halved in the new year as she struggles for relevance with Nigel Farage's party pulling neck-and-neck.

She had made headlines with a public spat with Mr Farage over the size of Reform's membership, and also struggled to maintain the fallout after she was accused of dropping support for the pensions triple lock. 

Mel Stride, her shadow chancellor, now tops the poll, with Robert Jenrick, her leadership rival last year, in second. 

Mr Stride, who also stood for the leadership last year, and Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, are the only two members of the shadow Cabinet to gain popularity with the grassroots this month.

In a speech last week Ms Badenoch acknowledged that her party had made mistakes in recent years over initiating Brexit under the leadership of Boris Johnson and Theresa May, as well as on immigration.

She also drew criticism after suggesting she would look at means testing when asked about the future of the triple lock, which is aimed at preventing the state pension's worth from being eaten away by inflation and other cost pressures.

The Tory leader has fallen from first to seventh in the latest Conservative Home survey of the party grassroots, a poll she had hitherto topped every month since July's election.

The Tory leader has fallen from first to seventh in the latest Conservative Home survey of the party grassroots, a poll she had hitherto topped every month since July's election.

Mel Stride , her shadow chancellor, now tops the poll, with Robert Jenrick , her leadership rival last year, in second.

Mel Stride , her shadow chancellor, now tops the poll, with Robert Jenrick , her leadership rival last year, in second.

She said that the Conservative policy on the issue 'has not changed' but that 'people should ask questions, we will look at it'. 

The mechanism ensures payouts rise each year in line with inflation, earnings or by 2.5 per cent – whichever is higher.

It is aimed at preventing the value of pensions being whittled away by cost of living pressures.

At the end of December Reform today legal action after Ms Badenoch accused the party of 'fakery' over its membership numbers.

A furious row has erupted after an online counter indicated Reform had more than 141,000 members.

This is higher than the 131,680 Tory members who were eligible to vote in the Conservative leadership election, which saw Mrs Badenoch replace Rishi Sunak.

In her speech last week, Ms Badenoch warned Brits they are not 'rich' and must start 'living within our means'.

The Conservative leader laid out 'mistakes' her party made, including on Brexit, immigration and Net Zero, as she promised to be 'honest' with the country.

Sounding alarm about the 'complacency that Britain will always be wealthy', she accused Labour of repeating many of the same blunders the Tories made in government. 

And she railed at Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves for 'suffocating' enterprise with high taxes and red tape.

Ms Badenoch said 'real Conservatism' was the only way to ensure that tomorrow would be 'richer, better and safer'. 

The Opposition chief is battling to restore Tory fortunes after the disastrous election saw Keir Starmer rack up a massive majority.

Reform has also emerged as a major threat with polls suggesting support for Nigel Farage's outfit is growing. 

But Ms Badenoch flatly rejected any suggestion of a merger before the next election.

'Nigel Farage says he wants to destroy the Conservative Party. Why on earth would we merge with that?,' she said.

ConservativesRobert JenrickNigel Farage

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