Kemi Badenoch Faces Tory Coup as Party Insiders Plot Swift Ouster After Elections

Kemi Badenoch is bracing for a leadership challenge as Tory insiders gear up to oust her swiftly after the local elections. With the Conservatives expected to be wiped out in councils nationwide, party plotters are already preparing to “get her out sharpish” once the devastating results roll in.

The upcoming county council and mayoral elections will be a stark contrast to 2021 when Boris Johnson’s popularity was soaring and the Tories won over 60% of the contested seats. But this time, with Labour struggling post-general election, Badenoch will find it nearly impossible to spin the expected losses as anything but a disaster.

According to The Sunday Times, those orchestrating her removal have already drawn up a media attack plan designed to “bury her in disaster from the locals, keep the pressure on, then f*** [up] conference.” One plotter put it bluntly: “More and more MPs realise she’s doomed”, reported by the Express.

Adding to her troubles is the unexpected alliance of Nigel Farage and Dominic Cummings. The two met secretly before Christmas, despite their history of clashing during the Brexit campaign. Back then, Cummings saw Farage as a liability to the Leave movement, but now they share a common goal—shaking up British politics and dismantling the Conservative Party.

The Times reports that their conversation revolved around strategies to seize power, take on the civil service, and apply lessons from Donald Trump and Elon Musk to the UK’s right-wing movement. However, sources close to Cummings insist he has no plans to work for Reform.

Last month, Cummings—who was Boris Johnson’s chief strategist—publicly urged voters to back Reform in the local elections as a way to force Badenoch out. On his Substack blog, he detailed his vision: “Shove out Kemi ASAP, take over Tories, get Trump/Elon to facilitate a merger with Reform.” He described the Conservatives as “dead in every way” and called for Reform to trigger an avalanche that would see Badenoch removed from the top job.

Despite Labour’s dwindling popularity, the Tories have failed to recover from last year’s electoral wipeout. Most polls this year place them in third place or neck-and-neck with Labour and Reform, leading to growing calls within the party to consider an electoral pact with Farage’s movement.

The ‘Unite the Right’ campaign is gaining traction, proposing that the Conservatives and Reform replicate Germany’s centre-right CDU-CSU alliance—campaigning separately in different regions but working together in Parliament. A former Tory advisor explained: “Tories in the south, Reform in the north.” However, sources within Reform remain adamant—they have no interest in a pact, insisting it would only serve to rescue the Tories from electoral oblivion.