Brief
Badenoch says Conservatives must be ready for a possible Christmas election
A new Opinium poll puts Labour at 29% and the Conservatives at 20% following Badenoch’s conference speech.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Kemi Badenoch told the Mail on Sunday that the Conservative Party must be ready for a possible election "at any point" after an Opinium poll released on 7‑9 October showed the Tories rising three points to 20% support.
What happened
The poll, which surveyed 2,050 UK adults, found Labour on 29%, Reform UK on 23%, the Greens at 9% and the Liberal Democrats unchanged at 9%.
What the reports add
Opinium’s James Crouch said both Andy Burnham and Badenoch delivered strong speeches that boosted their parties’ vote shares, giving the two main parties their highest combined share in almost two years.
What was said
"We know there's a battle of ideas coming in British politics and I've instructed the Conservative Party to be ready for an election at any point," Badenoch said, adding that the choice would be between "Conservative plans to get Britain working again" and a Labour party that "keeps putting up taxes, refuses to cut welfare and won't fund our defence" (Mail on Sunday).
How it came about
The Conservatives have been preparing for a potential election since July and are targeting the so‑called "Waitrose Woman" voter – described as aspirational, not necessarily wealthy, and keen on lower taxes.
Key facts
- Opinium poll shows Labour at 29% support (independent.co.uk)
- Conservatives rose three points to 20% in the poll (independent.co.uk)
- Badenoch said the Tories must be ready for an election at any point (independent.co.uk)
Sources
- [1] independent.co.uk — originally reported as “Badenoch secures poll bounce and ramps up planning for potential Christmas election”
