Senior Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith has referred to some of his colleagues as “deluded” amid reports critics of Kemi Badenoch are angling for another leadership election.
Tory MPs are said to be holding meetings this week to discuss how to remove Badenoch, as panic grows over the future of the party following Reform UK’s success in the local elections.
According to a report in The Independent, at least two senior backbenchers are calling meetings with fellow parliamentarians to discuss ousting the Conservative Party leader.
The report comes after the Conservatives lost 15 councils and 674 seats in the local elections last week. In response, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage declared that his party has established its position as the “real opposition” to Labour.
Reform won 676 seats, overall control of 10 councils, two mayoralties and the parliamentary by-election in Runcorn and Helsby.
Sir Iain, who was himself ousted as Tory leader in 2003, has now appeared to call for calm in his party.
In a post on social media, IDS said: “To those few Conservatives now briefing journalists that another leadership election is the answer I say, if after four leadership elections and utter disarray amongst MPs over the last five years, another leadership election is what they believe the public voted for, then they are deluded.”
***Politics.co.uk is the UK’s leading digital-only political website. Subscribe to our daily newsletter for all the latest news and analysis.***
Commenting specifically on the local election results, historically harrowing for his party, the senior MP added: “This election result was frankly the second [significant] tremor after the first devastating political earthquake last year. It underscored the level of anger too many Conservative voters still had for our mistakes and failures.
“Not to mention the terrible behaviour of too many Conservative MPs at times appearing to care more for their careers than the lives of those they were sent to serve. Conservative voters haven’t forgotten.”
Late last year, upon Badenoch’s elevation as Conservative leader, Duncan Smith addressed the newly formed shadow cabinet to explain what life in opposition “is like” at its inaugural meeting.
Sir Iain, leader of the opposition from 2001 to 2003, commented at the time (November 2024) that he urged Badenoch’s shadow cabinet to adopt the tactics of guerrilla warfare.
In remarks last week, Badenoch also revealed IDS had given her advice on how to approach prime minister’s questions.
The Conservative leader said: “The best [PMQs] advice came from the two people [former Tory leaders Sir Iain Duncan Smith and Lord Cameron] who did it, and what they said was that it’s not about winning the session.
“Lots of people will encourage you to do things just to win in the moment, but it is about long-term credibility, and that’s one of the things that I think is actually very important.”
Speaking to Times Radio, she added: “Iain Duncan Smith also gave excellent advice as well. He said it was also about people being able to follow the argument which is quite interesting.”
IDS supported Badenoch’s candidacy in the 2024 Conservative leadership contest.
Josh Self is Editor of Politics.co.uk, follow him on Bluesky here.
Politics.co.uk is the UK’s leading digital-only political website. Subscribe to our daily newsletter for all the latest news and analysis.
