Badenoch warns Tories face tough local elections

At the launch of the Conservative Party's local election campaign, leader Kemi Badenoch expressed a pessimistic outlook, indicating that the party is likely to lose nearly all the council seats it won in the 2021 elections due to the significant decline in popularity since then. Badenoch acknowledged that this election is her first major test since taking over the leadership after the party's historic defeat in the last general election, stating that the results this year would be markedly different from the previous elections bolstered by the Covid vaccine rollout. She emphasized the need for the party to focus on delivering credible governance amid challenges from rival parties like Reform UK, which is expected to attract protest votes from disenchanted Conservative supporters. Badenoch urged voters to consider the implications of their choices, warning that voting for Labour would lead to unsatisfactory outcomes, and reiterated her commitment to lower taxes and better services despite the electoral difficulties ahead. The elections are set for May 1, covering 24 councils and mayoral authorities across England, and Badenoch's comments reflect the urgency for the party to regain voter confidence in a challenging political landscape.