UK Conservative Party Faces Existential Threat From Rising Hard-Right Reform UK

Britain's Conservative Party, once a dominant political force led by titans like Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher, is facing a profound existential crisis as it struggles to retain its relevance and membership amid rising support for the hard-right Reform UK party. Following a series of leadership changes and electoral defeats, including the 2024 general election, the Tories have seen their parliamentary representation shrink to historic lows, prompting leader Kemi Badenoch to vow a return to traditional Conservative principles while adopting policies with a more right-wing, MAGA-like flavor. Badenoch's platform includes scrapping carbon emission targets, cutting legal immigration, deporting unauthorized immigrants, and curtailing judicial powers, but this shift risks alienating moderate voters and fragments the Conservative coalition. Political analysts warn that without significant change, the party could become a minor force, overshadowed by Reform UK, which has capitalized on Conservative weaknesses and attracted defectors. The crisis stems in part from internal factionalism post-Brexit, failure to deliver on key promises, and public frustration, leaving the party's future uncertain as it seeks to reclaim its electoral strength. Meanwhile, in Cyprus, political dynamics reveal a decline of centrist parties tied to the fading prominence of the Cyprus problem, with right-wing nationalists like Elam and new movements gaining ground, signaling a reshaping of the political landscape there as well.