Tory deputy leader says party can win election outright

At a fringe meeting during the Conservatives’ 2026 conference, deputy leader Alex Burghart said the party was preparing for an election and believed it could win outright. He said it was working to be ready for a snap election. [1]

Party chair Kevin Hollinrake offered a more cautious assessment. He said the Conservatives were not yet where they needed to be and would ideally prefer an election further down the line. BBC News also reports that leader Kemi Badenoch was not claiming the party could win if a vote were held immediately. [1]

The BBC says the Conservatives trailed Reform UK by four or five points in polls and were as much as nine points behind Labour. It also reports that Badenoch’s approval rating had risen, according to More in Common, but that the pollster’s Luke Tryl said her personal popularity had not yet translated into support for her party. [1]