Kemi fights to win back voters with bitter memories

UST before Kemi Badenoch walks on to the stage this week to deliver one of the most important speeches of her career, she may mutter to her aides: "Don't call it a comeback.

- By David Williamson EXPRESS CHIEF POLITICAL COMMENTATOR

STRUGGLING: The Conservative Party is losing votes to Reform

(Picture: JEFF J MITCHELL/GETTY)

The Conservative Party's autumn conference in Manchester is her first as leader.

Last year's Tory gathering was an epic hustings in which candidates for the top job set out their visions for rebirth in the wake of the catastrophic defeat to Labour.

In the months since then support for Labour has collapsed.

Sir Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves are now notorious for their unpopularity.

But bad as things are for Labour, the situation is even worse for the Conservatives.

In recent days Politico's poll of polls put the Conservatives on 16% just 1% above their old foes, the Liberal Democrats; four points behind Labour and 14 behind Nigel Farage's Reform UK.

Labour treats the Conservatives as an irrelevance, training its fire on Reform.

When Sir Keir mentioned the Conservatives in last Tuesday's conference speech it was to joke: "Do you remember them?"