**Kemi Badenoch Urges Disillusioned Welsh Conservatives to Stay Loyal Amidst Reform UK Turmoil**
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has made an impassioned appeal to Welsh Conservative voters who are considering defecting to Reform UK, claiming her party remains the only credible force capable of addressing Wales’ pressing issues. During her appearance at the Welsh Conservative conference in Llangollen, Badenoch insisted that the Conservatives are uniquely positioned to “fix Wales,” at a time when trust in the party is at a low ebb.
The political landscape in Wales has undoubtedly shifted since the 2024 general election, which saw the Conservatives lose all of their Welsh MPs. The latest opinion polls, notably the recent YouGov/Barn Cymru survey, suggest that the Conservatives’ woes may deepen at the next Senedd election in May 2026. The poll indicates support for the party has dropped to just 13% of the projected vote share, placing the Conservatives in a distant fourth place behind Plaid Cymru, Reform UK, and Labour.
If these figures are mirrored in the actual election, the Conservatives would hold just nine of the Senedd’s 60 seats, compared to 35 for Plaid Cymru, 30 for Reform UK, and 19 for Labour. Such a scenario would represent an extraordinary reversal for a party which was, until recently, considered the official opposition in Wales. Badenoch, however, remains adamant that the party can recover if it regains the trust of Welsh voters.
Addressing concerns about previous mistakes by the Conservatives while in government, Badenoch told Wales Online, “We are working to rebuild our trust with you. We’ve acknowledged the mistakes we made when we were in government.” Keen to distance herself from the party’s past failures, she pointed out, “The party is now under new leadership – I was not leading the party during that period. I want to talk about the future and the offer we have for the years ahead.”
Many voters appear to be turning to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, a party that has grown rapidly in recent months. However, Badenoch made it clear that she sees this as a “risk” for the nation, describing Reform’s approach as one driven by “slogans” rather than substance. She appealed to wavering voters, stating, “This is not the time for us to take risks with people who have yet more slogans. This is the time to put trust in those of us, the Conservatives, who have credible plans for Wales.”
Badenoch’s stance on Welsh devolution, long a contentious issue within the Conservative ranks, has been the subject of much debate. During her leadership campaign, she was reportedly sceptical about devolved politics, allegedly describing herself as “devolution-sceptic” and raising questions about whether elements of devolution should be rolled back. Pressed on her current views, Badenoch sidestepped concrete commitments, stating, “Devolution is a process. We need to start talking about the people we’re electing. You can have lots of devolution or no devolution. If you have bad people or incompetent people running things, it’s not going to work.”
She emphasised that the focus should not be on political processes, but on the competence of those in power. “We need to stop talking about the process of politics and start getting better politicians. Labour politicians have not run this country well. People need change. That change has to be Conservative because we’re the only ones with a credible plan.”
When questioned on her position regarding devolution as far back as 1997, Badenoch demurred, stating she was only 17 years old at the time and not interested in politics. “I was doing my A-levels – I wasn’t interested in devolution,” she noted, again reinforcing her focus on immediate challenges and solutions.
Looking to the future, Badenoch struck an optimistic tone, pledging to return Conservative representation to Wales. With a nod to the party’s new slogan, “Fix Wales,” she promised, “We’re going to get [our MPs] back. We’re not going to get them back just by talking about politics. We’re going to show how we deliver and improve people’s lives.”
She readily acknowledged the monumental task ahead in rebuilding the party’s credibility but insisted, “We are working to rebuild trust with the public and we’re going to do that by being honest with them and telling the truth. All the other parties are telling people what they want to hear because they’re trying to help themselves.”
During her visit, Badenoch also met with Welsh charities, businesses and local groups, and highlighted ongoing challenges in health and education, accusing the Labour-run government of failing to deliver despite considerable financial support from Westminster. “Someone has to do better than that and we are the only credible party with a plan,” she stated, reiterating that neither Plaid Cymru nor Reform UK have presented detailed strategies to address Wales’ multifaceted problems.
As the political debate in Wales intensifies ahead of 2026, it is clear that Kemi Badenoch is setting out her stall in uncompromising terms, hoping to convince Conservative voters to remain loyal and trust in her vision for a revived and reformed party. Whether this approach will bear fruit remains to be seen, with Welsh politics currently undergoing a period of dramatic realignment and uncertainty.