The Tories are on the brink of annihilation in Wales – and it holds a lesson for Westminster politicians | Will Hayward

Here, the party has preferred Nigel Farage cosplay to genuine – and much-needed – opposition. Look where it’s got themBy any measure, Kemi Badenoch’s leadership of the Conservative party is not in a good place. In the last few months alone, she has been told “her days are numbered”, that she is in “Liz Truss territory” and that she is “hitting a new record low”. This is not a hostile audience. These criticisms come from the Telegraph, the Spectator and the Daily Express, outlets that have traditionally turned a blind eye to the most egregious Conservative leadership failings, like a blinkered parent who refuses to accept the repeated reports from teachers that their child is a bully.It’s clear that what Badenoch is doing is not working. She needs to change course, not just for her own sake, but for the continued existence of her party as a political entity. In case this isn’t obvious to her already (just 10% of people in the UK see her as a PM in waiting), there is a really handy example of what will happen to the Conservative party if it keeps being a Reform tribute act – the Welsh Conservative party.Will Hayward is a Guardian columnist. He publishes a regular newsletter on Welsh politics and is the author of Independent Nation: Should Wales Leave the UK? Continue reading...

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