
Conservative Party
UK official opposition led by Kemi Badenoch; squeezed between Reform on the right and Labour.
On 16 July 2026, the Conservative Party regained Old Catton in Norfolk from Reform UK, ten weeks after losing it by 1,006 votes, but it lost further council seats to Reform and The Greens over the summer.
Last refreshed: 7 October 2026 · Appears in 4 active topics
Do the Old Catton and Dereham Toftwood wins mark a genuine Conservative recovery?
Timeline for Conservative Party
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UK Local Elections 2026YouGov puts Reform third behind Tories
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UK Local Elections 2026Background
The Conservative Party governed the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2024 through five prime ministers. Since the 2024 general election it has been the official opposition, led by Kemi Badenoch since November 2024.
In 2026 it competes with Reform UK on the right and Labour for government. YouGov put the party level with Labour on 19% in mid-July, behind Reform. It opposed the Representation of the People Bill when the Commons passed it by 411 votes to 102 on 2 September.
Badenoch has set out positions against both rivals. In September she argued that defence should rise to 3% of GDP, funded by welfare savings, and warned that Labour would run out of money. She dismissed Andy Burnham's voting-Reform pledge on 2 October as an attempt to lock in the left.
Local gains proved hard to hold
On 16 July, Conservative candidate Antony Little regained Old Catton in Norfolk from Reform UK, which had taken the seat only ten weeks earlier by 1,006 votes. The party also gained Dereham Toftwood from Labour the same day.
Losses followed. In the by-elections of 30 July and 6 August, Reform took Snettisham, Heacham and Long Sutton from the Conservatives and an Independent, and The Greens took Hooley, Merstham and Netherne in Reigate and Banstead from them. On 27 August the party lost a Dover District Council ward to The Greens, while in Wandsworth's Trinity ward it finished second to Labour by 127 votes.
Conservatives face a divided electorate
YouGov's 31 May to 1 June poll put the Conservative Party on 18%, tied with Labour for the first time since 2024, with Reform UK on 27%. In its 12-13 July fieldwork the party stood on 19%, level with Labour and five points behind Reform.
The first YouGov poll after Andy Burnham became prime minister, published on 20 July, put the Conservatives on 21%, two points behind Reform on 23% and one ahead of Labour on 20%. Other pollsters disagreed on how far Labour had recovered: Deltapoll had Labour level with Reform on 28%.
Scottish Conservatives lose their base
An Electoral Calculus model published on 7 April had projected that the Scottish Conservatives would hold no constituency seats, the first time since 1999. The 7 May Holyrood election left the Scottish Conservatives with 12 seats, their smallest result since 1999. They lost all five of their constituency MSPs, so every remaining seat came from the regional lists, and Scottish Labour, on 17, took over as the official opposition.
Scottish leader Russell Findlay refused to resign. On 14 May he answered leadership pressure by appointing both potential rivals, Murdo Fraser and Meghan Gallacher, to frontbench posts.
Conservatives break Reform's winning streak
Did the Conservatives win any council seats back in July 2026?
Conservatives sit third amid fragmentation
Where do the Conservatives stand in the polls after Andy Burnham became prime minister?
Findlay holds off his Tory rivals
How did the Conservatives perform in the 2026 elections in Scotland and Wales?
What did the IFS say about Conservative spending plans in Scotland?
Who is the leader of the Conservative Party in 2026?
How many seats did the Scottish Conservatives win in May 2026?
Reference
How badly did the Conservatives do in the Makerfield by-election?
Will the Conservatives stand against Nigel Farage in Clacton?
What did Kemi Badenoch say in response to the King's Speech in May 2026?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 7 October 2026. Editorial standards.