“We cannot continue as we are and she is just not up to the task,” one senior backbencher told The Independent.
UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch faces mounting pressure as several Tory MPs move to oust her following a crushing local election defeat.
The party lost control of 15 councils and 674 seats last week, while Nigel Farage’s Reform UK surged ahead, claiming 676 seats and 10 councils.
“We cannot continue as we are and she is just not up to the task,” one senior backbencher told The Independent.
MPs are reportedly organizing meetings this week to discuss a leadership change. Some have urged Robert Jenrick to launch a second bid, while others suggest Sir James Cleverly may emerge as a centrist alternative.
Despite growing dissent, Badenoch has dismissed calls to resign. “This is not about winning elections; this is about fixing our country,” she told the BBC.
Still, many MPs worry that the party is out of time. “She has left a huge space for Nigel Farage to fill,” one said. The current rules require 41 MPs to formally trigger a vote of no confidence.