Independent readers were quick to pour cold water on claims of a Conservative revival, arguing that Kemi Badenoch’s polling boost says less about renewed faith in the Tories and more about Nigel Farage’s fading appeal.
Many suggested Reform UK has hit a hard ceiling, with its anti-establishment image undermined by an influx of familiar Conservative faces. Defections were widely dismissed as self-serving career moves, reinforcing the view that Reform is becoming a refuge for politicians voters have already rejected.
