Former North Northamptonshire Council leader Jason Smithers has publicly called for Kemi Badenoch to resign as Conservative Party leader following devastating local election results in Northamptonshire and across England. The Conservative Party suffered a major blow, losing control of North and West Northamptonshire councils to Reform UK, along with hundreds of seats nationally.
Speaking to BBC Politics East, Smithers said, “I can’t see how a leader of a party can stay on with such terrible results across the country.” He added that he plans to tell Badenoch directly in an upcoming call that she should step down as party leader.
Tories Lose Ground as Reform Surges
In Northamptonshire alone, the Conservatives lost 37 seats in the north and 35 in the west, ending their dominance in what was once considered a stronghold of the party. The blow follows similar losses across the East of England, including Hertfordshire County Council and Buckinghamshire Council. Although the Conservatives secured a surprise win in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough mayoral race, the overall picture remains bleak.
Smithers, who stepped down ahead of the election to spend more time with family, said the local party had been left “reeling.” Once a Conservative stronghold, Northamptonshire has seen growing voter discontent, culminating in Reform UK taking control of key councils in this cycle.
Smithers Criticises Badenoch’s Leadership and Visibility
Smithers criticised Kemi Badenoch for not supporting the local campaigns. “She has not helped in these elections; she has not once come forward and helped at all,” he said. Warning that the party risks implosion, he called for a new leader “who can rally the troops and bring us back to a party that can challenge Labour.”
Badenoch, who visited Northamptonshire briefly during the campaign and later celebrated a mayoral win in Peterborough, has refused to step down. Speaking in Peterborough on Friday, she apologised to defeated councillors and acknowledged the scale of the defeat, saying, “We have a big job to do to rebuild trust with the public.”
Badenoch Vows to Stay Despite Party Backlash
Despite mounting criticism, Badenoch—MP for North West Essex—insists she will remain in her post. “That is the job the Conservative Party has given me and I intend to get us back to a place where we are seen as the credible alternative to Labour,” she stated.
The Conservative Party lost over 670 seats nationwide in this round of local elections, raising serious questions about its direction and leadership ahead of the next general election.
