Young Tories Ditch Party for Lib Dems, Citing Badenoch's Rightward Shift

A wave of young Conservative moderates is publicly defecting to the Liberal Democrats, citing a feeling of being 'forced out' by the Conservative party's shift further to the right under figures like Kemi Badenoch. This movement has been particularly evident at the Liberal Democrats' annual conference in Brighton, where these new members have been openly welcomed.\n\nCody Butler, a 21-year-old former chair of the One Nation Conservative Network, recently joined the Liberal Democrats after resigning from his old party in July.

He described the experience of joining a new political family as "odd" yet "great," highlighting that centrists, remainers, and those concerned about the climate crisis no longer felt at home within the Conservatives. Butler, along with others, is now working to establish a new group called the One Nation Liberals.\n\nAnother significant defection is Josh Bancroft, a former Tory councillor, who also moved to the Lib Dems earlier this month.

Bancroft articulated a common sentiment among the defectors:

Moderates like me have been forced out of the big tent over the past few years. My politics haven't changed, but the party has.

He pointed to Badenoch's alleged "purge" of the Conservative parliamentary party, noting her warnings against those supporting net-zero targets or Britain's membership of the European convention on human rights.\n\nThe Liberal Democrats have embraced these new arrivals, with some party members humorously suggesting that Kemi Badenoch has become their most effective recruiter.

During a Q&A session at the conference, Lib Dem leader Ed Davey repeatedly referenced Badenoch's policies, particularly her stance on climate change. Davey stated, "Unlike Kemi Badenoch, who thinks there wasn't a problem with this summer's heatwaves, we actually realise you have to take action on climate change and we're leading that debate."\n\nDespite national polling figures placing them around 11%, Liberal Democrat activists and MPs at the Brighton conference exuded confidence.

They emphasized their achievement of 72 seats in the last election, making them the largest third party in British politics for over a century.

Notably, of the 27 seats where the Lib Dems placed second in 2024, 20 were against Conservative incumbents.

Ed Davey expressed ambitious goals, stating there was "no ceiling" to the party's aspirations, believing that strong local candidates and campaigners could lead them to beat other major parties.", "city": "Brighton

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