What's happened
The Conservative Party faces declining support and low attendance at its conference, amid internal divisions and a loss of relevance. Critics highlight its failure to address recent failures and question its future viability, as new leadership struggles to revive its fortunes in a shifting political landscape. Today’s date: Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:25:15 +0100.
What's behind the headline?
The Tory decline is both a symptom and a cause of deeper political realignment in the UK. The party's obsession with nostalgia for Margaret Thatcher and radical policies from the past has alienated modern voters, especially younger and more diverse demographics. The conference's empty halls symbolize a party in crisis, unable to inspire or mobilize its base. Meanwhile, Nigel Farage's Reform UK is capitalizing on Tory disarray, pulling support away from the Conservatives and reshaping the right-wing landscape. The leadership's focus on controversial policies like mass deportations and spending cuts further erodes credibility, especially when voters associate the party with austerity and economic mismanagement. The future of the Tories hinges on whether they can reinvent themselves or continue to be overshadowed by populist rivals. The current trajectory suggests they will struggle to regain relevance unless they address their core issues and reconnect with the electorate's priorities.
What the papers say
The Mirror's articles by Lizzy Buchan and Brian Reade provide contrasting perspectives on the Tory party's decline. Buchan highlights the party's diminished presence and lack of enthusiasm at the Manchester conference, emphasizing its irrelevance and the rise of Reform UK under Nigel Farage. She notes the sparse attendance and the party's inability to rally support, suggesting a party in terminal decline. Conversely, Reade's critique is more visceral, condemning the party's obsession with Thatcher-era policies and its failure to learn from recent electoral failures. He describes the conference as a 'necrophilia porn' of nostalgia and criticizes the leadership's unworkable policies, implying that the party is in denial about its disastrous recent history. Both articles agree on the party's decline but differ in tone: Buchan's is more observational, while Reade's is sharply critical and opinionated, reflecting the broader media consensus that the Tories are facing an existential crisis.
How we got here
The Conservative Party, after 14 years in power, is experiencing a significant decline in influence, with recent electoral defeats and poor polling. The party's internal struggles are compounded by a disconnect from voters, especially after controversial policies and leadership changes under Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak. The current leadership is attempting to reposition the party amid a broader political shift favoring Labour and Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, who is actively eroding Tory support, especially in traditional strongholds. The party's conference in Manchester reflected its diminished relevance, with sparse attendance and a lack of enthusiasm among members and supporters.
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