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Britain's once-mighty Conservative Party is battling to avoid extinction

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  Published in Politics and Government on Wednesday, October 8th 2025 at 1:15 GMT by KSTP-TV
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Britain’s Once‑Mighty Conservative Party Is Battling to Avoid Extinction

In a recent AP news story highlighted by the Minneapolis‑area outlet KSTP, Britain’s Conservative Party—once the nation’s dominant political force—faces a crisis that could lead to its eventual disappearance. The article, which draws on multiple sources, examines the party’s precipitous drop in public support, the fracturing of its internal factions, and the uncertain road ahead as the party prepares for the next general election.

A Legacy in Decline

The piece opens by recounting the Conservative Party’s storied history. From Margaret Thatcher’s monetarist reforms in the 1980s to David Cameron’s “Europe for Europe” stance, the party has shaped British politics for over three decades. Yet the article notes that the party has never experienced a crisis of this magnitude: a rapid erosion of its base, dwindling media presence, and a leadership battle that threatens to split the party into multiple factions.

The AP report underscores the party’s recent electoral setbacks: a landslide victory for Labour in 2015, the “Brexit” defeat in 2016, and a shaky 2017 general election in which the Conservatives won only a narrow majority. The narrative then turns to the 2019 election, where Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s “Get Brexit Done” campaign seemed to rescue the party’s fortunes—only to have it falter again in the 2022 leadership contest, which saw former Deputy Prime Minister Rishi Sunak oust Johnson amid concerns over COVID‑19 policy and a lack of direction.

Leadership Turmoil

A central theme of the article is the party’s leadership crisis. The piece quotes political analysts who describe the Conservative Party as “torn between the centrists who want to win back working‑class voters and the hard‑liners who want to push a more traditionalist agenda.” The AP report also references a 2024 internal poll that revealed a sharp split: a faction that supports a “soft Brexit” and increased immigration, and another that wants a stricter “national‑first” policy.

In the wake of Boris Johnson’s resignation, the party has been “reeling from a leadership vacuum” that has left it scrambling to find a candidate who can unite the divided membership. Rishi Sunak’s rise to the position of party leader is framed as a “temporary fix” that may not satisfy either faction. Analysts cited in the article warn that if the party cannot bridge this divide, the Conservatives could face “irreversible fragmentation.”

Policy Inertia and Public Disaffection

The article emphasizes that policy stagnation has left many voters feeling alienated. The Conservative Party’s stance on climate policy, for example, has been criticized for lacking the ambition that younger voters demand. In a linked AP segment, an environmental activist is quoted as saying, “We need a party that will invest in green technology. The current Conservative platform is just a patchwork of old ideas.”

The piece also points to the party’s approach to economic policy. A recent AP analysis linked in the article suggests that while the Conservatives tout their record on tax cuts and deregulation, the “public perception” is that these policies have favored the wealthy at the expense of the middle class. The result is a declining share of the electorate that traditionally voted Conservative.

The Battle for Survival

The AP news story frames the Conservative Party’s situation as a “battle for survival.” It details efforts to re‑brand and reconnect with disaffected voters. One quoted source, a former policy advisor, explains that the party is “exploring new messaging around community cohesion and economic opportunity." Meanwhile, a party strategist highlighted in the article is pushing for a comprehensive “rebranding campaign” that would distance the party from its more controversial past.

The article also covers the party’s attempts to strengthen its local presence. In a link to an AP investigative piece, the story describes how the Conservatives are investing in community projects and grassroots outreach in historically Labour‑strongholds, hoping to reclaim lost ground.

Looking Ahead

In its conclusion, the AP report emphasizes that the Conservative Party’s fate is now in the hands of its membership and voters. The article references an AP poll showing that the Conservatives are currently trailing Labour by a margin of about 3% in the national vote share. It then turns to the looming 2024 general election, noting that pundits warn that a divided Conservative Party may either lose its remaining seats or, at the very least, be forced into an uneasy coalition or alliance with smaller right‑wing parties.

Finally, the article underscores the stakes for the UK’s political future: “If the Conservatives collapse, we could see a return to a Labour‑led government that will likely pursue more left‑leaning social policies and potentially re‑engage with the European Union.” Conversely, a successful rebirth could see the Conservatives re‑establish themselves as a centrist, modern party capable of governing in the post‑Brexit era.

Key Takeaways

• Historical Prestige Meets Present Crisis – The Conservatives’ legacy is under threat from declining voter support and internal divisions.
• Leadership Vacuum – Rishi Sunak’s ascendancy is seen as a stopgap that may not resolve the party’s ideological split.
• Policy Stagnation – Failure to address climate change, economic inequality, and immigration has alienated key demographics.
• Re‑branding Efforts – The party is actively seeking new messaging and grassroots outreach to regain lost ground.
• Uncertain Future – The next general election will be a make‑or‑break moment for the Conservatives, with implications for the UK’s broader political landscape.

In a country where political dynasties often survive through reinvention, the Conservative Party’s next decade will likely be the defining period that determines whether it can survive or become a footnote in modern British history.