Is the Tory Party finished?

It ought to be, they've been working on it for a long enough.

Though I wonder, without extremists and political entrepreneurs, couldn't they move back to the middle ground ( centre right for them) where elections used to be won and lost.

Out with the dead weights might actually help them.

Jenrick would easily win a by election, it’s very Reformy round there. I think Kruger and Braverman might struggle though.

Someone on question time stated that Reform is a care home for old Tories. It is beginning to look true. All the defectors are a bit batty. Such as Andrea whatsit singing a mad song about insomnia.
Whatever. Whoever changes parties should trigger a by election. This includes zarah sultana. Robert jenrick claims that he is so wonderful that his constituents voted for him personally, not the Conservative party. Let's have a by election then and confirm this is true.
Let's find out if zarah sultana's constituency wanted a labour mp or a Your Party mp

Depends which polls you look at. Here is a selection:

They’re overtaking Labour in polling so maybe the question should be for Labour instead

One can only hope. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I don’t think people will vote either Tory or Labour for a long time. Both have been hopeless. We’ll have years of political instability and then, hopefully, a sensible party will emerge. 🤞

John Major got it right by calling them the bastards, one of the few sane conservatives from that era

Unfortunately the bastards won; and ended up devouring them as a political force

I hope not. We need a strong centre right party to fend off the far right nutters. I’m a left-winger myself, but politics should be more about balance, compromise, and holding the centre ground. Massive left-right swings are destabilising.

I'm not sure every Reform voter is smart enough to realise that @WaryCrow

The opportunities are there and opening more with every defection to bring the Tories back to ‘one nation’ central policies that may actually be popular at this time.

Shame we have no politicians left who are in any way decent and capable.

There have been suggestions that this may sink Reform: people voting for something different don’t want the very Tory individuals they are protesting against.

I don't think many will mourn the loss of the conservative party. Claiming to be centre right whilst growing the welfare state to the largest size is has ever been.

Oh, I haven't seen the speech?

Oh well. No surprises really.

And based on her speech today, it’s not what she’s chosen to go for!

He said in a recent Bloomberg interview he was going to cut spending and tax the banking industry as he ‘doesn’t like banks very much’ after they debanked him. So he has a personal grudge. Really good example of a future PM

Reform is very right wing on immigration, lowering taxes, net zero etc but strangely it also wants to increase public spending-which makes them more left-leaning.
Frankly, their economic policies do not add up unless we want to increase our budget deficit.
I am not sure how Jenrick and Braverman will align themselves with Reform's economic policies even if they agree with their immigration policies.
IMO, the conservatives are the only ones who have a sensible economic policy. I also want the conservatives to stick to the policy to control immigration.

So many sensible tories were thrown out by Johnson…. The nutters that have gone to join reform are no great loss. Whether the Conservative Party will rise again will depend on attracting left leaning conservatives…. Will be interesting to see what Andy street and Ruth Davidson achieve.

I don't think the Tories are done for just yet - I think it depends how well Reform do in forthcoming local elections and any by-elections.

I think the electorate will see the bare-faced cheek of the recent defectors who are slagging-off the Tory governments but were themselves major players and Cabinet ministers!

Boris Johnson ruined the Tories, IMO. He had that big 80 seat majority, against the odds; took many Red Wall seats and still managed to spaff it all up the wall - to use his own words.

Let’s see. The only leaders / parties going up are Greens and Cons. Labour are on a ski slope downwards.

If she’s going up whilst others decline that’s a better position to be in.

They might have to get rid of Badenoch if she is unable to pivot to a more centrist position.

Voters who want Reform style policies will just vote for Reform, not Tory. And centre right voters who are repelled by Reform will drift away from the Tories if they keep adopting Reform style rhetoric.

The Tory party has succeeded in the past by being a very broad church that has encompassed everyone from the centre right to the very hard right. Now those on the hard right have somewhere else to go, they can no longer rely on this uneasy coalition continuing. They need to adapt accordingly.

Ruth Davidson and Andy Street clearly recognise that, but unless Kemi buys into it and gets on board with it, I don't think they will succeed in making the shift without getting themselves a new leader.

I like to think that a lot people who have previously voted Tory aren't ignorant/nasty enough to vote Reform. (a party which admires President Fart and his new Brownshirts, and wants a similar evil taskforce in the UK)
I cling on to hope that Farage's racist, warmongering ideals might appeal to the more extreme right and not the majority of voters, which they need. But I've been wrong before...

Badenoch isn’t centre right though, so if someone does make that happen, it won’t be her. I agree it would be the best move for the Tories though. Accept they have moved too far right and for all the wrong reasons and outline a credible way forward and allow the lunatics to defect.

It’s interesting that now there are more former cabinet members on the Reform front bench than the Tory one. It’s the perfect opportunity for Badenoch to rebrand the party and return to its pre Johnson one nation status. Ruth Davidson and Andy Street have come together to push that case but I somehow doubt Badenoch’s listening to them.

I sincerely hope that this is part of the development of the Conservatives to a simpler One Nation Party.
Conservatism is an instinct and is rather difficult to define. One so often explains it by saying we are not x or y.
We have Principles and ambitions to have smaller Government and to keep out of peoples personal lives there are more of course.
To act ethically not merely legally. We all have our own ideas. Those within the Party are as aware of the failings as anyone else. For most of my adult life I voted and supported the Tories. When Boris 'stood down' I joined the party.
I have said to friends that I only want to be part of an ethical party. Not willing to support someone like Boris on the grounds that he is more likely to get us into Govt.
Let us be open, honest and truthful. We will see how far we can progress.
I am not the only one who feels like this. Even though it may take 3 Elections to get back to forming a government.

I agree. Might not be very credible.