The genius of UK Conservatism used to be how it responded to chaos using the balm of tradition. Secondhand Trumpism will only alienate its voters furtherWhat times these are. As Donald Trump’s sellout of Ukraine gains pace, there are reports that Keir Starmer will flatter the president by inviting him to address parliament. Meanwhile, Trump’s British admirers continue to offer flimsy excuses and undimmed admiration. Before Trump paid tribute to Nigel Farage – a “great guy” – in his address to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) gathering in Washington, the MP for Clacton used his time at the same event to “hail” Trump’s “progress” with Vladimir Putin, and salute him as “simply the bravest man that I know”. By way of bathos, the dependably ridiculous Liz Truss had by then told a much smaller crowd that the country she ran for a month and a half is “failing”, and needs its own Trumpian insurgency.At the top of the party Truss so briefly led, Kemi Badenoch cannot resolv...
The article discusses the UK Conservative Party's shift towards extreme right-wing policies under Kemi Badenoch's leadership, which is alienating traditional voters. This shift, influenced by figures like Trump and Farage, is causing a decline in support, with voters increasingly turning to the Liberal Democrats. The party's embrace of hardline Brexit and Trumpism is seen as a move away from moderate policies, leading to losses in traditionally conservative areas. The author suggests the party needs to return to a more moderate approach to reconnect with its base.