The annual Conservative (Tory) Party conference in Manchester, England, has drawn a historically low crowd, underscoring the party’s declining influence. The event, held on October 6, marked the first major gathering under new leader Kemi Badenoch, who took charge in November 2024.
Photos of the nearly empty main hall revealed a stark contrast to previous conferences, with attendees describing the atmosphere as “depressing” and “quietest in nine years.” Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride’s speech was delivered to a sparse audience, while fringe events faced cancellations due to lack of interest.
Reform Party leader Nigel Farage highlighted the party’s struggles, quipping that “More people have joined Reform in the past 24 hours than were in the room for Kemi’s conference speech.” Recent polling suggests the Conservatives would secure just 45 parliamentary seats in a hypothetical election, with two-thirds of members advocating an electoral alliance with Farage’s movement.
The Tory party, which governed Britain from 2010 to mid-2024, has seen its support plummet to 16 percent nationally after years of scandals, pandemic mismanagement, and controversial policies on migration. The conference’s underwhelming turnout signals a deepening crisis for the party as it grapples with internal divisions and public disengagement.
