The Conservative Party faces a new internal threat as a group of centrist former MPs and peers launches Prosper UK, a faction aimed at steering the party back towards the political centre. Led by Ruth Davidson and Andy Street, the group includes prominent Remainers such as Ken Clarke, Michael Heseltine, Amber Rudd, and David Gauke. Critics argue that this intervention risks destabilising leader Kemi Badenoch, who has worked to unite the party after the 2024 election defeat.
Badenoch, a Leave voter, has sought to end the infighting that characterised the previous Conservative government. Her leadership has seen a recovery in the party's popularity and a disciplined Shadow Cabinet. However, Prosper UK's emergence threatens to reopen old wounds, particularly over Brexit. The group's supporters include figures who opposed Brexit or were expelled from the party for rebelling against the government's Brexit strategy.
Daniel Johnson, writing in the Daily Mail, describes Prosper UK as a 'cackhanded attempt to destabilise' Badenoch. He argues that the faction represents a return to the 'failures and psychodrama of the past', pointing to the 2017 election disaster under Theresa May and the handling of the Covid pandemic under Matt Hancock. Johnson contends that the public's main complaint about the last Tory government was its internal divisions.
Prosper UK claims to speak for 'neglected' voters who feel unrepresented by the current party. Andy Street has suggested 'toning down' rhetoric on migration, a key issue for Reform UK. However, the group has been criticised for not engaging in grassroots campaigning or fundraising. Instead, it appears focused on influencing policy direction, raising questions about its true intentions.
The Conservative Party's history of factionalism has been a major electoral liability, and Badenoch's leadership has aimed to break this cycle. With local elections approaching, the party can ill afford further distractions. The success of Prosper UK will depend on whether it can attract significant support within the party or whether it will be dismissed as a relic of a failed era.
