They would do worse under Badenoch. She doesn't have much name recognition amongst the wider electorate and it would just add to the sense of chaos and confusion. Although he is unpopular I don't think Sunak massively drives core tory voters away as such and anyone who is not a core tory voter ain't voting tory this time. 

Worse.  Any change of leadership now just makes them look even more chaotic and will turn away more moderate members like me although I've already quit.

Four PMs in a single term (where none of them has died) looks really bad. Like really bad. Three doesn’t exactly look great tbf but yet another pm imposed on the country without an election is just taking the piss and they would take a fearful battering

I think they would easily win the election and this is a good plan and something they should definitely do. 

lol. Why do people keep coming up with these 0pc scenarios 

I loathe Badenoch much more then Sunak. However, she does appeal to a certain constituent, and I am quite sure she would bring votes back from Reform. 

Telegraph readers keep saying that Sunak is too left-wing, and most of them supported her, so it's a no-brainer really. 

On the Left of the Party, everyone has bailed by now anyway, and is in no danger of returning, so there would be nothing to lose. 

I think they might do slightly, but not materially better 

I think Badenoch is better at politics than Sunak (that's a low bar granted) and has better supporters in the Tory party (i.e. Gove) and a snap election would let her make some play for a change on the Tory side - she might manage to woo back some core voters

it would still be a bloodbath for the tories but maybe not an apocalypse 

Which is precisely what doesn't need to be done.  Need to move back to the centre and take votes off Labour and the Lib Dems rather than worrying about a niche party which may end up with three or four MP's.

Although he is unpopular I don't think Sunak massively drives core tory voters away as such 

Wtf? 

She is an utter whackadoo and should be kept as far away from power as possible.

The work experience lad is weak, out of touch and just generally terrible at politics but she is actually evil.

People could only hate the Tories more if they installed her. Anyone asked Johnson how he would describe her smile?

Whatever benefits they may get from not having Sunak would be outweighed by having their FOURTH leader since the last election  - having three is already a huge weakness for them, making it four would be madness.  Would just confirm to the voters that even after Bozo the liar and Truss the lunatic the incompent tory leadership has continued.

Dux I think you're wrong.  I quit because of their insistence on gearing policy to keeping a small minority of members and MP's happy.  If they'd just tell that lot to feck off to Reform and be done with it I'd happily rejoin.  I'm certainly not the only person I know who is similarly minded.

Re sense of chaos, on Today this morning Henry Zeffman mentioned that Penny M stood in "both the 2022 leadership elections". I was still half asleep and I must confess I had a brief dopey "huh?" moment before remembering the absolute shitshow that is the state of the Conservative party and its w**kerphile, sorry, rank and file members.

As to the OP, it's guesswork as to who would win/would have won more seats at the G. But thinking of polling data, I wouldn't expect installing Badenoch as PM to result in any improvement in the Tories' position. In fact, I would probably expect a further drop.

What the Tories (or a significant section of them) don't seem to get is that the voting public is sick of the whole lot of them and simply changing the face will do nothing to rehabilitate the rotten, rancid brand.

I'm not 100% on this.  She'd get back some of the headbangers who've gone to Reform.

Strutter what has she done or said which makes her actually evil?

On the Left of the Party, everyone has bailed by now anyway

johnson booted them out, you mean

Yes Threep which would be counteracted by people at the other end of the spectrum walking away so no net gain.

johnson booted them out, you mean

I meant ordinary voters, not Members of Parliament.

Sails I think the question of how many people there are who would still vote for the 2024 Tories but who would be put off by the kind of more extreme evil that Badenoch represents is an open one.

At this stage are there really any voters who haven’t already seen enough to make up their minds?

I am quite sure she would bring votes back from Reform. 

I doubt it, because (to paraphrase Ali G) "cuz she's black".  Exactly the sort of person the likes of Lee Anderson want their country back from.  The Wrong Enoch.  

But it'd be hilarious if the Tories tried it.  No real charisma, not (from what I've seen) a standout performer at the dispatch box, likely to have her culture-war zeal trip her up in all sorts of ways politically.  Bring it on.  

It wouldn't surprise me if the Mordaunt thing is some kind of plot concocted by Sunak's lot to make PM4PM and any potential supporters declare their loyalty.  Meanwhile the country sinks ever deeper into the toxic mire of Tory cuts/incompetence/civil war... 

Enoch lives

She would stem some of the leakage to Reform, but at the expense of even more moderates, so it’s probably a wash on that front. 

The Tories turning in on themselves for another bout of blood-letting would be catastrophic at this stage. Surely someone at Tufton Street is doing the calculus on this in terms of how another change in Leader is going to land with the electorate.

FWIW I can’t see it getting to that. If Rishi has any sense he’ll nip it in the bud and just call a May election. It will be a massacre, but at least a dignified exit rather than having to front the chaos whilst the beauty contest from hell plays out behind him. 

He’s too arrogant for that. 

If Sunak is not going to call an election we might as well all have a laugh for a few months as they elect leader after leader and try and turn things around. Give everyone a week to have a go and let’s get the popcorn in. 

Also has the advantage of distracting the party from actually doing anything disastrous like Rwanda before they’re binned.

We told you they’re not good enough 

I do wonder if there will be a coup. Nobody with options wants to be the next leader of the tory party but being PM for 5 minutes (and so getting the lifetime expense allowance and international profile etc) might soften the blow a bit. 

Worse without a doubt. They would look staggeringly even more preposterous and wallyish than they already look and would be absolutely rinsed by the mainstream elextorateZ Nobody to the left of laurence fox is going to vote for Vadenoch.

there is, also, no way they muster enough support to oust sunak

There’s no glitter left to roll with 

I agree with Sails: sunak himself does not repel traditional tory voters. Not him personally.

Except to the extent the members voted for truss in preference to the little brown man, I can’t imagine why.

The Tories could launch a "We Stole All Your Cash You Pathetic Povvo aunts - fook You!" ad campaign and not change the number of seats they will win. They are more done than Hugh's mum.