Local members of the Conservative party have expressed hope that their new leader can get them into winning form, following their historic defeat in July’s general election and a string of poor local election results.

Kemi Badenoch, MP for Saffron Walden and then North West Essex since 2017, launched her leadership bid to replace Rishi Sunak in July.

The 44-year-old actor, who is also fighting for the leadership of the Conservative Party in 2022, admitted that the task ahead of him is difficult.

The challenge facing his party is greater in eastern England than elsewhere in the country.

Before the general election the Conservatives held every seat in Essex and almost every seat in the region.

As well as Conservatives, there are now Labor, Liberal Democrats and Reform UK MPs in Essex. The party with the most seats in the region is the Labor Party.

The Conservative Party vote was lower in the east of England than elsewhere in the country.

The seats in the UK that saw the biggest fall in the party’s vote were Clacton, down 44%, South West Norfolk, down 43%, Great Yarmouth, down 41%, and South Basildon and Thurrock, down 40%.

Richard Holden, the new Conservative MP for Basildon and Billericay, holds his seat with a majority of just 20; This is the smallest Tory majority anywhere in the country.

Simply put, if Kemi Badenoch cannot get her party to win again in the East of England, the Conservatives will struggle to succeed across the UK.

But his supporters say he can do it.

South Suffolk MP James Cartlidge said: “We have elected someone who I think will be the face of change.

“He will speak to the voters we lost, and the best way to do that, as he said, is to be honest about where we are as a party and also where we are as a country.

“He’s got a spark, he’s engaging with the public, he’s got the energy (for the role), and I think we’re in a really positive place.”

Speaking on Eastern Politics Mike Steel, deputy chairman of the North West Essex Conservative Association, said he was “extremely proud” of Ms Badenoch’s election as party leader.

He said: “He’s got an honest nature, he’s very honest and straightforward. He’s definitely not what you’d call a populist.”

“I admire how he tells it like it is. He doesn’t tell people what they want to hear unless he disagrees and appeals to the populism movement.”

“The people who vote for him know exactly what they’re getting.”

Tom Hunt, the former Conservative MP for Ipswich who lost his seat this summer, said: “I thought we had the two strongest candidates in the bottom two.

“I found the last few weeks quite strange because I was pro-Robert (Jenrick) but at the same time I am very happy with Kemi, who I am supporting in 2022.

“I think he gives us every chance to reconnect with a lot of old Conservative voters who abandoned us at the last election. He’s fresh, he’s interesting, he’s original. I’m excited about the future.”

Colin Noble, chairman of the East of England Conservatives, echoed the sentiment.

“He will benefit the region because he understands the region,” he said.

The next general election is still more than four and a half years away. But there are important local elections next year in our county councils, which are currently dominated by the Conservatives.

This will be the first big test for Kemi Badenoch’s leadership.