Badenoch has served in a host of Cabinet roles under previous Tory leaders, and argued during the campaign that the Conservatives needed to rebuild, understand their purpose as a party and rid themselves of incoherency. Politically, Badenoch is on the right and advocates free markets and free speech. She has been unafraid to court controversy … Read more
Rishi Sunak, who lost the July election as Conservative leader, was fond of saying he was proud to be the U.K.’s first British-Asian prime minister — but “prouder that it was not that big a deal.” Badenoch was born in the U.K. and grew up in Nigeria, before returning to London as a teenager to … Read more
One former Tory MP cautioned that even if Labour does badly at the next election, there is no guarantee of voters returning to the Conservatives — especially with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK circling. “Instead what you could see is more votes going to independents and a strengthened Reform Party, and even more splintering and strain … Read more
“Since then I’ve just lost weight in the normal way by eating less, eating more healthily, doing some exercise — going to the gym, going running. I’ve lost four stone in 12 months,” he added. Jenrick set tongues wagging in late 2023 after his weight loss — and new haircut — were noticed by colleagues, … Read more
To try and woo the members, whose “loyalty and dedication” she marveled at, the backbench Essex MP pledged to give them a “much greater voice and role” in policy making, offering a democratically elected party chairman. Internally, Patel emphasized the need for rebuttal units and professional party agents to help win seats. Having spent the … Read more
Patel spent the last two years on the backbenches after serving as home secretary when Boris Johnson was in No. 10. A prominent figure on the right, she’s dubbed a “dark horse” of the campaign who can keep the right wing on side while potentially winning over One Nation centrist MPs averse to a harder-right … Read more
Those now widely expected to put themselves forward include, on the right, former Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch, the early bookies’ favorite, and former Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick. Hardline former Home Secretaries Priti Patel and Suella Braverman have both been tipped as frontrunners, although one ally of Braverman said this was now less likely. Former Security … Read more
BRITAIN’S terror threat is now at the highest since 9/11, a security insider has warned. The expert has warned there is a “real risk” of co-ordinated terrorist action or of a lone outsider carrying out an isolated attack on these shores. 4 The Israeli war against Hamas has been used as a ‘recruitment advert’ by … Read more
The 11 Conservative MPs who defied the prime minister over his Rwanda migrant plan last week will be spoken to by the government’s chief whip later today. The Tory backbenchers, including the former Home Secretary Suella Braverman and the former immigration minister Robert Jenrick, will be forced to explain their position to Simon Hart, who … Read more
Press play to listen to this article Voiced by artificial intelligence. LONDON — Rishi Sunak will need to watch his step this year. The U.K. prime minister faces a succession of tripwires that will make his second (and potentially last) full year in the job the toughest yet. With MPs returning to parliament Monday and … Read more
