She says virtually nothing on policy, but this is no cautious ‘Ming vase’ strategy. Her appetite for chaos will make or break her, says Katy Balls, political editor of the Spectator
She says virtually nothing on policy, but this is no cautious ‘Ming vase’ strategy. Her appetite for chaos will make or break herne of the regular refrains from Keir Starmer’s team during their wilderness years was that oppositions don’t win elections, governments lose them. So, there is an argument for the opposition to not rock the boat unless it really has to.
Now installed as leader of the opposition, the hope is that Badenoch can pick the right fights to get the Conservative party back into power. That means causing problems for Starmer to the left of her and Nigel Farage on the right. “There will be no Ming vase strategy,” says a close supporter, ruling out a campaign run on caution. “It will be a ‘run fast and try to change things’ strategy. Kemi is a high-energy, high-risk, high-reward leader.
That approach has won over the membership – what about the party and public? While Badenoch had the highest number of MP backers in the final parliamentary round, it’s notable that no candidate managed much more than a third of MP support in the party. The last time that happened was 2001 – and it didn’t exactly end well for the victor, Iain Duncan Smith, who was forced out in a confidence vote two years later.
Badenoch is under pressure to form a cabinet that represents the different parts of the party. Her first appointments have been chief whip – Rebecca Harris – and two loyal foot soldiers in Dominic Johnson and Nigel Huddleston as co-party chairs. In the wider reshuffle, she is under pressure to reach out beyond her close cabal of fellow 2017 intake MPs – but she also needs to bring in some former leadership rivals.
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