Rupert Yorke
Former Deputy Chief of Staff to Rishi Sunak in 10 Downing Street and HM Treasury
Kemi Badenoch and the Conservatives faced one major challenge following their momentous defeat in 2024: staying relevant. After 14 years in power – characterised in many ways by political turbulence through the chaos of Brexit and the pandemic – voters understandably decided to shift their focus towards a rehabilitated Labour and a Reform UK promising to shake the system from the ground up.
The Conservative leader has performed admirably in holding the Government’s feet to the fire, playing a significant role in defenestrating Sir Keir Starmer less than two years since he won by a landslide. Her confidence is clearly up, buoyed by pugnacious parliamentary performances and positive personal poll ratings that are effectively carrying her party. But against Nigel Farage, the verdict is less clear: despite multiple prangs and scandals, Reform continues to command media attention whenever they manage to cobble together a coherent policy announcement.
The reversal in Tory fortunes cannot be delivered by Badenoch alone. Being in Opposition – as many Conservative MPs will tell you – is miserable compared to the trappings of power that Government brings, notwithstanding how difficult governing has now become. Beyond the mandatory media attention provided by her constitutional role as official Leader of the Opposition, achieving wider cut-through is far more challenging. The party can only do that with a frontbench team that can match her zeal for spotting a political opportunity and prosecuting it remorselessly.
