Wealthfare junkie Nigel Farage's financial questions must be no free pass for his bitter rival Kemi Badenoch, an increasingly reactionary head of a Conservative Party injecting her own poison into British politics.
Badenoch's Right-Wing Stance
The Tory diehard opponent of better workers' rights, who waves leaving the European Convention of Human Rights as a magic wand the way she does quitting the European Union, follows Farage more than she or he would care to admit. Behind the outwardly polite manners are a ruthless chancer shamelessly blaming everybody except herself for failures of the last Conservative government, all while praying the electorate overlooks she was a Cabinet minister.
Misleading Welfare Claim
Badenoch plays faster and looser with facts than many, the UK Statistics Authority challenging her spurious assertion “for the first time ever, the total welfare bill is now higher than total receipts from income tax”. Institute for Financial Studies experts point out it was every year since 2013-14 under the Conservatives, but is forecast to drop below in 2026-27 under Labour.
Attacks on Labour
The Tory twister branded Labour's Bridget Phillipson, a free school meals girl turned Education Secretary, a “spiteful class warrior”. But it is the Conservatives who would reintroduce a £1.4 billion VAT subsidy for the 7% of kids who are educated at fee-charging private schools, at the cost of free breakfast clubs and ultimately extra teachers for 93% in the real public schools.
PMQs Performance
Advised to be punchier at Prime Minister's Questions by predecessors including William Hague, Badenoch's jibes are earning stronger reviews from right-wing commentators and a Tory press returning to their natural home after losing faith in Farage. Her fate, however, may ultimately prove to be another Hague who did well against Tony Blair at the weekly jousts before advancing a humiliating single seat at the General Election.
Response to Murder
To be fair to Badenoch, hers was a considerably more controlled and respectful response to the terrible Southampton murder of student Henry Nowak when compared with Farage's “pure cold rage”, which was criticised for fanning the flames – before the Tory leader veered into targeting equality laws.
By-Election Boost
Buoyed by an Aberdeen South by-election grab from the SNP, emboldened Badenoch's mocking of old Tory foes such as Robert Jenrick, who defected to Reform, is a sign of her believing she'll see off Farage. The split on the right did gift Labour a thumping Parliamentary majority and PM-in-waiting Andy Burnham needs a Tory mini-electoral revival to damage Reform.
Future Prospects
The unpredictability built into a two-party system with five national forces in England – Labour, Reform, Cons, Libs and Greens – plus nationalist parties in Wales and Scotland, leaves Badenoch dreaming of bouncing back into power. But it's about winning the battle of values as well as votes. This is why Burnham is urged by Labour MPs to forcefully argue why both Conservatives and Reform wreckers, or make that three with Restore, are incapable of putting hope in hearts and building a fairer, more prosperous country. No shrinking violet, Badenoch will pocket that as a backhanded compliment.
