Tory MPs are expressing frustration with Kemi Badenoch’s Question Time performances, citing concerns over her approach and strategy. Despite being in the job for less than four months, some Tory MPs are urging her to overhaul her tactics and bring in more experienced advisers.
Kemi Badenoch is facing criticism from within her own party over her approach to prime minister’s questions.
Kemi Badenoch is a British politician and Member of Parliament (MP) for Saffron Walden.
Born on January 2, 1973, in London, England, she has been a prominent figure in the Conservative Party since her election in 2017.
Badenoch holds a degree in Drama and Theatre Arts from the University of Oxford and an MBA from the Judge Business School at Cambridge University.
She served as the UK's Minister of State for Local Government, Faith and Communities from 2021 to 2022.
Despite being in the job for less than four months, some Tory MPs and frontbenchers are urging her to overhaul her strategy and bring in more experienced advisers.
The main concern is that Badenoch is raising the wrong topics and picking unconvincing lines of attack against ‘Keir Starmer, the Labour leader’.
Some MPs have complained that she keeps avoiding obvious attacks on Starmer’s handling of the economy, instead opting for ‘Westminster village-orientated’ topics that she perseveres with for too long.
A Need for Experience
An MP who shared the concerns said: ‘We have people who have been involved in PMQs prep for a long time and I hope she’s got some continuity there, because it’s important we get it right. It doesn’t necessarily mean she’ll be perfect, but she needs experience behind her.’
The discontent surfaced after this week’s outing, where Badenoch confronted Starmer over an attempt by a family from Gaza to use a Ukrainian resettlement scheme to come to the UK.
However, ‘the government was already reviewing the findings of the case,’ while the borders inspector had been appointed by the last government – and had now been instructed to work from the UK, as stated by Starmer.
Sympathetic Allies
Close allies of Badenoch reject the criticisms of her approach to PMQs. They argue that with Labour enjoying a ‘super majority‘ in the Commons, she is showing she is serious about holding the government to account.
They also say that her attacks on Starmer for not being on top of what his government is doing will expose the prime minister.
A Leader Under Pressure
However, given the murmurings, Tory figures are concerned about what could happen should the Conservatives suffer a poor set of local elections in May, as expected. MPs said any discussion about replacing another leader would make them look absurd and must be avoided.
Many Tories believe that Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary who Badenoch defeated to become leader, continues to have leadership ambitions and is waiting in the wings.
‘We’ve got the leader we’ve got,’ said an MP. ‘People saying she’s got until after the local elections to prove herself are nuts. We cannot possibly change our leader again.’
