100 days in and so far it’s not looking good for Kemi Badenoch
Today represents 100 days since Kemi Badenoch was elected Tory leader, and this polling contains a lot of grief for her, such as losing to Sir Keir Starmer, Nigel Farage, and even Sir Ed Davey on the best PM polling, the latter must sting given how dismissive a lot of Tories are towards the Lib Dems, which is odd given the substantial chance the Lib Dems eclipse the Tories on seat numbers at the next election.
The really grim findings are that she is seen as dislikable, untrustworthy, and that she’s not seen as Prime Minister in waiting.
Like Starmer, I wouldn’t be writing her off given she has time to turn things around but there was an article in The Guardian which said
A common complaint is that Badenoch appears to view media duties as a chore and a challenge, often sending out shadow cabinet colleagues in her place.
“Kemi absolutely hates doing media. She does not see it as an integral part of her job,” one former adviser said. “We could get away with that in government but in opposition you have to turn up to the opening of an envelope. She should be trying to get clips on the news every night. But she is not prepared to do it.”
“In opposition, it’s a one-man or one-woman show,” an MP said. “With the best will in the world, voters don’t know who Chris Philp is, and they don’t care what he says.”
Some senior Conservatives complain that Badenoch neglects other basics of her job, in particular the gruelling circuit of fundraising dinners and constituency events. “She thinks she can do the job differently, but the fact is, 90% of it is graft,” said one Tory MP. “She wants to be an architect, but being leader of the opposition is more like being a bricklayer.”
If you absolutely hate doing media then you really shouldn’t be a politician, it’s like a sailor hating being at sea, as we can see Reform are already exploiting Badenoch’s weaknesses.
TSE