Kemi Badenoch would like you to disbelieve the evidence of your lying ears.

Play this clip once or a thousand times, and it still won't say what her tweet claims it does. https://t.co/HdeZrjiTUt

— Edwin Hayward (@edwinhayward) September 29, 2024

This week is key to the Tory leadership contest as the four candidates make their pitch at conference, as we saw in 2005 one good speech can upend a race.

Sadly for Kemi Badenoch conference so far has gone suboptimally for her with her comments about maternity pay which her opponents have seized upon as her Andrea Leadsom which has meant Badenoch has to spend most of yesterday explaining her comments, and to quote Ronald Reagan, if you’re explaining then you’re losing.

Prior to her comments it was interesting that Robert Jenrick’s chances were beginning to fall (I suspect due to his own donations issue.) Laying the favourite is generally a good strategy for the Tory leadership, something I have done when Kemi Badenoch was the favourite in July.

I cannot wait to see what this market looks like on Wednesday afternoon.

TSE