Friday, October 3, 2025
  • Who’sWho Africa AWARDS
  • About TimeAfrica Magazine
  • Contact Us
Time Africa Magazine
  • Home
  • Magazine
  • WHO’SWHO AWARDS
  • News
  • World News
    • US
    • UAE
    • Europe
    • UK
    • Israel-Hamas
    • Russia-Ukraine
  • Politics
  • Crime
  • Lifestyle
  • Sports
  • Column
  • Interviews
  • Special Report
No Result
View All Result
Time Africa Magazine
  • Home
  • Magazine
  • WHO’SWHO AWARDS
  • News
  • World News
    • US
    • UAE
    • Europe
    • UK
    • Israel-Hamas
    • Russia-Ukraine
  • Politics
  • Crime
  • Lifestyle
  • Sports
  • Column
  • Interviews
  • Special Report
No Result
View All Result
Time Africa Magazine
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • WHO’SWHO AWARDS
  • News
  • Magazine
  • World News

Home » World News » UK » Has Kemi Badenoch finally shown the killer instinct to save her as Tory leader?

Has Kemi Badenoch finally shown the killer instinct to save her as Tory leader?

Her filleting of Starmer and Reeves in the Commons is arguably her biggest success since becoming opposition leader. It could silence complaints by her Conservative critics that she lacks the ruthless skills needed to become prime minister, writes SIMON WALTERS

July 4, 2025
in UK
0
544
SHARES
4.5k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Ever since Kemi Badenoch became Tory leader, her many Conservative critics have claimed she has failed to make any impact. Any number of backbenchers have been only too willing, albeit usually under the cowardly cover of anonymity, to claim she is going nowhere.

Principal among their complaints is that she never seems to get the better of her weekly parliamentary jousts with Keir Starmer. Time and again, she asks the wrong question, chooses the wrong topic, and lacks the wit to seize on any missteps by the Prime Minister, they moan. Why can’t she give Starmer and co both barrels – just like showman Nigel Farage does on a regular basis?

It is not a criticism likely to be made of her again anytime soon. Not after her comprehensive filleting of Starmer over his defeat by Labour welfare rebels.

Initially, Starmer fended off Badenoch’s barbs at him. It looked as though she would be repulsed yet again. You could imagine her Tory detractors already licking their lips, muttering, “She can’t even score an open goal.” But Badenoch wasn’t finished. Starmer was merely the hors d’oeuvres. She took her knife to the person sitting behind Starmer, Rachel Reeves, asking him to guarantee she was safe in her job.

ReadAlso

Kemi Badenoch reveals ‘hysterical’ level of personal attacks faced as a black woman

The Real Kemi: What Everyone Gets Wrong About The Tory Leader

‘Knockout blows are about as common as someone scoring in the Eton Wall Game – about one per decade. Badenoch didn’t just score, she smashed the ball through the back of the net’

‘Knockout blows are about as common as someone scoring in the Eton Wall Game – about one per decade. Badenoch didn’t just score, she smashed the ball through the back of the net’ (House of Commons/UK Parliament)


Starmer the lawyer should have seen it coming a mile off. It’s the oldest trick in the political book: he could have answered with a categorical yes. But he didn’t. In political terms, he left Reeves drifting in the wind. The chancellor’s emotional and distraught response signalled that Badenoch had scored a direct hit.

A rare moment in such parliamentary exchanges, which, for the most part, have nothing to do with democracy or debate and are all about posturing, platitudes and pantomime politics. Knockout blows are about as common as someone scoring in the Eton Wall Game – about one per decade. Badenoch didn’t just score, she smashed the ball through the back of the net.

The most important consequence of today’s events is how, indeed whether, Reeves can survive such a harrowing and humbling public ordeal. And whether Starmer can re-establish his and his administration’s personal and political authority. That is all in the balance. But there can be no doubt that eight months after becoming opposition leader, Badenoch has arrived on the big stage.

Her stock reply to complaints that she has not made her mark as a leader has been that it took heroine Margaret Thatcher years to do so. Thatcher became a formidable parliamentary performer, but it took her a long time. In her early years as opposition leader, she was frequently outwitted by Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Thatcher’s Tory critics said it showed she wasn’t up to it. Just like Badenoch’s Conservative critics. They won’t be making the same criticism again anytime soon.

In blasting open the fault line between Starmer and Reeves with a lethal precision, a skill most thought was not in her armoury, Badenoch has at long last given demoralised Conservatives reasons to be cheerful.
ADVERTISEMENT
Tags: ConservativeKemi BadenochTory
ADVERTISEMENT
Previous Post

Almost 400 human corpses found piled high in mysterious house of horrors

Next Post

Diogo Jota Death Latest: Inside the Final Hours of Liverpool Star and Funeral Plans Confirmed

You MayAlso Like

King Charles and Prince Harry did not meet during the Duke's recent visit to the UK. (Image: Getty)
UK

Prince Harry issues strongly-worded statement over King Charles meeting

September 28, 2025
UK

London protests: Thousands gather for ‘Unite the kingdom’ march and counter-demonstrations

September 13, 2025
UK

Prince Harry ‘to meet with King Charles’ when he returns to UK for anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death

August 29, 2025
UK

Get your children the chickenpox jab to stop the anti-vaxxers, minister tells parents

August 29, 2025
UK

Prince Harry to return to UK on third anniversary of Queen’s death

August 28, 2025
UK

Britain’s first transgender judge drags UK to court over ruling on biological sex

August 18, 2025
Next Post

Diogo Jota Death Latest: Inside the Final Hours of Liverpool Star and Funeral Plans Confirmed

Liverpool FC to 'immortalise' number 20 after fans ask club to retire Diogo Jota's shirt

Discussion about this post

FIFA Strips South Africa of World Cup Qualifying Points After Administrative Blunder

The Guardian Newspaper Names Enugu Commissioner, Dr. Lawrence Ezeh, Amongst 65 Most Inspiring, Award-Winning Business Leaders

Egyptian ‘strong man’ pulls 700-ton ship with his teeth

Prince Harry issues strongly-worded statement over King Charles meeting

Barack Obama admits he had to ‘dig himself out of a hole’ with Michelle amid divorce rumors

French ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy sentenced to five years in prison in Libyan campaign-financing trial

  • British government apologizes to Peter Obi, as hired impostors, master manipulators on rampage abroad

    1241 shares
    Share 496 Tweet 310
  • Maids trafficked and sold to wealthy Saudis on black market

    1067 shares
    Share 427 Tweet 267
  • Flight Attendant Sees Late Husband On Plane

    973 shares
    Share 389 Tweet 243
  • ‘Céline Dion Dead 2023’: Singer killed By Internet Death Hoax

    904 shares
    Share 361 Tweet 226
  • Crisis echoes, fears grow in Amechi Awkunanaw in Enugu State

    735 shares
    Share 294 Tweet 184
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest

British government apologizes to Peter Obi, as hired impostors, master manipulators on rampage abroad

April 13, 2023

Maids trafficked and sold to wealthy Saudis on black market

December 27, 2022
Flight Attendant Sees Late Husband On Plane

Flight Attendant Sees Late Husband On Plane

September 22, 2023
‘Céline Dion Dead 2023’: Singer killed By Internet Death Hoax

‘Céline Dion Dead 2023’: Singer killed By Internet Death Hoax

March 21, 2023
Chief Mrs Ebelechukwu, wife of Willie Obiano, former governor of Anambra state

NIGERIA: No, wife of Biafran warlord, Bianca Ojukwu lied – Ebele Obiano:

0

SOUTH AFRICA: TO LEAVE OR NOT TO LEAVE?

0
kelechi iheanacho

TOP SCORER: IHEANACHA

0
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan

WHAT CAN’TBE TAKEN AWAY FROM JONATHAN

0

The Guardian Newspaper Names Enugu Commissioner, Dr. Lawrence Ezeh, Amongst 65 Most Inspiring, Award-Winning Business Leaders

October 2, 2025

Poor sleep could make your brain age faster, study finds

October 2, 2025

Moroccans clash with police during protests against World Cup spending

October 1, 2025
ExxonMobil Foundation Brings STEM Regional Competition to African Energy Week

ExxonMobil Foundation Brings STEM Regional Competition to African Energy Week

September 30, 2025

ABOUT US

Time Africa Magazine

TIMEAFRICA MAGAZINE is an African Magazine with a culture of excellence; a magazine without peer. Nearly a third of its readers hold advanced degrees and include novelists, … READ MORE >>

SECTIONS

  • Aviation
  • Column
  • Crime
  • Europe
  • Featured
  • Gallery
  • Health
  • Interviews
  • Israel-Hamas
  • Lifestyle
  • Magazine
  • Middle-East
  • News
  • Politics
  • Press Release
  • Russia-Ukraine
  • Science
  • Special Report
  • Sports
  • TV/Radio
  • UAE
  • UK
  • US
  • World News

Useful Links

  • AllAfrica
  • Channel Africa
  • El Khabar
  • The Guardian
  • Cairo Live
  • Le Republicain
  • Magazine: 9771144975608
  • Subscribe to TIMEAFRICA MAGAZINE biweekly news magazine

    Enjoy handpicked stories from around African continent,
    delivered anywhere in the world

    Subscribe

    • About TimeAfrica Magazine
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
    • WHO’SWHO AWARDS

    © 2025 TimeAfrica Magazine - All Right Reserved. TimeAfrica Magazine Ltd is published by Times Associates, registered Nigeria. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service.

    No Result
    View All Result
    • WHO’SWHO AWARDS
    • Politics
    • Column
    • Interviews
    • Gallery
    • Lifestyle
    • Special Report
    • Sports
    • TV/Radio
    • Aviation
    • Health
    • Science
    • World News

    © 2025 TimeAfrica Magazine - All Right Reserved. TimeAfrica Magazine Ltd is published by Times Associates, registered Nigeria. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service.

    This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.