She may have been in the role for little over 100 days, but Kemi Badenoch’s leadership of the Conservatives has already set a few alarm bells ringing within the party. Now, there are whispers that she may already be on borrowed time.
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Could Kemi Badenoch really face a leadership challenge this summer?
In a report carried by The Sun this weekend, senior party sources have expressed their frustrations with the recently-appointed leader, bemoaning her meek impact on the public and her approach towards holding the Labour Government accountable.
It now appears that the Local Elections, scheduled for May 2025, will be a major yardstick for Badenoch and first few months in charge. Should the Tories again experience another disappointing campaign, more in-house leadership chaos could ensue.
“I thought Kemi Badenoch would, at the very least, survive the Local Elections in May, even if they are bad, just because she hasn’t been in the post for very long at all. But right now, I am not so sure that’s the case.” | Sun Source
PMQs performance put Tory leader under the grill
One particular aspect of Kemi Badenoch’s performance is drawing the most scrutiny, however. Her approach to Prime Minister’s Questions has become the subject of derision across the Parliamentary benches – not least from fellow Tory MPs.
In fact, some reports claim that senior Labour figures are purposefully ‘going easy’ on Kemi, to keep her in position for as long as possible. Another source, in contact with The Guardian, has urged the Conservative leader to change course on her chosen topics.
“People are putting on a brave face at the moment. There are some big things going on that could really resonate at PMQs, like the economy, but the comment I’ve heard more often than any other is that she keeps picking the wrong subjects.” | Guardian Source