To think Kemi Badenoch is starting to talk an increasing amount of sense

[Sonato]

Never voted conservative a day in my life.

Seriously comsidering it after recent performances

Well, that’s a significant portion of the electorate you have just labelled.

BTW if people want to make sweeping statements about women on UC living in council housing not being educated. I live in a council house. I don't have kids but I finished a part time degree last summer. I have more than one friend who is currently on UC and in the middle of their degree. One girl doesn't work - her husband does, full time but she qualifies for UC as they have disabled kids and very high rent. She's going back to uni in September to do a stem degree and hopes eventually to work in the probation service. The other girl has a child but doesn't work because she has a genetic condition and has been in and out of hospital all her life.

You don't know by looking at someone how educated they are and living on a council estate or a private let and being on UC does not necessarily mean people are ill educated

I did my degree online. No one in the street would have known I was studying by looking at me

Disagrees with me about what? Did you see the tweet I mean?

What has Bloody Sunday got to do with the Taoiseach btw? Last time I checked Derry was still part of the UK.

If the Tories get back in (which they may well do - many Britons seem to panic when the Tories are out of office, no matter how worse-than-useless they were when in government) you'll certainly get more austerity, but probably not under Badenoch. She seems to be a placeholder and if she does become PM, she'd be another one to time by the life of a lettuce, before they replace her.

She's good at getting idiots to believe she's impressive. She's good at playing divide and rule (Jews good, migrants sent to Rwanda). I'm Jewish and every time a Tory pretends to speak for me I feel like spitting.

Top dud in a field of duds is still a dud.

I never believed insulting people persuades them that their thinking is wrong.

She hit the nail on the head here.

I’ve been watching her with interest for the past couple of years and I like they fact she does not get flustered under pressure and seems to be very clear in what she stands for. One tough cookie and I have no doubt she could be an excellent PM.

She reminds me of Margaret Thatcher in that she is pretty clear an uncompromising in what she thinks. I can't stand her - he wanted us to join the US in bombing Iran! - but I couldn't stand Margaret Thatcher either and she made a big difference to the country. Whether you think the changes were good or not is another matter but she did change things.

I absolutely don't want another Tory government so I don't want Kemi in charge at all but unfortunately she seems to be increasing her appeal. I suppose it is better she gets in then Reform , marginally anyway - maybe . This seems to be where we are !

She makes an such excellent mouthpiece, I hope she gets a healthy bonus. It would be a shame to do all that political prostituting unpaid.

I'm not suspicious at all as I am another life long Labour voter who drifted over to SNP before they fucked everything up, who actually likes her. If you take an interest in womens rights you would be aware she was one of the few politicians who did not join the trans rights bandwagon when it was difficult to speak out against it, this did not go unnoticed on FWR.
That being said it is definitely easier for Tories speak up against policies, such as housing trans identified males in womens prisons than it is for Labour/ Greens etc. Tories seem to care less about being seen as callous or unprogressive, however I feel she actually believes what she says and there's few politicians you can say that about.
For the first time in my life I am considering the Tories, maybe I'm a cliche due to nearing retirement but just can't see me voting for the other parties at the moment.

I like her. She was good on women's rights when in power as a Minister even when the rest of the party was useless and listened to women such as Kiera Bell that the civils servants tried to stop her from meeting. She makes up her own mind on things, and seems - unlike most politicians - to really do her research and understand the policy areas she is discussing.

I genuinely think she is a conviction politician that wants to improve life for people in the UK. I don't agree with her on everything but she is head and shoulders better than most (there are a few others who are good too).

Of course she gets some things wrong, that's just being human, name a politician that hasn't. Unlike most of them I think she'd admit to being wrong and apologise.

I am no Badenoch fan, but using the word prostituting in this context is really unpleasant.

Starmer is an abysmal politician - absolutely dire.

She’s realised the power of oratory and standing for the stuff she believes in and she’ll get my vote.

She never seems very bright to me. She's obviously (over) confident and people seem to be taken in by that. The problem is that there isn't much in the way of substance.

I'll be voting Tory in the local elections pretty much entirely based on Kemi B being a) intelligent and on top of whatever brief she's discussing and b) being a decent human standing up for women's rights, children's rights, the grooming gang survivors and Jewish people (and I'm sure there's more - these are the groups I know about).

There were others in the Tories who were abysmal - Boris springs to mind - but Kemi is not Boris and has never behaved like him. She did what she could when she was in power and had a good track record. As leader, if elected, she could do so much more. I hope she gets the chance to lead this country.

I have no idea whether my MSP grew up in council housing - but she's certainty from a working class background. She actually lives quite near me and although I assume she's bought it - she lives in what was a council house.

I've just looked at Kemi's twitter. She's on record as saying that she became working class from working at McDonald's - like some poverty safari

I mean I know that some people think that poverty doesn't exist. They've said so on this thread - but do you think someone who refers to themselves as working class because they worked at McDonald's when they were at uni identifies with the likes of me? Starmer doesn't either for context

Someone didn't get the memo that 'BAME' is now racist

https://boundlesstheatre.org.uk/boundless-op-ed/identity/the-problematic-nature-of-the-term-bame/

Does she want to improve the lives of disabled people like me?

What does Kemi do or not do?

For you to make that judgement.

She was fully on top of her brief and knew the finer details on women's rights when it was toxic to stand up for women and detransitioners like Kiera Bell.

Can you give specific examples of where she lacks substance?

I don’t understand her position on banning marches.

Anyone else reckon the OP is Kemi herself? 😂

Just leaving this here (as someone from NI, this is a total punch in the gut)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx21n5kx4d9o

Obviously Kemi is not working class, but she did work at Mcdonalds so she HAS done a working class job so has some idea of what conditions are like.

I'd bet good money Kier or Zach have never worked at McDonalds.

And there is more to women’s rights than being gender critical.

No, she’s liked more than the other party leaders, despite mn threads with various attacks.