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

Did she have to live on her McD wage?

It is not her fault if she didn’t.
What matters is that she experienced the job. And wanted to. Perhaps she wanted to understand better people who were living on that wage ?

What seemed very out of touch is that Kemi said that is when she became working class. I remember people commenting "I don't think it works like that!"

I mentioned this earlier and was told it doesn't matter because Badenoch "isn’t running to be the Taoiseach, her sensitivities will not be the same in priority."

Does it matter? As someone doing a working class job I'm grateful if any party leaders even have the faintest clue what it's like.

It's still better than the rest of them.

It's notable how women leaders don't just have to be better than the rest but really extra specially better.

It's not enough just to not be someone who thinks women can have penises (Kier) or who has tried to con women into thinking he could hypnotise them into increased breast size (Zack). She has to not only have worked at McDonald's but also have cast iron proof she lived off the salary.

Presumably she didn't do the job out of a love of serving burgers - she must have needed the money to some extent.

Ah yes-McDonalds. Where she “became working class”🤣🤣

She is dreadful. The things she said about autism were despicable and the way she printed hugely inaccurate leaflets without doing research saying that autism is a MH condition is more than a little worrying. Then there are the bullying of staff accusations, her belief that maternity pay is excessive and the fact she has no polices, none. Her whole approach is to dis Labour, that is it.

I always find it surprising how many people who live in other parts of the UK don't understand that NI is also part of the UK. Or they think all of Ireland is in the UK. It's surely not that hard to understand and reinforces the suspicion that many here have held for many years - that Westminster couldn't give a flying fuck about us.

I don't like her that much at all but I am voting Tory as I prefer Labour but not the way they are now.

I don't trust Reform or Restore. I will vote Tory primarily so we don't get those 2, but also as I don't like current Labour.

Did buy into the tool maker stuff? If you still do then I’d relook at those emojis and who they’re for.

Tell me you know nothing about Starmer’s background without actually saying you know nothing about Starmer’s background.

Absolutely.

Ministers cannot create change that easily. They can deliver manifesto commitments relevant to their portfolios; anything else requires writeround agreement for all other departments. Each cabinet member has to agree to it under the system of collective responsibility. That includes agreement by HMT (as reported so often with this Gvt and lots of new Minister policy ideas….).

It is very usual I have read, for Ministers - particular those who are not Secretaries of State- to undergo a realisation that despite being a Minister, it is incredibly hard to get other and new novel things done. They do not have the levers to enact big changes which we would all think.

Wind them up.

Watch them argue.

Don't come back.

Conservative HQ are very happy.

Political prostitution is a fairly common term. See my previous post on Zac being a political prostitute too.
It's an unpleasant term, I reserve for politically unpleasant people. I find Kemi particularly unpleasant, so 🤷🏾‍♀️.

She has a clue about the working classes because she once worked in McDonald's. Does she have a clue what it's like to live in poverty and choose between heating or eating like I had to more than once -,, give me strength

There are some politicians who actually did grow up in a working class environment. Working in McDonald's does not make someone working class. On any level

I agree, she’s been excellent lately.

I don't think his background overrides either that he's delusional or that he's willing to lie about something as basic as the fact there are two sexes in all mammals. Why should he be trusted? He's treated the grooming gang survivors appallingly too.

And Rosie Duffield. He's an out and out misogynist.

It's strange because I feel like Mumsnet is such a microcosm of views. I haven't met anyone IRL, right or left-leaning, who has a positive opinion of Kemi. Actually, even the most right-wing, Daily Mail, GB News, stop the boats person I know was relieved she wasn't PM because she'd have gone all guns blazing into Iran to curry favour with The Orange One.

She always has and will get our vote.

I highly rate Kemi. Absolute Queen 👸🏾 💅🏾! As my teen daughters would say 😂

In all seriousness, I like her clarity, her pragmatism, and her straight forwardness. She is intelligent with a sense of purpose.

Ok good to know.

Yes, I was shocked how gung-ho Kemi was about Iran.

Currently she is the party leader I dislike the least.

@CurlewKate KS is the "son of a toolmaker and a nurse" just as he has told us many,many times. Went to a Grammar School which became an independent private school (Labour Govt) whilst he was still there but being a good student the newly privatised indie school allowed him to stay to do his A Levels. Went to Leeds Uni then postgrad studies at Oxford when going to Uni was still free and with Maintenance Grants, the ability to earn tax free in the hols or get the dole for the summer (see again Labour Govt changes to this).

nb: the Girls Grammar School adjacent to Keir's was turned into a 6th Form College and many of the girls were 'discouraged' from attending. Some even turned up to do their A Levels and were asked what they were doing there but obligingly some were allowed to remain.