To think Kemi Badenoch is starting to talk an increasing amount of Sense? Part 2

[itsnotallaboutyouyousee]

Continuing this fascinating thread. I think it ended prematurely. We were just getting into the swing of things...

Part 1 here: www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5525758-to-think-kemi-badenoch-is-starting-to-talk-an-increasing-amount-of-sense?reply=152116138&utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

Interesting to see Al Carns echo Kemi Badenoch's opinion that we need to cut benefits to secure the necessary funding for our armed forces.

I think he might be honing a leadership bid.

Go for it. I can’t say I’m using the links, I have music already here.

Absolutely, and he's gunning for Milliband's funding too. Oh this is shaping up to be quite the spectacle.

He'll need Labour members to vote for him. If there are too many 'Far Right' ( or slightly Right of Mao) candidates and Burnham starts talking about immigration again the Left will throw their toys out of the pram and put Richard Burgeon or someone up, and he'll get in somehow, fast tracking us into an IMF bailout. Hopefully enough of the realm crackpots have gone to The Greens for it not to make a dent.

Richard Burgeon! 😂

He doesn't need to win anything, once he puts his hat into the ring while everyone is ringing around trying to get their 20%, it'd be good to think that at least one of them will be pushing back on the narrative that we can minimise defence, ignore the bond markets and let the benefits system run us into the ground.

Exactly, your the only one going off just facts not feelings.

She’s right on Corner. Polanski is far off

Actually per capita Jews suffer the most hate crime. This is a fact. Maybe get your facts, right.

Yes that's right. Stats for 2026 won't be published until October but in 2025:

Official Statistics
Hate crime, England and Wales, year ending March 2025
Published 9 October 2025

Religious hate crimes rate
per 10,000 population

Jewish 106
Muslim 12
Other 18
Christian 0
Sikh 5
Hindu 2
Budhist 1

www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hate-crime-england-and-wales-year-ending-march-2025/hate-crime-england-and-wales-year-ending-march-2025

I like Conservatives and especially this lady will be a fresh air

Another stateswoman like move from KB. Cross-party cooperation offer, again. what will SKS say? Ignore her, again?

Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir Starmer and his potential Labour leadership rivals to cut welfare spending and redirect savings to defence.
The Conservative leader offered her party's support to get the necessary legislation through parliament in a letter to the prime minister, as well as to his possible successors.

"I have made several offers to work with you in the national interest to reduce benefit spending so we can invest more in our defence. Sir Tony Blair, the longest-serving Labour prime minister, has urged you to accept them," she wrote.

"Since the Parliamentary defeat of your modest attempt at welfare reform in the summer of last year, it is obvious that your left-wing MPs will not support any real attempt to cut the welfare bills. Therefore, the support of the Conservatives will be critical to delivering substantive reforms that will reduce the benefits bill."

https://news.sky.com/story/kemi-badenoch-urges-labour-leadership-rivals-to-cut-welfare-spending-and-boost-defence-13553762

Sounds sensible. Can't see Keir Starmer taking her up on the offer but maybe one of the other candidates will, if they end up replacing Starmer as party leader.

I think he must have realised by now that it was a mistake not to just listen to John Healey in the first place and divert more money into Defence.

Great. Most people would agree that this is the sensible approach, and yes very stateswoman like again.
Starmer will ignore, but she's right.

Glad she called out ZP on this. He's despicable. Excellent response from her.

Al Carns said several weeks ago that he would consider standing in a Leadership contest.

I’m no Labour fan, but a Bootneck in charge could be exactly what this country needs!

His trip up Everest during the Easter Recess was very on brand.

He seems to agree with Kemi on defence. Perhaps he should cross the floor. 😁

And also more recently...

Asked on Friday what was next for him, Mr Carns told LBC: “I’m going to go to the back benches, and I’m going to stand up for the things I believe in.”

Challenged about how he would respond if there were a tussle for the leadership and “the ball comes out from the back of the scrum”, he said: “I’m good at rugby and football, but we’ll see what happens.”

When it was put to him that it sounded as though he was “prepared to have a go at it”, Mr Carns said: “I’m always up for playing.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/06/12/al-carns-hints-at-labour-leadership-bid/

He’s on LK this morning.

She said to him: “You've made it clear, if there was a contest you’d run, even though you’ve not even been an MP for 2 years.”

AC: “I’m really good at running”.

Gauntlet. Thrown.

😂

As he is a former Royal marine, I can't begin to understand why Carns sits on that side of the Commons.

😂

Same

It could be a good thing for Labour if someone like him was in charge - at least it sounds like he would have some conviction & be decisive!