Kemi Badenoch on Today

[frankentall]

Talking about the new policy announcement define what a woman is. She couldn't answer a single question about the details and squirmed. When Michal Hussein asked about Truss appearing on that bloke's podcast she claimed to know nothing about it (yeah right) and got angry.

I had previously thought she was one of the brighter Tories but on this performance she was ill-prepared and bad tempered.

Another one using the angry black woman trope.

BTW re your comment up thread that "personally Badenoch has had years to get this done". She has had the brief for about 18 or so months (alongside others) and said at the outset that she wanted to gather evidence and data before implementing change. Perhaps you need to get on top of your own brief?

Michal Hussein asked some perfectly reasonable questions about the practicalities in places like prisons. There were no answers.

On the coverage of her that may be a fair point; it was a poor interview on the BBC. However, the Independent posted a picture that made her look positively simple yesterday and there was another of her looking agitated.

However she is very dismissive of people and is not much liked; not too many friends in the media. If she wants be a leader she needs to be much sweeter than this; super friendly. Instead she was prickly.

Haha - lets just make shit up now shall we?

You have no idea if she had ever heard of the man prior to reports in the press. I certainly didn't waste time checking out a hasbeen's TV companion, I can't imagine why she would - like her I have a full time job.

The angry black woman is regularly thrown at her, just like it is toward Abbott. Dogwhistle terms like "abrasive" are routinely trotted out to describe an interview which was no worse or better than the majority of political interviews these days. I don't remember Cooper being described as aggressive, abrasive or losing her temper when refusing to answer a question put repeatedly.

Maybe you should listen to the interview again - Badinoch was perfectly clear that prisons should be sex segregated.

Why on earth are you surprised? A couple of years ago she was celebrating how east the tories has made getting the new gender recognition certificates (or whatever they’re called) but when trans became part of the endless, ridiculous culture wars that the Right is trying to push on us she flipped on a dime.

The tories have been in charge for a decade and a half. If they cared about this issue they could have done something, and not be promising it for next time.

Honestly, anyone who is sucked in by this nonsense needs to give their head a wobble.

@C8H10N4O2 - she is mostly a good talker. But not liked enough to deliver a change where she needed to convince her colleagues to support her in this where she needed legislation. Her policy yesterday is nothing more than her previous intention. Her evidence gathering is a convenient fig leaf, she would have been briefed as the responsible Minister from the outset. There was a lot of chat about KB on FWR implementing changes before the election. My view was she would not manage it because she was not clubbable enough with her colleagues in cabinet and would use this as a campaign tool for her own purpose. So it has proved, except she messes up at the first hurdle with the BBC. 18 months is plenty of time to get ready imo

They only make sense if you're not underfunding hospitals, rape crisis centres & refuges.

It's no use having a single sex ward if you're in a corridor.

So she was but she has been in a Govt that has slashed funding for Prisons and staff.

Victorian prisons now with more people in them than even the Victorians tried to jam in.

Same with single sex wards, again her lot have underfunded (or not used available funds correctly) the NHS and primary care.

She is all talk and nothing else, she also backed Bojo's changes to make getting a GRC even easier.

The policy feels like a rush job solely for the purposes of the GE and that showed from KB's answers.

It always amazes me when I come on here and see people talking up Kemi.

She is my MP and she is dreadful. She has done nothing for the constituency of Uttlesford. NOTHING. She was given a safe seat and her majority has eroded every election.

In our local papers the residents are consistently writing letters telling us all the best way to tactically vote to kick her out.

No one ever sees her until near voting day when she makes a miraculous appearance in our Saturday local market. Our local area is in a nosedive and she’s done nothing, or more correctly, the way she votes works against us.

In the news yesterday it listed the Con MPs on shaky ground. I’m surprised she wasn’t on that list. She’s going to get a shock this election. If she’s not ousted she’ll be hanging on by a thread.

Her arrogance is astounding.

I’m still waiting to hear which party is best to vote for, to vote against her.

She's like this all the time and is our MP. I've really got no idea why people vote for her other than that this is a true blue and very safe Tory seat. You could put the blue rosette on a donkey here and it would be seen trotting into parliament after an election.

I've never understood the apparently widespread admiration for her either. There was a fairly recent thread where many people were saying that they would vote for the party if she were its leader. Why? It should be the opposite if anything because what you saw/heard in the interview this morning is the true Kemi.

The angry black woman is regularly thrown at her, just like it is toward Abbott.

It hasn’t been on this thread. Until you raised it the colour of her skin wasn’t mentioned. She was angry yesterday on the media round, she was furious with Misha Hussein for challenging her. She actually dismissed the question about Truss interview as trivial. Rape threats are trivial? That’s not something I want to hear from the minister who’s supposed to support my interests in government.

Yes, same here. I too am in her constituency. It is the Saffron Walden seat.

I believe she rarely spends any time here. Barely pays it lip service. She's usually at her home in Wimbledon.

Our MP used to be Sir Alan Haselhurst. I'm not a Conservative voter, but he was actually a much better constituency MP. He took on a lot of local issues, went to local events and lived here a lot when not in parliament. Unlike Kemi, who is rarely seen. He retired at the 2017 General Election and Kemi was foisted upon us.

I strongly dislike her politics but I had always thought of her as a very competent media performer previously - poised, measured, articulate. I was therefore surprised by how poor the interview was on the Today programme yesterday...absolute car crash.

Y'all know Badenbach's considered the heir designate, a definite future party leader, right?

I thought her interview went ok yesterday & she was right to say she didn't own whatever weird thing Truss did. I don't like KB's policies but I didn't think she came across badly if you agree with the policies. KB made a lot more sense than Farage today who even degenerated to "you people" comments this morning.

What have I made up?
Again, you are the only one using the phrase "angry black woman".

My feelings exactly.

*The angry black woman is regularly thrown at her, just like it is toward Abbott.. *

I don’t think Diane is angry. I think she’s a liability for Labour, she has a dangerous mouth, and she’s a hypocrite.

She’s clearly not a liability for her constituents. Her majority in 2019 was 33,000, my guess is it’ll increase this time. She’ll be Mother of the House too.

She's awful. She was very rude on Times Radio because the presenter dared to ask about social care. She said 'i won't talk about social care, you've brought me here under false pretences'! Not very media savvy as I doubt they will be very nice to her on there in future...

The angry black woman is regularly thrown at her, just like it is toward Abbott.

I think it’s kind of ignorant to compare Diane and Kemi. Whilst I’ve just had a go at Diane, I actually respect her more than I do so Kemi.

Kemi isn’t an “angry black woman”. I don’t think she’s had the lived experience Diane will have had. Plus I’ve never heard Kemi tell us about her experiences as a black woman, and her struggles. She was born in middle class Wimbledon to a GP and Professor, grew up as an expat, then married a white banker. Diane was born in Hackney into a WC family. This is perhaps why they are opposite ends of the political spectrum.

My issue with Kemi is her arrogance. She gives off a very superior air, something that I’ve seen many times from people brought up overseas with money. They actually have no clue what goes on outside in the real world, and nor do they care.

Oh she has talked about her experiences, working for the minimum wage in her youth. Although the minimum wage didn't exist then as her party were vehemently opposed to it.

I had previously thought she was one of the brighter Tories but on this performance she was ill-prepared and bad tempered.

I really don't think she is that bright. Like most of the current cabinet, she only got to where she is because none of the genuinely bright and/or capable ones could stick working with Johnson.

The big question, as usual, is what stopped them from doing this over the last 14 years, and if it wasn't a priority then, why should we believe it will be a priority for them in the future?