Badenoch for PM?

[ArabellaScott]

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/56bada67-325f-4c2d-84a5-f429711a4b5a?shareToken=c4bbadd15a08be11eab2d11a87982896

What say FWR?

No thanks.

There's not much time before the next election, which is Labour's to lose. Perhaps a change of PM now could prevent such an overwhelming majority that Starmer will have to be a little more measured?

Nope. While I admire her stance and actions wrt women's and girl's rights and single sex spaces I disgree with her on almost all else and think many tory policies would be devastating for women and children however they ID

There is much I disagree with Kemi on, but she strikes me as a rare thing in politics, an MP who understands her brief and does her own research before coming to a position.

It's an odd place to be, admiration and disagreement at the same time.

She's popular with people who already agree with her - not sure how much cut through she would get with anyone else. She wasn't all that impressive in the Tory leadership debates.

I would love for Kemi to be PM. She doesn't get in a flap, just presents the facts in a calm way and explains the best course of action.

Although I do want her to be PM, I also feel that if the conservatives switched their leader again now then I don't think people would take them seriously after they ditched Boris, chose Liz Truss, and then replaced her with Rishi in such a short time. Why can't we do party leadership campaigns leading up to elections like America.

Why can't we do party leadership campaigns leading up to elections like America.

Because that’s working tremendously well for them isn’t it. Sleepy Joe or a terrifying madman.

I agree.

4 PMs in one term? She'd only be PM for 5 minutes anyway.

She’d be mad to become PM now. May as well wait till after the election when she’s likely to become leader after Sunak resigns.

I agree as well. And I won't vote on a single issue. I am against Tory policies in so many other ways, and she in particular proposed some really harmful (to everyone) things during her leadership campaign. I don't think she would be a good thing for women - or anyone - overall, despite her views on this topic. I am also not convinced that the Tories would safeguard women's rights whoever was in charge; I think they will do whatever is politically convenient for them, which might now involve saying the right things on this but not necessarily following through. And in the meantime, so many other harmful policies will be followed through.

Another leadership election would be suicide for the Conservative Party.

I agree with this too. She's a horror.

The last thing the country needs is an even more right wing government. The way to achieve equality is not to make things shit for everyone.

This.

In practice, the window is running out for the Tories to be able to do another desperate change of leader prior to the GE, and I don't think Kemi has the party support anyway. They're entirely fucked at the next GE regardless of who's at the helm anyway.

Along with the stuff about hacking Harriet Harman's website we've now got this:

https://twitter.com/g_lanktree/status/1752947378191991143

She seems to be determined, intelligent and on gender issues sensible. Very little idea of her views on anything else. No sensible woman would want to be PM now and blamed for what is likely to be a considerable defeat.

The last thing the tories need is a very right wing leader, so if her views really are very right wing they need to find someone else - there isnt a great list to choose from.

No. She’s good on this issue, much better than most.

But she’s a political weasel.

Sadly, Boris pushed out all the moderate voices after the Brexit deal. Big loss to the Tories as well as the country.

Aside from the fact that she’s a cultural warrior who seems to revel in stoking division - did you see her in the leadership debates? Her manner is terrible - very patronising and rude. I cannot imagine her connecting with the wider public well.

No sensible woman would want to be PM now and blamed for what is likely to be a considerable defeat.

I dunno actually, it depends on what their future plans are. The next GE could be almost a year away if we go as late as possible. Obviously the political career of whoever takes the Tories into the next GE is going to be over at that point, but you can still do lots of well paid things as an ex PM.

That said, I get the impression Kemi has her eye on becoming Leader of the Opposition.

I can see her being their next leader, but she'd be mad to stage a leadership challenge now. The next general election is lost, they need to rebuild and I can imagine her being the woman to do it.

I am hugely impressed by her courage and clarity and scientific approach. She is a hard worker and doesn't overly care what people think of her personally. I also think she is highly intelligent. Given the alternatives, even her being very right wing would be bearable if she was open to being convinced by argument. But I have seen her say on a couple of occasions that she would not entertain ideas because they are socialist in origin. That is a very big negative for me. Everyone should be able to entertain the possibility that they are wrong, or that opponents have valid points.
And also, as others have posted, she'd be mad to go for it now.

Incidentally, I don't think Labour will win convincingly. I think a low turnout and a hung parliament is the most likely outcome.

Yep, and also the Red Wall cohort will mostly be gone after the next GE too. So the next leader is not going to be a level up type.

A lot of the very right wing big names are the ones sitting on 20k majorities. I can't think of anyone the Tories have at present who's moderate and is definitely keeping their seat.

There isn't a big choice of moderate , sane , honest tory leadership candidates it is true. Because Johnson, Cummings et al drove them out of the Conservative Party.

Presumably there will be another struggle post election. If its up to the membership another right wing candidate will surely prevail. Perhaps Farage , Lee Anderson or Badenoch herself. Will conference change the rules though, so the rump parliamentary party can find someone halfway sensible?