The weekly Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) has become must-see political theater since Kemi Badenoch took over as leader of the Conservative Party and the Opposition. But after her latest performance, some are wondering if her aggressive style is doing more harm than good.
Another Fiery Exchange
Wednesday’s PMQs started off routinely enough, with Badenoch pressing Prime Minister Keir Starmer on whether he would match the Tories’ pledge not to raise taxes, as his Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves had promised the CBI. Starmer dodged, as prime ministers are wont to do, calling it a “once in a generation event” to fill an inherited budget hole.
But rather than probe further and construct a coherent argument, Badenoch seemed to grow frustrated and lash out, scattershot style. She demanded Starmer accept the results of an online petition, promoted by Nigel Farage and Elon Musk, calling for his resignation—never mind that she had previously dismissed petitions, saying “the country was run through elections.”
Democracy is a bit overrated these days as far as KemiKaze is concerned.
– According to a Westminster insider
Setting Up Starmer’s Rejoinders
Starmer calmly reminded her that they’d had an election just months ago, and her party was roundly defeated. “So she should put her feet up and keep quiet,” he quipped. “On days like these, he could believe that Badenoch had lost her mind,” noted one observer.
Badenoch grew more erratic, referencing unrelated issues like biscuits and the closure of a Vauxhall plant—which Starmer pointed out was due to electric vehicle targets imposed under the previous Tory government. “Kemi had clocked up £6.7bn of unfunded spending commitments in a month,” he added.
“Everything is Broken”
As a parting shot, Badenoch declared “everything is broken”—handing Starmer his closing zinger on a silver platter. “Er… yes. That’s rather the point,” he replied, his exasperation plain. “Because the Tory party were the ones who broke it. Which is one of the main reasons we have a new government.”
The consensus among pundits is that Badenoch’s scattergun approach, while generating heat and noise, ultimately backfired by setting up her opponent’s most devastating lines. As one summarized:
It was almost as if Kemi had been given a truth drug and could do no more than read out the charge sheet against her.
An Unforced Error
It’s early days yet for Badenoch’s leadership, and she clearly aims to take the fight to the government benches. But her performance Wednesday is a cautionary tale about focus, strategy, and keeping one’s cool under the withering spotlight of PMQs. As one Tory MP lamented privately:
We had come to believe that Kemi would be our saviour. We had admired what we thought was her strength. But it had only been a facade. There was less to her than met the eye.
To be truly effective, the Leader of the Opposition needs to land substantive blows while avoiding unforced errors that hand ammunition to the government. Despite some solid jabs, Badenoch’s wild swings and ill-considered uppercuts mainly struck her own party—the bitter sting of a self-inflicted KemiKaze.
With her party demoralized after a historic drubbing, Badenoch can ill afford to become her own worst enemy. She’ll need to quickly learn the ropes and find her footing. Otherwise, her PMS—Prime Minister’s Shellackings—may become a weekly ritual.
