Kemi Badenoch’s much-anticipated ‘relaunch’ speech as Conservative party leader landed with a dull thud on Thursday, revealing a dearth of fresh ideas to dig Britain out of the hole her party’s 14-year rule has left it in. Billed as an “important” address to reset her flailing leadership just 10 weeks in, Badenoch failed to take responsibility or chart a clear new course, leaving observers wondering, ‘what was the point?’
A Comedy of Errors
From the choice of venue to the content itself, the speech played out like a standup comedy routine, with the laughs squarely on weary British voters. Flanked by political liabilities like Simon Clarke, a staunch supporter of disgraced former PMs Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, Badenoch squandered an opportunity to distance herself from the toxicity that has tanked her party’s fortunes.
Her attempt at an apology for the “disastrous last 14 years of Tory governments” rang utterly hollow, unable to name names or admit complicity in the very decisions that steered the country into crisis. “Sorry, not sorry” seemed to be the underlying message from a leader already out of road.
Badenoch’s Brexit Blinkers
Most glaring was Badenoch’s spectacular cognitive dissonance on Brexit, the abiding albatross around her party’s neck. Denouncing the “very bad Brexit” her predecessors had delivered while simultaneously insisting on forging ahead with the same discredited strategy, the newly-minted leader came across as delusional at best, disingenuous at worst.
We need a Brexit plan for growth.
Kemi Badenoch, doubling down on a failed ideology
Vague platitudes about “doing things differently” and assembling a “new team” fell flat considering the faces behind these slogans were the very same malefactors the country had lost faith in. The absence of concrete policies or a principled mea culpa left the unmistakable impression of a party flailing to find its footing in the wreckage it authored.
An Opposition Opportunity
For an opposition scenting blood in the water, Badenoch’s listless performance offered a target-rich environment. As Labour surges to record poll leads, the contrast between a spent Tory force and a government-in-waiting has rarely appeared so stark.
- Restive backbenches: With rumblings of leadership challenges already afoot, Badenoch’s position looks precarious
- Policy vacuum: Beyond stale Brexit bombast, the speech was devoid of an affirmative Conservative agenda
- Trust deficit: Misleading claims about cleaning up past scandals shredded any remaining credibility
In the final indignity, a deflated Badenoch struggled to rally even friendly media questioners, radiating resentment at a job she seemed desperate to escape. The animating purpose that once fueled Tory dominance felt like a distant memory. Britain deserves better than a government merely going through the motions.
