Who do you suppose will win the Tory management race? Take our ballot
After Tory leadership frontrunner Kemi Badenoch took on rival Robert Jenrick in a televised showdown, we ask who you think will ultimately go on to front the opposition.
The head-to-head, hosted by GB News in front of 400 Conservative Party members, served to cement Badenoch as the out-and-out favourite to land the role. Calm, poised and clearly well-briefed, Badenoch had the assembled throng in the palm of her hand, with a show of hands at the end of the two-hour debate confirming her dominance.
So what went wrong for Jenrick? The consensus seems to be that he’s putting all his eggs in one basket by hammering home a single-issue campaign on immigration; while Badenoch has widened her appeal by talking about the NHS, public spending and welfare policy.
Jenrick has long been labelled a ‘one-trick immigration pony’ and many felt he focused on this single issue far too much during the debate, even at one point prompting a groan from interviewer Christopher Hope.
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Conversely, Badenoch really nailed it when it came to a bunch of issues – she had a solid handle on everything from public spending to welfare, the NHS, and prisons. It was clear she’s more of a pragmatist than a hardliner on hot topics like Brexit and Jenrick’s fixation on leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
She pointed out that ditching the ECHR isn’t a quick fix and pushed back against the idea of a ‘bonfire of EU regulations,’ making it clear she’s not about to trash product safety laws. She was also sensible about dealing with overcrowded prisons, putting the safety of prison officers first.
One of her big moments was drawing cheers from the crowd after promising to scrap Labour’s plan to add VAT to private school fees, saying that would be her top priority if she became PM.
When asked about Sir Christopher Chope’s comments about her balancing motherhood and Tory leadership, she handled it gracefully, highlighting that both men and women share parenting responsibilities.
She also hit home on the threat posed by Nigel Farage and Reform UK, saying Farage “speaks with clarity and conviction,” while the Tories – without naming Rishi Sunak – come off as technocrats. She warned that if the Tories mess up this leadership election, Reform UK could easily pass them by. She also pointed out there’s no room for Farage in a ‘broad church’ because he just wants to burn it down.
Even though the race isn’t officially over until the end of October, it looks like Badenoch is on track for the win based on how she came across in this debate.
