Great Kemi revival stalls again as student loans debate turns into deranged tirade | John Crace

"The Tories were in the high 20s in the polls when Badenoch took over as Tory leader and they now bump along consistently around 17. Which is where they have been for the duration of The Great Kemi Revival (TM). The Tories are a mere footnote in the Gorton and Denton byelection. If there is a rebirth of the Tories as a serious political party, no one seems to have told the rest of the country."

"Time and again, Kemi mistakes confidence with competence. Because she imagines she is doing well she believes she is doing well. A victim of too much positive reinforcement. Teachers and parents who told her she could achieve anything when actually she isn't that bright. There again, she might well have done better if she didn't also have the concentration span of a gnat."

"All Kemi had needed to do was remain standing and stick to a basic script. It doesn't help that one of Kemi's main problems is Kemi herself. Being Kemi gets in the way of Being Kemi. She is a one-woman philosophical dilemma. A dysfunction wrapped up in a tautology."

The Conservative Party leadership under Kemi Badenoch has been celebrated as a transformative moment, yet polling data contradicts this narrative. The Tories have remained consistently around 17% in polls since her appointment, unchanged from previous levels. Strong performances at Prime Minister's Questions against a weakened opponent have created a false perception of success among party supporters. The analysis suggests either the Conservatives would be in worse condition without Badenoch, or party leadership is engaged in collective fantasy. Badenoch's personal limitations, including confusing confidence with competence and maintaining poor focus, undermine her effectiveness as leader.

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