Tory grandee George Osborne has said Kemi Badenoch is not “in charge” of the Tory Party, or her shadow cabinet. The comments come after she insisted she is on the same page as Robert Jenrick over pacts or deals with Reform UK.
Speaking on his Political Currency podcast, the former Chancellor said Ms Badenoch is struggling to look like she’s in charge of the party while Mr Jenrick continues to outshine her. Mr Osborne appeared to suggest she could emulate Sir Keir Starmer’s expulsion of Jeremy Corbyn if she wishes to get a grip. He argued: “I think the reason why Keir Starmer got elected in 2024 is partly because people are tired of the Tories – but fundamentally he’s got a grip on Labour, and he’s actually expelled the previous Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.”
“You’ve got to show you’re in charge of your party. And it’s certainly very damaging to Kemi Badenoch at the moment, that she doesn’t look like she’s in charge of her shadow cabinet, or the most prominent member of her shadow cabinet, Robert Jenrick.
“She’s forced in TV interviews and radio interviews to sort of claim that he’s not advocating a pact with Farage, when he clearly is.”
The former bigwig-turned-pundit also claimed that Mr Jenrick, the Tories’ shadow Justice Secretary, is angling to be “Farage’s Chancellor” in a future Reform government.
However he conceded that merely kicking Mr Jenrick out of the shadow cabinet “doesn’t really solve her problem”.
“If she doesn’t manage to somehow unite the right or persuade Reform voters to come back to Tory fold, then the Tory party is heading for defeat, and that is a big task.”
His co-host, Ed Balls, said Mr Jenrick’s ‘continual sniping’ is “draining” for the Tory leader.
Last week Ms Badenoch rejected claims of a rift with Mr Jenrick over whether the Tories should strike a deal with Reform UK.
It came after Sky News obtained a recording of Mr Jenrick appearing to hint at the need for an election pact with Reform.
However a source close to Mr Jenrick has said his comments were “about voters and not parties”.
Mrs Badenoch’s official spokesman said: “Kemi Badenoch has made perfectly clear there will be absolutely no electoral pact with Reform.
“If you actually read the Shadow Justice Secretary’s words, he is saying he is working to defeat Reform.
“The coalition he’s talking about is of centre-Right voters and bringing them together.”
