Kemi Badenoch took a swipe at Nigel Farage as she played down his chances of being the next PM. The Tory leader referred to the arch-Brexiteer’s stint on I’m A Celebrity as she insisted “politics” is not “showbusiness”.
On the likelihood of the Reform UK leader entering Downing Street, she told The Telegraph: “Having appeal doesn’t mean that people want you running their lives. That’s one of the things that we need to make sure that we remind people.
“This isn’t I’m A Celebrity or Strictly Come Dancing. You don’t vote for the person that you’re enjoying watching and then switch off when the show’s over.
“You’ve got to live with that person in your life, in your family’s life, at work and so on. That’s what elections are about.
“It’s not just about watching a show and switching it off. We’ve got to move away from politics as showbusiness.”
It comes as Reform has topped a series of national opinion polls in recent months.
Mrs Badenoch also dismissed the prospect of a plot to “unite the Right” and oust her.
She said: “I read it and I laughed. There is a phenomenon of wishful thinking where people want to do something and so they try and talk it into reality and make it a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
It comes after reports that ex-Tory and Reform aides are discussing a “unite the Right” plan to force her out.
