Top Sky presenter Sir Trevor Philips took a swipe at Kemi Badenoch this morning, as he suggested Keir Starmer and Nigel Farage are now both working to eliminate the Tories. Reacting to his morning interview with top Tory Laura Trott, Sir Trevor said he has realised that Keir Starmer’s recent policy announcements are “squeezing” the Tories out of political relevance.
He cited cuts to welfare, abolition of quangos and rises in defence spending as examples of where Kemi Badenoch is being forced to agree with the Labour Prime Minister. Sir Trevor said: “Something interesting has happened. In crude terms, if you see Labour as moving to the right now, and then there is Reform on the other side of the Conservative Party, essentially the space for the conventional Conservative Party (Kemi Badenoch) is gradually being squeezed. And if you’re a Labour leader, actually, that’s probably the thing you want most of all; to do something that will reduce the room for manoeuvre of the Conservative Party leader, even if it means you leave Reform alone.”
The Sky star also took a swipe at Ms Badenoch’s performance in the top job, issuing a four-word warning stating she is “not quite cutting through”.
Sir Trevor said that while the Tory leader is a lady of “some considerable talent”, she is failing to perform in the job.
His comments came as it was claimed there is a plot afoot to oust Ms Badenoch as Tory leader after what is expected to be a disastrous result in the May local elections.
Asked if the Tories should be making more of the Labour government’s troubles and Reform’s recent split over Rupert Lowe, Sir Trevor replied: “You would think so, you’d think this is an opportunity for them.
“But I think the signs are the polls aren’t moving, and though I think Kemi Badenoch is a person of some considerable talent, for some reason or another she’s not quite cutting through.
“Now I don’t think it’s alarm bells yet for the Conservative Party leadership, I think she’s going to have to do something quite serious just to get attention ahead of the local elections in May.”
Sir Trevor also highlighted Laura Trott, who appeared on his show as the Tory Party spokesman this morning, as a potential future leader.
He described her interview performance as “pretty robust and pretty effective”, telling viewers to “keep an eye on her”.
He concluded: “I think that’s one for the future.”
Ms Trott is a member of the Conservative Party’s more centrist wing, and was a close ally of Rishi Sunak’s.
Elected in 2019, she quickly became a rising star of the party, becoming Chief Secretary to the Treasury in Mr Sunak’s final cabinet.
