Will Kemi Badenoch’s ‘attack first’ approach succeed for the Tories?
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has faced criticism for attacking Keir Starmer over Labour’s record on immigration, after record high numbers of migrants entered the country during 14 years of Tory rule.
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In brief…
- Badenoch attempted to land a blow on the Prime Minister by attacking his actions on immigration before he entered politics, and while he was in opposition.
- The News Agents say she is attacking first, even when she has no content to back up her challenges.
- There are suggestions within the Tories that she is already struggling with her role leading the party.
What’s the story?
It has been less than a month since Kemi Badenoch became the leader of the Conservative Party but there are already “loud whispers” that she is struggling with her new role.
She has been criticised this week for her performance during Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs), where she challenged Keir Starmer on his record on immigration in the House of Commons.
And in case you need any reminding, Starmer’s government has been in power for less than six months, following 14 years of Conservative governments, which saw immigration levels of people coming into the UK hit record highs.
She attacked his role as a human rights lawyer, before entering politics, when he represented five asylum seekers in a legal case against Tony Blair’s Labour government over their rights to benefit payments.
This took place years ago, and Starmer was not in government at the time.
Lewis Goodall describes her 11 December performance at the dispatch box as her "worst yet".
He says she could easily have challenged Starmer on something that has caused him problems, politically, since he came to power, such as the dispute with farmers over inheritance laws.
"Instead, she decided to do something, or go with a subject which was a big problem for her government and her party politically," he says.
"She tried to thread a very difficult argument together, which was somehow that Keir Starmer's record was responsible for the Conservatives' failure on immigration."
Under the previous Tory government, net migration into the UK hit a record high of 906,000 people coming into the country in the year to June 2023.
“I don't think Labour have been in power that long, that we can be talking at length about their record on immigration,” says Jon Sopel.
Why the Tories need Kemi Badenoch to succeed
The results of the 2024 snap election, called by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, saw the Conservative Party with its lowest number of seats in the House of Commons in its history, at just 121.
So there’s a lot of work to be done if it wants any chance of increasing that number when election time comes round again – especially with Reform UK snapping at its heels for voters.
“It's a difficult job, and she hasn't been doing it very long,” says Lewis, of the “loud whispers” from colleagues over her performance.
“A lot of Conservatives are pretty unimpressed with what they've seen so far.”
But Jon Sopel believes too much emphasis is placed on PMQs, the one time every week the leading parties come together, but that public confrontation is needed by the Tories, who are now so desperate for a boost.
“To be attacking Labour's record on immigration when Labour have been the government for five minutes and the Tories have failed for 14 years, is mad,” he says.
“Do we overestimate the importance of Prime Minister's Questions? Almost certainly. But it does matter in terms of morale of the Tory party, and you've got a new leader of the opposition who's on the attack, and misfiring.”
Emily Maitlis adds that there will be plenty of Conservative MPs and voters who will judge her solely on her performance, rather than the points she is making, against the Labour PM.
“I think there are plenty who think that she's punching properly, she's hitting him where it hurts,” she says.
“Linguistically, she's managing to score.”
What’s The News Agents take?
The News Agents believe Kemi Badenoch has hit on the right approach to tackle Starmer – but is failing when it comes to having the substance to compliment her no-holds-barred approach in the House of Commons.
“She has worked out that you attack first, even if it's content-light,” Emily says.
“He starts to explain what he is doing, and I think in his head, he thinks this is a totally legitimate answer to give, and he looks astonished that she doesn't understand.”
“He lacks the agility of language to hit first and explain afterwards.”
Lewis says that for the moment – and for some time to come — Starmer will have a reliable response to many challenges from Badenoch, or any other Tories in parliamentary challenges.
“Starmer can just fall back, at least for now – exactly what he did, and talk about the Tories' record on this issue.”
As Emily says, 14 years is a long time to have “a record of failure” on an issue as important as immigration.
“It's really difficult to make the adjustment from having been in power with ministerial advisors and all the rest that come with it, to suddenly being in opposition,” says Jon Sopel.
“You've got sparse resources, and you're trying to land a blow, and you're not quite sure how you're going to do it.
“I think it's a bloody awful job being Leader of the Opposition. All she can do is wonder, what am I going to say today, rather than what am I going to do today?”