Kemi Badenoch welcomes Liz Truss' change of heart

       The one thing that is invariably true when a Prime Minister or any major party leader is facing a crisis is that his or her potential successors are already plotting to take the crown. As the tumult in the Conservative Party built to a crescendo this week over the Rwanda Bill, the chatter about who might succeed Rishi Sunak intensified among Tory MPs.

       It was obvious that Suella Braverman, whose sacking by Sunak triggered the current unrest on the right of the party, is preparing a leadership bid. In some ways this was all but confirmed by the resignation of Robert Jenrick as Immigration Minister over the Rwanda Bill.

       As revealed by Express.co.uk he had become an ally of Ms Braverman’s in government for a hard line to stop illegal immigration despite having been appointed to try and hold her back. Since her sacking he had been in almost daily contact with her and her chief allies to toughen up legislation.

       But while Braverman’s manoeuvres were obvious, and she has been holding many meetings with potential supporters, others were less so.

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       READ MORE: Kemi Badenoch mocks Truss for finally 'coming to my point of view' on woke issue

       Suella Braverman is many people's favourite on the right to succeed Sunak (Image: Getty)

       For example, it is understood that behind the scenes Leader of the House Penny Mordaunt has been “getting her ducks in a row” for a potential third run at the leadership in 18 months.

       She certainly is likely to be the most popular candidate on the left, especially now the new Home Secretary James Cleverly seems to have been made the fall guy for the Rwanda nightmare.

       But the one person who is in every conversation is Kemi Badenoch.

       During drinks with some current and former Tory political advisors in the wake of Ms Braverman’s sacking one of those present came out with a surprising statement.

       “Sunak’s gone. It’s just a matter of time. It will be Kemi [Badenoch] next.”

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       Nadine Dorries is convinced that there is a plot to bring in Badenoch as leader (Image: Getty)

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       Paul Goodman, editor of Conservative Home is a long standing good friend of Dougie Smith going back to student days in early 80’s. I got that from Wiki, a journalist, a think tank chairman and a member of the movement in its early days.

       Dougie Smiths wife, Munira Mirza, was v… https://t.co/B7FrStZugT

       — Rt Hon Nadine Dorries (@NadineDorries) December 3, 2023

       The increasingly gloomy assessment of Sunak’s prospects and the fact Badenoch is a or perhaps the leading contender to replace him is not surprising in itself.

       But it was surprising because the advisor in question worked for someone else who would consider themselves to be a serious leadership contender out of around eight possibilities.

       This perhaps feeds into the almost daily claims made by Boris's ally and former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries on X (formerly Twitter).

       She is convinced that the same dark forces (Michael Gove Dominic Cummings, Dougie Smith and their allies) she blames for the ousting of Boris Johnson are now attempting to ensure Kemi Badenoch replaces Sunak.

       “Kemi was always the spare,” she insisted, promoting her book The Plot. She even claimed Jenrick's resignation was part of the plot.

       Dorries even alleged that the ConHome popularity poll of cabinet ministers which had Badenoch as a clear favourite was rigged. ConHome’s editor Paul Goodman has maintained a dignified silence.

       Most dismiss that as a conspiracy theory, others think there is something in it. But what is not in doubt is that Badenoch is being positioned as a potential successor.

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       Her statement to the House on trans issues this week was a reminder to the right of the party that she is the warrior against woke that they crave – the very thing which made her such an appealing figure in July 2022 when Johnson resigned.

       One Tory MP looking to oust Sunak said: “I’m leaning towards Suella but Kemi’s statement was very good.”

       Another noted: “Kemi can appeal to both the right and left of the party unlike Suella.”

       Then as the High Court in Edinburgh upheld the decision to block the SNP's controversial Scottish Gender Recognition Reform Act pushed by Nicola Sturgeon Ms Badenoch put herself at the centre of that culture war victory.

       She posted: "One day when time allows, I will tell the story of all the work that had to take place across govt on this issue. But for now…I’m just glad that the govt’s decision to block the SNP govt’s bill has been vindicated by this ruling."

       But the issue though – and one which eventually got her last leadership push unstuck in 2022 – is that some believe “she is a proxy for Michael Gove”. This takes us back to Dorries’ claims.

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       He ran her leadership campaign last time and probably would do next time.

       As one MP angry with Sunak said: “I’d rather keep the Prime Minister we have now than effectively hand the government over to Gove.”

       As things come to a head next week over the Rwanda Bill and MPs decide whether or not to send in letters to call for a confidence vote in Sunak as Conservative leader, the calculations over the unofficial beauty contest to replace him will play a large part in their decision into whether to try to bring him down.

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