Rarely is anyone ready to lead a political party, still less become Prime Minister, as Keir Starmer is busy illustrating. No perfect candidate is ever available: we must choose from available options.
I will back Kemi Badenoch to lead the Conservative Party and with a good heart too.
It is true Kemi has sometimes picked fights for which she was not prepared. Developing greater restraint and control in interviews is a choice and one she will have to make. There is time.
I don’t have a bad word for Robert. He is a professional and serious man, making his case robustly. I was somewhat disappointed by his intervention on special forces, but anyone can make a mistake. Anyone is entitled to learn and update their views. I am sure I have.
But what marks Kemi apart is her authentic and ferocious belief in solid Conservative ideas. That has been lacking for far too long: without an intellectual keel, the ship of state is tossed about in the storm of events. Any leader must adjust, adapt and compromise but they ought always to be brought back on course by their values and ideas. It seems most likely Kemi will be.
That is my bet: that Kemi Badenoch will find the balance necessary to put her authentic belief in ideas that work into practice for the benefit of us all.
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