Badenoch allegedly planned to remove Sunak as prime minister — The Guardian
British Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch allegedly discussed with Conservative ministers the possibility of removing Rishi Sunak as prime minister several months before the 2024 parliamentary election. This is stated in a new book by historian and biographer Anthony Seldon, The Guardian reports.
The book’s claims
The book, Sunak at 10: The Last Conservative PM?, excerpts of which were published by The Independent, claims that Badenoch, who was business secretary at the time, called several cabinet members. According to the author, she asked them whether anyone was “interested in changing the captain”.
Citing a number of sources, Seldon writes that Badenoch did not respect Sunak and believed he treated her rudely. One Conservative MP, who according to the book is now part of her team, described her as someone who created problems in Sunak’s cabinet. Another unnamed source claimed that she was considering the composition of a possible new government and offering positions.
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Disputes over migration policy
According to the book, more active talks about Sunak’s resignation began after Robert Jenrick resigned as immigration minister in December 2023 over disagreements regarding the government’s plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda. Seldon claims that Badenoch discussed the possibility of telling Sunak she would resign from the government if he did not change the policy.
Former Conservative MP Danny Kruger told the book’s author that Badenoch “definitely wanted” to remove and replace Sunak, but feared becoming prime minister at the end of the term before an election. The book also notes that she did not dare challenge Sunak because she could have been blamed for the party’s election defeat. Another reason for her caution, according to the book, was her fear of losing a party leadership election to Penny Mordaunt.
A Badenoch ally rejected the claims set out in the book. Sunak himself, according to Seldon, believed that the impression of internal intrigue and conflicts reduced support for the Conservatives and intensified their defeat in the July 2024 election.
