It says something about the state of the Conservative leadership contest that even Tory MPs are struggling to get excited about the next three months. “I see them as a pack of quite average greyhounds,” says one MP of the six contenders vying to succeed Rishi Sunak. Others are refraining from publicly backing a candidate on the grounds that they fear in a few years’ time it may all blow up – and they may have to do it all again.
But there is one candidate who still manages to attract plenty of attention: Kemi Badenoch. As the bookies’ favourite for the contest, the former business secretary has a target on her back when it comes to the rival camps. She has also had the most scrutiny to date, with sources – first reported by the Guardian – accusing her of “bullying and traumatising” behaviour while running her department.
