Latest news with #ShadowCabinet
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Tory feuding fears as frontbenchers moan about Robert Jenrick interfering in their policy areas - amid anger at 'petty jealousy' and 'fragile egos'
Fears over Tory feuding are mounting as Robert Jenrick 's allies hit back at claims he is jockeying to replace Kemi Badenoch. Insiders have admitted that the shadow justice secretary's increasingly punchy interventions are causing tensions with colleagues. Mr Jenrick has put out slick videos on issues such as fare-dodging on the Tube, the Chagos Islands handover to Mauritius and theft of tools from vans. Bin collections in Birmingham and immigration have also been on his list of hot topics. Ms Badenoch is believed to be relaxed about her former leadership rival's activities, with sources saying she wants her team 'out there getting a hearing'. However, one senior figure told MailOnline: 'It is more of a problem for other members of the shadow cabinet. 'Some have been very annoyed when he's waded in…. That has caused tensions. 'Kemi has a challenge managing the competition in her team.' Another well-connected Tory swiped that it was 'no surprise' Mr Jenrick's social media efforts were causing irritation - but suggested he was not making any progress with the public. 'The talk about Boris (Johnson) as an alternative indicates that people don't think Robert would make any difference,' they said. A Conservative source said: 'MPs have to get used to life in Opposition. The public just want the Conservatives to hold Labour to account. 'They don't care about who does it, they certainly don't have time for fragile egos and pettiness.' One Tory MP suggested shadow home secretary Chris Philp was the one 'on manoeuvres' and gunning for shadow chancellor Mel Stride's job - something he denies. 'Chris is insanely keen to promote himself. He's always pumping out stuff on the Conservative MPs' WhatsApp group. He's clearly very ambitious,' they said. Another veteran backbencher said Mr Jenrick's wide-ranging approach was an issue, but there was a problem with the rest of the shadow cabinet failing to make a mark. 'I think it's a fine balance between having effective people in your shadow cabinet, serving the wider good, but not allowing stories of leadership challenges to come from it,' the ex-minister said. 'I think there are a lot who still haven't transitioned from Government to Opposition.' A former minister described Mr Jenrick's manoeuvring as 'manic and desperate'. But they added: 'Hard working, capable and impatient are also words that apply.' A spokesman for Mr Jenrick said: 'Rob's just doing his job. He's working hard all day to make Labour pay for the damage they are doing to the country.' Mr Stride was asked in a round of broadcast interviews last week whether Mr Jenrick was 'not being helpful' with his social media presence. 'Rob is doing a great job being out there using social media and getting important messages across. That's what we're more broadly doing in the social media age as a party,' he said.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
How Robert Jenrick skewered Kemi Badenoch's Tory leadership reboot
Robert Jenrick 's attention-grabbing videos have angered other senior Tories as the party desperately tries to raise the profile of their beleaguered leader, Kemi Badenoch. The shadow justice secretary The clip, which follows others on a range of issues including bin collections in Birmingham and the government's deal to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, was watched more than 10 million times. But the move overshadowed Ms Badenoch's own video meeting grooming gang victims, and is far from the first time Jenrick has garnered publicity apparently at the expense of his party leader. A recent mishap, where hundreds of Westminster insiders were added to a WhatsApp group publicising his London marathon run, led to Badenoch being asked if Jenrick, who ran against her for the leadership of the party, posed a fresh threat to her. She laughed it off. But party insiders have told The Independent his interventions are leading to tensions with other members of the shadow cabinet. It comes as the Tories try to raise the profile of Badenoch, as even some of her closest political allies - including shadow chancellor Mel Stride - admit she needs to improve her performance. This week's tracker poll by Techne UK puts the Tories on just 17 per cent (up one per cent) - a full 14 points behind Reform on 31 per cent, with Labour also struggling on 23 per cent. The polling showed that well over a third, 37 per cent, of 2024 general election Tory voters have now deserted them for Reform. Recent focus groups, held by the pollsters More in Common (MIC), suggest one of the problems is that very few people know who Badenoch is. When groups of former Tory voters are shown clips of the Conservative leader speaking, they like her, but for most of them, it is the first time they have seen her, MIC found. In a bid to bolster her position, insiders plan to lean into Ms Badenoch's forthright personality, in what has been dubbed the 'Let Kemi be Kemi' strategy - a nod to the famous West Wing 'Let Bartlet Be Bartlet' quote. And, like Jenrick, there is a hope that her clips will go viral. There was surprise when a video of Ms Badenoch telling two incredulous BBC Breakfast hosts that she had not watched the Netflix hit Adolescence took off online. At one point, Badenoch told them she already understood the issues highlighted by the programme, adding 'I don't need to watch Casualty to know about the NHS'. Her supporters want her to double down on what is seen as her 'authenticity', at a time when voters appear to be turning away from career politicians to support people such as Donald Trump and the Reform leader Nigel Farage. In the background, there is also frustration about the amount of airtime Badenoch gets on the main broadcasters. The issue is one all opposition leaders struggle with, as the government is inevitably seen as more newsworthy. But it is seen particularly difficult at the moment, at a time of huge international news, with President Trump in the White House, war raging on the edge of Europe in Ukraine and the ongoing bombardment of Gaza. Insiders claim Badenoch is relaxed about Jenrick straying into briefs that are not his own, especially given huge demands on the time of the leader of the opposition. However, sources say there have been tensions with other members of her shadow cabinet. One senior figure told The Independent: 'Some have been very annoyed… That has caused tensions. Kemi has a challenge managing the competition in her team.' Another insider said: "There's no discipline. Basically, shadow cabinet members can do what they want with no central grid. It's causing complete chaos.' A supporter of Jenrick accused some frontbenchers of being 'jealous' that he was able to make headlines. Earlier this week, even one of her political allies, shadow chancellor Mel Stride compared Badenoch to Margaret Thatcher and said: 'She will get better through time. At the media, she will get better ... and at the dispatch box.' The 'Iron Lady', however, could never have predicted a time when the future of the Tory leadership could depend in part on the battle of the viral video clips.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Even Kemi Badenoch's closest allies admit she needs to get better - but she may be running out of time
Shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride had intended to talk about one failed female Tory leader with his keynote speech in London on Thursday morning - but ended up discussing another instead. Sir Mel had intended to apologise about Liz Truss ' mini-Budget and set a new economic path back to recovery for the Conservative Party. But he ended up providing some less than helpful comments about his current leader Kemi Badenoch. The problem was that the remarks he made were unsolicited. He was asked by a journalist whether the leadership election rules should be changed to prevent someone like Ms Truss becoming leader again. But instead, he took the opportunity to say some things about his current, much under fire, leader Ms Badenoch. He said: 'She will get better through time. At the media she will get better through time and at the dispatch box. Just as Margaret Thatcher, when she became [party leader] she was a new broom in 1975 and was often criticised about everything from her hair to the clothes she wore to the pitch of her voice, her head, who knows what else. In the end, she got it together, and Kemi will do.' He insisted the shadow cabinet was 'all united' behind her - a statement that is patently not true. It was an astonishing admission. His intention was probably to be helpful, but he just confirmed what everyone else was thinking; that his leader was a poor performer on the media, doing badly in the Commons chamber, and was essentially not up to the job at the moment. To liken it to the mid-1970s - when there was no social media nor a party like Reform UK competing on the right - was, as the old saying goes, comparing apples with oranges. Speaking at the Royal Academy of Arts, Sir Mel could not have painted a more vivid picture of Tory dysfunction. But let us be frank. His faint praise, if it was as nice as that, summed up the consensus within the party. In fact, it is hard to find a Conservative MP or activist who will say privately that their leader is doing a great job. One shadow minister this week told The Independent that many of them have 'resorted to gallows humour' to keep their spirits up. One of the few new Tory MPs complained that they could 'count the number of seconds on their fingers' that Ms Badenoch had spoken to them since becoming leader. Added to that she is being constantly outshone at every turn by her former leadership rival shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick, not least with his video stunts. The recent one catching fare dodgers at Stratford tube station was planned by Mr Jenrick's team before with no reference to the leader. Ms Badenoch's own video meeting grooming gang victims was completely overshadowed by Mr Jenrick chasing non-payers down Transport for London (TfL) escalators. The constant criticism is that her lack of policies and charisma are seeing the party's support collapse in the face of Nigel Farage and Reform. The reality is that while none of the MPs can work out how to force Ms Badenoch out, they are all preparing for a potential leadership election for a replacement. Mr Jenrick is now the frontrunner but it was no coincidence that former foreign and home secretary Sir James Cleverly has been giving interviews offering an alternative vision for left-leaning Tories. Sir Mel wants a period of 'thoughtfulness' to work out policy and give Ms Badenoch time to find her feet. In the fast moving nature of 2025 politics, Ms Badenoch may not have much time left to prove herself.
SBS Australia
28-05-2025
- Business
- SBS Australia
Back together again: a new Coalition deal after eight days apart
A deal has been reached between the Liberal and National parties, ending an eight-day split. Liberal party leader Sussan Ley announced the restored Coalition alongside Nationals leader David Littleproud. "We will 100 per cent take this forward together. We will be stronger together, better together, and we can't wait to do this on behalf of the Australian people that we wake up every morning to fight for." Mr Littleproud says the breakthrough deal after a week of negotiations will ensure Australia's democracy remains strong. "The focus now is on Anthony Albanese and the Labor government, and holding them to account, because that's important for our democracy. That's important for Australians, that they know we've laid the foundation stones of a Coalition that can move forward and work together to ensure that we hold them to account, but also have an alternative government in three years." Hours after the parties renewed their partnership, Ms Ley also revealed the new shadow cabinet. After losing an election, the opposition appoints responsibility for issues amongst its MPs and Senators in what's known as a shadow cabinet, or shadow ministry - with each representative who holds a portfolio known as a shadow minister. The frontbench will include Ted O'Brien as Opposition Treasury spokesman, James Paterson in the finance portfolio, Andrew Hastie shadowing home affairs and Julian Leeser as shadow attorney-general. Michaelia Cash has been elevated to foreign ministry issues, Angus Taylor is now in defence, and Dan Tehan in energy and emissions reduction, while Jane Hume, Sarah Henderson and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price have been demoted to the outer ministry. Ms Ley rejects claims the demotions are punishment for members who supported Angus Taylor during the Liberal leadership spill, stressing the importance of every position announced. "I know that we have harnessed the talent that we need in this shadow ministry going forward, but that there is a role for every single person. Opposition is not about hierarchies, it's not about structure, it's about getting every player on the field fighting the fight." The Nationals have also announced their six cabinet roles, with Ross Cadell promoted to Emergency Management, Susan McDonald in resources and Darren Chester in veteran affairs. Former Nationals leaders Barnaby Joyce and Michael McCormack have both been overlooked. While Mr McCormack says he respects Mr Littleproud's decisions, he says the Coalition split and subsequent negotiations were managed poorly. "We could have done it a lot more smoother, the transition could have been not made in the haste that it was made in, and I just thought it was just done in too much haste and decisions taken and made in haste are not always the best or wisest decisions." Concessions were made to reach the deal that brought the parties back together, with the Liberals agreeing to lift the moratorium on nuclear power, to support mobile phone coverage for the bush, a Regional Future Fund, and supermarket divestiture powers. Regarding the moratorium on nuclear power, Ms Ley says no further policy details have been decided. "It's important to recognise that in agreeing as we have in respect to nuclear energy, that the removal of the moratorium is an important first step. It's also important to note that there will be development of the detail of any further policy with respect to nuclear after that point. So that's where we're starting." The Coalition's Net Zero policy has also been a point of contention between the two parties. While Mr Littleproud has reaffirmed a commitment to net zero by 2050 remains National party policy, he says all policies are up for debate. "Well in our culture of our partyroom as it was in the last term and terms before that, members of our party room are free to come forward and bring new policies or challenge existing policies." Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has taken the opportunity to distance his party from the dramatic split and reconciliation. He says it's a reminder of the internal politics that will continue to be a distraction for the Coalition, while Labor is focusing its attention elsewhere. "Whilst other political parties can fight each other and within their political parties, what we're focused on very much is the needs of the Australian people."
West Australian
23-05-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
New Liberal leader Sussan Ley likely to delay shadow cabinet announcement amid Coalition talks
New Liberal leader Sussan Ley has delayed the unveiling of her Shadow Cabinet following the start-stop split of the Coalition, with the announcement now unlikely before next week. After Nationals' leader David Littleproud dropped a break-up bombshell on Tuesday before returning to the negotiating table 48 hours later, the Liberals will meet to consider their four key policy demands. Ms Ley's all-Liberal ministry had been just 'hours away' from being announced when the pair initiated peace talks on Thursday, a move party sources say will delay her frontbench decision. She had texted Mr Littleproud as he was sorting his own 'shadow' portfolios offering an olive branch 'to re-enter good faith negotiations' after hearing him commit to Shadow Cabinet solidarity while on breakfast TV. Ms Ley claimed it was the first time Mr Littleproud had publicly started to toe the party line after stating that breaching Shadow Cabinet solidarity was a requirement. Mr Littleproud did admit on Thursday it was mentioned but insisted it wasn't a reason for the breaking point. Once they met Ms Ley made her own concession to reconvene her party room late on Thursday evening to consider the four key policies. Mr Littleproud's demands which led to the party's withdrawal of the 38-year partnership, included nuclear energy, supermarket divestiture laws, $20 billion Regional Australia Future Fund and rural telecommunications obligations. If the parties resolve issues and reunify, Nationals could regain key roles and pay, while some Liberals may lose out on potential new portfolios. Under the previous plan, Canning MP Andrew Hastie was not expected to receive a defence-related portfolio, which is the former SAS soldier's only experience in ministerial and shadow cabinet roles. After serving as defence assistant minister between 2020-2022 under Scott Morrison's Government, he became shadow defence minister under former Opposition leader Peter Dutton. It's understood he had been seeking to take on a new portfolio to broaden his experience. Political analyst Professor Martin Drum said Mr Hastie would likely be seeking to broaden away from getting 'pigeonholed' in defence roles. He noted Mr Hastie would be wise to compete for a sought after economic portfolio if he has leadership ambitions in the future. 'He has said openly that he would aspire to leadership in the future. In order to do that, he's got to demonstrate he's got experience across the board,' Professor Drum said. 'So he can, and should seek a portfolio change. Usually, some economic experience is very well regarded and plays well. 'That might be competitive, but he certainly should be looking for another substantive portfolio.' 'Could be education, could be health. It could be something along those lines, which gives you a profile and an opportunity to really demonstrate his credentials. 'The other thing about Andrew Hastie is his professional background is defence too. So that could compound the issue.' While Northern Territory Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price is tipped to lose her DOGE-like 'government effectiveness' portfolio in favour of a more 'optimistic and more positive'. Depending on the outcome of Friday's 1pm Liberal Party policy meeting, Ms Ley will brief colleagues on 'what the path forward is' and meet with the Nationals to discuss the Coalition agreement before finalising the Shadow Cabinet. During the two-day break, Ms Ley had been conducting her own outreach, including calls to former leaders Michael McCormack and Barnaby Joyce, as well as Darren Chester, all of whom had voiced opposition to a split, Mr Littleproud's judgement has been questioned with Mr McCormack describing his leadership as 'messy' and casting doubt over his long-term support within the party. Mr McCormack said he was 'I'm ambitious for him' when asked whether he fully supported the leader going forward. Former Liberal PM Malcolm Turnbull slammed the Nationals as 'stupid' for 'holding a gun to the Liberal Party's head,' warning their demands risk damaging the Coalition's future.
