
Finally, Sophy Ridge asks former defence secretary Grant Shapps how he thinks new Tory leader Kemi Badenoch is performing so far.
He replies that she is “putting her all into this”, but “under hugely difficult circumstances”.
“It’s way too early to start judging a leader – you’ve got to give her time to get on and establish things,” he argues.
“And she’s having to do that from a party which was battered, you know, beyond recognition.”
He argues that the party “is very up for coming back” from the defeat and Mrs Badenoch “needs to be given time and space to do that”.
Given that Reform UK is making waves, however, Sophy Ridge asks if the new Tory leader really has time to spend slightly under the radar.
Mr Shapps replies: “I think probably the mistake is to ever go after Reform.
“David Cameron tried this with UKIP – didn’t he call them loons at one point?
“And why go and offend people who may be tempted to or have voted for another party or are members of another party? That makes no sense at all.”
He goes on to say that parties who try to give “simplistic answers to very, very complex questions are always found out”.
What Mrs Badenoch is starting to do is “work out the really, really fundamental issues that need resolving and the complex answers to that, rather than simplicity.
“And I think that’s where she can win through if she gets that right.”
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