While Kemi Badenoch professed her loyalty to the prime minister, her outing on the airwaves this weekend may only add to the desire some have for her to take over as Conservative leader.
The business secretary’s interview with Trevor Phillips touched on Gaza, the Post Office, post-Brexit trade and so-called culture war issues like trans rights and Britain’s colonial history.
As veteran Tory commentator Tim Montgomerie pointed out, on all these subjects Ms Badenoch spoke with “clarity, focus and grit”.
Or to put it another way, she made exactly the sorts of noises that disillusioned Tories want to hear coming from a party leader.
So what lies behind the cabinet minister’s frank dismissal of those who have been touting her name as replacement for Rishi Sunak?
For a start, she may well believe that changing prime minister again this close to a general election would likely cause electoral damage rather than limit it.
On top of this, it’s important to remember this week’s plot against Rishi Sunak quickly fizzled out, with little desire from MPs for another change in leader.
For now, leadership hopefuls may benefit from biding their time and staying loyal while simultaneously trying to impress colleagues through their actions rather than their words.
