Backing Badenoch is a risk the Tories should take

Whoever is chosen to lead the Conservative party will be plunged into a storm of problems needing rapid and decisive action. This will require a fresh mind, boundless energy and courage. In short, the attributes of youth. This puts Kemi Badenoch and Rishi Sunak – both 42 years of age – at an advantage. Sunak, the current frontrunner, came across as suave and impressive in his leadership pitch yesterday. But Badenoch looks to be the better option for a Tory party – and for a country – in need of radical change.

Too many leading politicians seem exhausted by office. At a time of soaring inflation and the threat of a summer of strikes, this is no time for an old hand. The next Tory leader and prime minister must perform a delicate balancing act of managing our public debt without stifling the economy. Across the Channel, the eurozone looks as though it is heading into another financial crisis that may hit us too, and all the more if we do not protect ourselves from its shock waves – something we have done far too slowly since 2016.