Does it matter if Kemi Badenoch was mean to civil servants?

Kemi Badenoch has been accused of being an unpleasant bully who targeted civil servants for unconscionable treatment. The allegations – which Badenoch has strongly denied – centre around her time at the Department for Business and Trade and emerged in the Guardian. Pippa Crerar, who is exceptionally good at her job and is arguably now the most effective left-of-centre journalists in the country, was bylined on the story. When she was at the Daily Mirror, Crerar was a central mover in the bringing down of Boris Johnson via her relentless coverage of the ‘Partygate’ furore. But this latest story is not likely to result in a similar fate for the Badenoch, the Tory leadership favourite.

Some disagree. It is already being suggested that this latest salvo will damage Badenoch’s chances of winning the contest. If it does, then that can only be due to a significant number of Tory MPs being spineless idiots.