Kemi Badenoch’s growing popularity makes her vulnerable

The news is grim for supporters of Kemi Badenoch: our heroine has climbed to the top of the Conservative Home website’s monthly cabinet popularity table. This further cements her rating with the bookies as favourite to take over as Tory leader when Rishi Sunak’s race is run – and let’s be honest, that race does not seemed destined to go beyond the mid-distance. 

Surely this is a happy turn of events for we Badenochians, you might think? Hardly. She might as well now have a target painted on her back. As one colleague puts it: ‘When you are seen as heir apparent, you are the person standing in the way of all the other people who think they should be the next leader. And that’s nearly everyone, by the way.’

Looking back over Badenoch’s press cuttings for August lends few clues as to why this disquieting turn of events has taken place.