A new book by Anthony Seldon alleges that Kemi Badenoch, then business secretary, sought to oust Rishi Sunak as prime minister in 2023. Badenoch reportedly contacted cabinet ministers about changing the leader, but ultimately decided against a challenge due to concerns about her own leadership prospects and the looming general election.
The allegations suggest significant internal division within the Conservative party during Rishi Sunak's premiership, potentially impacting voter perception and contributing to the party's subsequent election defeat.
Kemi Badenoch, the current Conservative leader, allegedly plotted to remove Rishi Sunak as prime minister months before the general election, according to a new book by Anthony Seldon.
Seldon's book, 'Sunak at 10: The Last Conservative PM?', claims that Badenoch, who served as business secretary during Sunak's premiership, contacted several cabinet ministers in 2023 to inquire about their interest in replacing Sunak. The book cites sources suggesting Badenoch did not respect Sunak, believing he had been rude to her, and sought to oust him amid internal pressure over migration policy.
One Conservative MP, now part of Badenoch's frontbench team, is quoted in the book describing her as "a menace who orchestrated trouble in the cabinet" under Sunak. Another unnamed "insider" stated Badenoch "was actively looking at bringing Sunak down, constructing imaginary cabinets and offering jobs."
Following Robert Jenrick's resignation as immigration minister in December 2023 over the Rwanda asylum seeker policy, the book alleges Badenoch discussed threatening her own resignation if Sunak did not amend the policy. Some accounts suggest Badenoch "had promised she would ‘take him out’" and contacted other ministers at this point to avoid the appearance of "wielding the knife."
Danny Kruger, a former Conservative MP, told Seldon that Badenoch "definitely wanted" to remove Sunak but was concerned about becoming a "fag-end prime minister" with an election looming. The book suggests Badenoch decided against a challenge because she believed she would be blamed for an election defeat and feared losing a leadership contest to Penny Mordaunt, then leader of the Commons.
Sunak reportedly condemned "attention-seeking" rebels and stated he was focused on running the country. His office was contacted for comment. The book posits that the perception of plotting and infighting contributed to the Conservative party's election defeat in July 2024. Badenoch became Tory leader after the election, defeating Jenrick.