The final two contenders in the latest Tory leadership contest are Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick. Both are on the right of the Party and in the wider world have hard right to far right politics.
The most striking thing about them is NOT that they are new contenders offering a way forward after the Tories worst Election defeat since 1832. Its true that neither have any experience of being in Opposition, let alone of leading anything. Jenrick was elected in 2014 and Badenoch in 2017.
However….
Jenrick was a Housing Minister under Johnson, and when he was ejected in 2022 he backed Sunak for leader. Despite this he was appointed Minister of State for Health in Truss’s 49 day interregnum. After that he achieved Cabinet rank as an Immigration Minister.
Badenoch was sponsored by Michael Gove and hence heavily promoted by the Murdoch media with whom Gove had a special relationship (it seemed). She also served as a Minister under Truss in this case for International Trade. She had previously held various Ministerial positions under the Johnson Government from 2019 including Minister for Equalities.
In short both Badenoch and Jenrick have a lot of legacy baggage to account for
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