Kemi Badenoch did not have “enough confidence” as Tory leader to begin with, but is now “blossoming”, a shadow cabinet minister has said.
Speaking from the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, Victoria Atkins told the Sky News Electoral Dysfunction podcast with political editor Beth Rigby that Ms Badenoch was now “going with her instinct”.
Asked what Ms Badenoch’s strengths and weaknesses are, the shadow environment secretary said: “She doesn’t have enough confidence in herself, in that I know that she has been really wanting to listen and absorb this year.
“And I think this conference we’re seeing her having that confidence, having been in that role for a while now, she’s got that confidence and she’s going with her instinct, and I think that’s really exciting.”
She added: “We are seeing Kemi I think really blossoming and coming into her own on this.”
Ms Badenoch has faced questions over her leadership as the Tories continue to languish behind Labour and Reform in the polls, following their worst-ever general election defeat last year.
An exclusive poll of Tory members for Sky News found half of them think she should not lead the party into the next election.
Elsewhere during the podcast, Ms Atkins said she had “sorrow” about her boss’s plans for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) but it was necessary to “deal with real life”.
The ECHR issue has long divided the party, with moderates from the “one nation” wing typically opposed to the idea, while others on the right of the party think it is necessary to get a grip on illegal immigration.
Ms Atkins defines herself as a “one nation” Conservative. However, unlike fellow one-nation Tory Robert Buckland, a former justice secretary and Lord Chancellor, she backs the plans.
“I share his sorrow but I also have to deal with the politics of today,” she said.
“We see this disenfranchisement between the law as it is now interpreted and what people want to see from the government of the day and also the protection of our borders.
“And I think that the sadness actually is the way that the court and indeed, judgments flowing from the courtroom, the European Court, have been used.
“That is a great sadness to me, but we have to deal with real life.”
