A tense moment at last year’s Conservative party conference revealed lingering friction within the leadership, as one shadow cabinet member’s lukewarm reaction to a rival’s triumph drew sharp notice. Observers recalled how the individual, visibly disengaged during a key speech, required prompting to join the applause, sparking speculation about unresolved tensions. The incident highlighted deeper divisions within the party, where personal rivalries reportedly spilled into public view. The anecdote underscores how political alliances—and their fragility—can play out even in moments of official unity.
Reminders of banished Reform UK defector were all around the Conservative party conference in BirminghamAs Kemi Badenoch basked in the applause of the Tory faithful at the close of her pivotal speech at Conservative party conference last year, one member of her shadow cabinet looked less than enthused.Robert Jenrick, bested by Badenoch in the leadership contest a year earlier, looked on, and – as one shadow cabinet member now recalls – had to be prodded by Lord Ashcroft to applaud. “If you’re plotting against someone, then you at least pretend to like them,” they say. “The thing about Robert is he’s not even a good machiavellian.” Continue reading...
