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Kemi Badenoch ‘has to adapt’ her rhetoric to take on Andy Burnham

The Guardian World Thursday 23 July 2026, 18:14 UTC By Peter Walker Senior political correspondent 1 min read
Key Points

Conservative leader is becoming more confident and forging a message for her party, but faces a new opponent “So, Andy Burnham seems like a nice guy.” Those were the slightly unexpected opening words of Kemi Badenoch’s first speech since the change in prime minister. But make no mistake: she was there to bury her opponent.

Conservative leader is becoming more confident and forging a message for her party, but faces a new opponent

“So, Andy Burnham seems like a nice guy.” Those were the slightly unexpected opening words of Kemi Badenoch’s first speech since the change in prime minister. But make no mistake: she was there to bury her opponent.

Even Badenoch-sceptics inside the Conservative party and farther afield agree the Tory leader is becoming more confident, and has been able to forge an increasingly coherent message for her party, one based on a promise of economic competence.

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Kemi Badenoch (PERSON) Andy Burnham (PERSON) the Conservative party (ORG) Tory (PERSON)
Originally published by The Guardian World Read original →

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