Badenoch plotted to oust Sunak, book claims

What's happened

The Guardian and Independent report claims from Anthony Seldon’s new book that Kemi Badenoch discussed removing Rishi Sunak as prime minister in 2023, with aides saying she promised to resign if needed. Sunak has condemned rebels as attention-seekers and the fallout is linked to the 2024 Tory defeat.

What's behind the headline?

The Stakes

• Badenoch’s alleged plotting underscores deep rifts within the Tory leadership as they navigated migration policy and polling pressure.
• The timing ahead of the 2024 election amplifies the significance of internal rivalries for public perception and electoral outcomes.

What this means for readers

• If true, the claims suggest behind-the-scenes power struggles shape national policy and leadership stability.
• The episode may influence how voters view the credibility and unity of the Conservative Party ahead of any future contests.

Forecast

• The revelations will likely keep pressure on party unity discussions and could prompt denials or corroborations from named figures in subsequent coverage.

How we got here

Seldon’s biography portrays tensions within the Conservative leadership during Sunak’s tenure, with Badenoch allegedly seeking to exploit cabinet dissent amid immigration policy battles. The claims arise as the party faced an electoral setback and leadership shifts in 2024-2026.

Our analysis

The Guardian reports on Anthony Seldon’s claims about Kemi Badenoch and Rishi Sunak, citing notes from his forthcoming book and corroborating sources. The Independent is serialising excerpts. Danny Kruger and other MPs are quoted as part of Seldon’s sources. The claims center on 2023 strategy over immigration policy and 2024 leadership dynamics.

Go deeper

• What sparked Badenoch’s alleged plotting in 2023?
• How has Sunak’s leadership been affected by these claims?
• What will Conservative lawmakers do in response to the book’s disclosures?

More on these topics

• Robert Jenrick - Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government

  Robert Edward Jenrick is a British Conservative Party politician serving as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government since 2019. He has served as Member of Parliament for Newark since 2014.

• Anthony Seldon - Master of the Wellington College, Berkshire

  Sir Anthony Francis Seldon FRSA FRHistS FKC is a British educator and contemporary historian. As an author, he is known in part for his political biographies of Margaret Thatcher, John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Theresa May.

• Rishi Sunak - Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

  Rishi Sunak is a British politician who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party since 2022.

• Kemi Badenoch - British politician and Leader of the Opposition to the British Government (2024–present) and Leader of the Conservative Party since 2024 (born 1980)

  Olukemi Olufunto Adegoke Badenoch (née Adegoke; born 2 January 1980) is a British politician who has served as Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Conservative Party since November 2024. Badenoch previously worked in the Cabinet for prime minister

• United Kingdom - Country in Europe

  The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom or Britain, is a sovereign country located off the north­western coast of the European mainland.