Kemi Badenoch speaks with confidence, but confidence is not judgement. Her support for Trump over Iran raises a wider question about modern politics: whether sharp performance and quick positioning are being mistaken for the seriousness needed to address Britain’s long-term problems.
Reform may appear to offer rescue from the failures of Labour and the Conservatives, but no party can escape the hard arithmetic of modern Britain. Debt, ageing populations, public-service strain, defence costs, local decline, and voter impatience will confront whoever takes power. The politics of restoration is powerful when people despair, but history warns that promises of strength and renewal can disappoint — or become dangerous — when reality refuses to obey.