From fuel duty to sanctions, Kemi wants to make it clear how little she understands | John Crace

Assertiveness and confidence help in opposition leadership, but prime minister’s questions demand more than style. A basic understanding of facts and preparation are necessary rather than relying on headlines, social media, or vague impressions from other broadcasts. Kemi Badenoch is portrayed as failing to do the required research, making claims that do not match reality. Her response to the loss of more than 500 councillors is framed as insisting there were no losses, with councillors described as “mislaid.” She is also criticized for treating Labour’s fuel duty position as a U-turn and claiming credit for an outcome that was never going to be implemented, while the 5p cut has been maintained since 2022.

"Being assertive and sounding confident is always a good start. No leader of the opposition is going to get far without those qualities. And Kemi Badenoch certainly manages that. But winning at prime minister's questions requires something more basic than that. Something fundamental. A very basic understanding of the facts. Not just reading a headline in the papers and a few posts on social media. Not just listening to a junior minister sound a bit confused on the Today programme. You need to put in the hard yards. Or at least do some very elementary research."

"And on Wednesday, Kemi did just that. Exposing herself as lazy and shallow. So much so, that she didn't even realise she had just made a fool of herself. But then, neither did any of her MPs. For reasons that aren't entirely clear, Kemi remains the party darling. The most popular member of the shadow cabinet by a long way. There again, most of the rest of her team are deadbeats. So maybe she really is the best the Tories have to offer."

"Maybe they like a leader who responds to the loss of more than 500 councillors by insisting the Tories have suffered no losses. The councillors have just been mislaid. Lost down the back of the sofa. For Kemi, all preparation is time wasted. Time that could have been better spent picking a fight with someone. So she started with the absurd line that Labour not increasing fuel duty in the autumn was another U-turn."

"The reality was that the fuel duty increase was never going to be implemented. Just as it hasn't been for the past 15 years. And the 5p cut has been maintained since 2022. The Tory leader thought she had delivered a killer line. The reality was that she had just made herself look a bit stupid, trying to con the public that they hadn't really understood the situation."

Read at www.theguardian.com