Kemi Badenoch’s victory shows the Tories’ survival instinct has finally kicked in

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In fact, I think the Tories stand a better chance with Badenoch than with either Jenrick or James “Normal” Cleverly, both of whom would have been “dull versus dull” against Starmer. Tom Hamilton, the former Labour staffer who having prepared Jeremy Corbyn for Prime Minister’s Questions knows something about lost causes, said: “The Conservatives could conceivably become less weak and divided between now and the next election, although this is easier said than done. As Hamilton said: “The Conservative Party can promise to reduce immigration and improve public services, and it can put forward policies designed to do so. She said, in her admirably short acceptance speech, that the party’s task is to prepare not just a clear set of Conservative pledges “but a clear plan for how to implement them”.