Kemi Badenoch is the Tory leader.

Even the Conservative Party leader did not deny that the Tories are “sliding into irrelevance” in a bizarre exchange with a journalist today.

After delivering a speech explaining how her party were offering to work with the government on its plans to cut the welfare bill, Kemi Badenoch just side-stepped a question about just how much weight her party still carries.

GB News’ Chris Hope said: “Last night, at the parliamentary Labour Party, Keir Starmer talked about Reform UK twice, talked about the Green Party as the problem facing Labour.

“Today, [education secretary] Bridget Phillipson talks more about Reform – doesn’t mention the Tory Party.

“You haven’t mentioned Reform at all in your speech. Do you worry that you’re sliding into irrelevance in politics as a party?”

She replied: “Reform want to increase welfare spending. I did mention them. I said, ‘every single other party’. They don’t get any special treatment, they’re just as bad as all the other left-wing parties.”

That caused some half-hearted applause around the room, while Badenoch continued: “The fact is the prime minister is facing a political crisis.

“He is now more focused on what is going on........

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