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This time last year, as the Conservative conference began in Manchester, many commentators predicted it was only a matter of time before Kemi Badenoch was ousted and Robert Jenrick would be installed as her replacement.

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Oh what a difference twelve months can make. Robert who?

After that conference, I had a series of messages from friends saying: “I now see what you have always seen in her”.

I always had confidence that Kemi would come good. And she has, but as she well knows, there’s a long way to go before the voters will give the Conservative Party a serious hearing again.

She’s got to first base and established herself as a serious politician who is good at opposition.

She’s got the respect of her opponents as well as most of her own party. Indeed, unlike most Conservative leaders, her position as leader is unassailable. It’s a luxury no leader since David Cameron has enjoyed.

Although Andy Burnham has overtaken her as the most popular political leader in Britain, most pundits accept that this will not last beyond Christmas.

The main challenge facing Kemi Badenoch is that the popularity of her party has not caught up with her own ratings. This should not be a surprise. It is only two years since the catastrophic defeat in July 2024.

Last time they suffered........

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