1 April 2025, 19:31

By Natasha Clark

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch says she doesn't have time to watch telly.

Of course, the job of Opposition leader is pretty busy, but it seems a little far-fetched to say she doesn't have time to see a show which is dominating our political discussion.

She told Nick Ferrari this morning: "I haven't watched it. I don't have time to watch anything these days, but I have read about it.

"I pay attention. But I'm not going to watch every single thing that everybody's watching on Netflix. I do know what they're watching and I know what it's about."

Even the Prime Minister's found time to watch it with his teenage kids, and says it was so powerful for him that everyone should tune in.

I caught it before it became one of Netflix's most watched shows this year, and it was blindly obvious from the start this was going to be a compelling tale that would stick with the viewer long beyond the length of four hour-long episodes.

Of course, politicians don't have the time to watch everything.

But you only have to remember the heartbreaking effect the ITV drama, the 'Mr Bates vs the Post Office' to see the influence that culture, and telly, can have on our politics.

However, Ms Badenoch played down its significance.

She described it as "a fictional representation of a story that is actually quite different", that it's "not the biggest thing that is happening in the world today" and claimed that there are "bigger problems, such as Islamic terrorism, and that kind of radicalisation".

This is puzzling to say the least. The issue of online safety and our young people is a huge political hot potato at the moment - not least within the Tory party........

© LBC