Badenoch had to hug an old rival – and she chose wisely

Kemi Badenoch faced a fork in the road. She needed to embrace one of her previous rivals and use either James Cleverly or Robert Jenrick to prop up her leadership of the Conservative Party. Luckily, she chose correctly, welcoming back Cleverly, the sensible centrist, while keeping Jenrick, the Reform-lite offering, at arm’s length.

- JOHN RENTOUL CHIEF POLITICAL COMMENTATOR

This decision makes use of the authentic person-of-the-people communication skills of Cleverly, pitching them against the authentic person-of-the-people ditto of Angela Rayner. By installing Cleverly as the deputy prime minister’s shadow, Badenoch hints that he is her deputy without actually giving him that title.

We are told that she will continue to rotate shadow cabinet ministers to stand in for her against Rayner at Prime Minister’s Questions when Keir Starmer is away, but Cleverly is clearly “second among equals”.

Badenoch needs a big hitter to help keep the Tory party anchored to the centre ground. By keeping Mel Stride as shadow chancellor - the post that Jenrick wants - and recruiting Cleverly to the top team, she keeps the party on the path of fiscal responsibility and compassionate realism.