‘Kemi hates doing media’: Tory anxiety after 100 days of Badenoch leadership

Open panic has yet to set in but MPs voice growing fears over leader's approach and threat from Reform UK

On Monday, it will be 100 days since Kemi Badenoch became the leader of a demoralised rump of 121 Conservative MPs. So, at this traditional moment for gauging initial success, how well is she doing? It depends, perhaps inevitably, on how you measure it.

What you have to remember is that for the first 18 or so months after you lose an election, especially as badly as we did, no one cares what you do," one Tory MP said. From that point of view, Kemi's caution in not rushing into policies makes sense. No one is listening yet. She has time."