Mark Dolan shared his view on Kemi Badenoch being elected at Tory leader
The results are in. The job that, frankly, no one in their right mind should ever want has been awarded to fearless Anti-woke warrior Kemi Badenoch.
Let's be honest, following the elimination of Tory centrist James Cleverly, whose team not so cleverly assumed that he was going to win, the party faithful have for once been offered a choice of two actual Conservatives.
I know. Imagine my surprise. And both candidates have terrific qualities, Robert Jenrick has emerged from the clutches of the Remain One Nation Tory crowd who are, if we're honest, glorified Liberal Democrats and he has demonstrated a sincere concern about the direction of the party and of the country.
If Kemi Badenoch is smart, and I'm pretty sure she is, she will accommodate Jenrick's, bold ideas, including reducing legal net migration drastically and rethinking the ECHR and the Human Rights Act in order to stop the boats, which, let's not forget, remains a humanitarian, economic and national security disaster.
A credible plan to end those crossings alone could see the Tories back in power in five years time, embarrassing Labour and neutralising Reform in one fell swoop. Following a relatively tight race and a decent turnout of well over 70 per cent, Kemi Badenoch must now make Robert Jenrick a key figure in her political revolution.
The man, who yesterday was her opponent, should today be her colleague, friend and political secret weapon. The weakness of Badenoch campaign, if there was one, was a lack of substance, but with bold plans for taxation, the NHS, the role of the state and our Constitution Jenrick has substance in abundance.
But in the end, despite Badenoch offering more poetry than policy, the membership followed their guts and chose a candidate that is the real deal authentic, fearless and a Conservative to her core. Having experienced socialism in Nigeria whilst growing up, she has a profound allergy to leftist ideology.
She's seen how divisive and toxic it is, and as this week's budget will prove in the years ahead, What a failed economic model it is as well. Which is why businesses must transform the Tories from being the con-socialists to the Conservatives again.
Her job is to fix the party before she fixes the country, and that starts with taking on the Tory wets, as Margaret Thatcher did in 1979. For now, the Conservative Party, the most effective political machine in the history of Western democracy, can celebrate a vibrant, exciting new leader who will make headlines, will make noise, and will make trouble.
Let's not forget this is a party that gave the world Winston Churchill, who defeated fascism and saved the West. It's the party of Margaret Thatcher who liberated the working class and sparked an economic revolution. It is the party of yes, Boris Johnson, who, notwithstanding the disaster of ruinous lockdowns and Covid tyranny, Saved us from a Jeremy Corbyn led government and liberated us from the clutches of Europe.
Ultimately, today is a good result for the Conservative Party and for the country. Here is part of a piece that I wrote about her victory in today's Daily Telegraph, which, let me tell you, made quite the splash I wrote: "Well, Kemi can tackle illegal immigration without being called racist. She will make mincemeat of Sir Keir Starmer in the House of Commons. PMQs will be weekly, must see TV and she will stand up to the worst excesses of woke."
Indeed she will. The Prime Minister will be bricking it. Absolutely bricking it.
Following Labour's catastrophic Halloween budget, which has consigned us to five years of low growth, high tax and eyewatering debt, I can't think of a time when we've needed a strong opposition more, and we've got that in spades with the fearless trailblazer that is Kemi Badenoch.
The Tories are back, folks. It is game on, and considering what's coming his way, Sir Keir Starmer may want to invest in a pair of brown trousers.