Kemi Badenoch needs to improve – and fast

Kemi Badenoch has not had the worst start or been the most short-lived of recent Tory leaders.

She inherited a demoralised party that had suffered the worst election defeat in its history.

But she has not committed any serious howlers, but nor has landed any heavy blows on the government.

Kemi Badenoch has had an underwhelming but not disastrous start as Tory leader. But, given her inheritance, underwhelming will not be good enough. Come the New Year , she will need to set out a clearer political strategy and engage better with her parliamentary colleagues. If not, she will have little to claim from her time as leader other than that she lasted longer than Liz Truss . [See also: Why Kemi Badenoch keeps misfiring].