Seldon book alleges Badenoch sought to oust Sunak over migration policy

A new book by historian Anthony Seldon alleges that Kemi Badenoch plotted with Conservative cabinet ministers to remove Rishi Sunak as prime minister in 2023, months before the general election. The publication, titled *Sunak at 10: The Last Conservative PM?*, suggests that Badenoch, who served as business secretary at the time, phoned colleagues to ask if anyone was interested in “changing the captain” following internal pressure over migration policy.

The book, which is being serialised in the Independent, claims Badenoch did not respect Sunak, believing he had been rude to her. It cites a series of sources, including an unnamed “insider,” who stated that Badenoch was “actively looking at bringing Sunak down, constructing imaginary cabinets and offering jobs.” Another Conservative MP, now on Badenoch’s frontbench team, is quoted describing her as “a menace who orchestrated trouble in the cabinet.”

The alleged plotting intensified after Robert Jenrick resigned as immigration minister in December 2023 over the details of the plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda. According to Seldon, Badenoch discussed threatening to resign from the cabinet if Sunak did not amend the policy. It was at this point that she reportedly contacted other ministers to gauge support for a change in leadership, aiming to “avoid the image of wielding the knife.”

Danny Kruger, a former Conservative MP who has since defected to Reform, told Seldon that Badenoch “definitely wanted” to remove Sunak but feared being a “fag-end prime minister” given the looming election. The book suggests Badenoch ultimately decided against a challenge due to fears of being blamed for an election defeat and potentially losing a leadership contest to Penny Mordaunt, the then leader of the Commons.

In response to the allegations, an ally of Badenoch, who is now the Conservative leader, dismissed the claim as “total bollocks.” Sunak, who became prime minister without a contest after Liz Truss’s brief premiership, stated that the impression of infighting contributed to the Conservative defeat in July 2024. He previously told allies that he was not going to “rise to the bait” of what he called “attention-seeking” rebels.

Badenoch served in Sunak’s cabinet throughout his time as prime minister, first as trade secretary and then as business secretary. She became the Conservative leader following the July 2024 general election defeat, beating Robert Jenrick in a vote of party members. Sunak’s office was contacted for comment regarding the new allegations.