Kemi Badenoch tops poll as most popular Tory minister
Kemi Badenoch tops poll as most popular Tory minister among Conservative party members while Rishi Sunak and other senior figures slump into negative territory
- Business Secretary has net satisfaction rating of +59 in ConservativeHome poll
Kemi Badenoch topped an influential poll of Tory activists today as Rishi Sunak’s ratings slumped.
The Business Secretary received a net satisfaction rating of +59 among activists polled by news blog ConservativeHome.
The rating put her at the top of the monthly Cabinet league table, following the resignation last week of defence secretary Ben Wallace, who had been the most popular minister among activists for months.
It came as the ratings for the Prime Minister and other senior figures slipped further into negative territory.
Last month, Mr Sunak received a net satisfaction rating of +21. But following a lacklustre summer, this has slipped to -3.8 in the latest survey.
The Business Secretary, Kemi Badenoch, topped ConservativeHome’s monthly Cabinet league table
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt fared worse, with a rating of -15.6, while immigration minister Robert Jenrick came bottom with -27.7, reflecting grassroot anger over the failure to ‘stop the boats’.
Grant Shapps, who replaced Mr Wallace at defence last week, also fared badly, with a rating of -10.6.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan saw her rating fall from +32 to +9.7, even before this week’s four-letter outburst over the crumbling concrete crisis in schools.
The survey is seen as a useful snapshot of opinion and a guide to the likely frontrunners in a future leadership contest.
Other ministers who polled well included Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt, with a rating of +47.5, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly on +43.9 and veterans minister Johnny Mercer on +39.5.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman recorded a positive satisfaction rating of +21.6 despite the migrant crisis.
Mrs Badenoch’s role in leading negotiations on new trade deals has made her popular with Brexit-backing Tory activists.
In her role as equalities minister, she has also proved an outspoken opponent of gender self-identification.
Ms Badenoch (pictured outside No 10 Downing Street with Cabinet minister Mel Stride), came fourth in last summer’s Tory leadership contest
She came fourth in last summer’s Tory leadership contest and the new survey suggests she would start any new race as a leading candidate.
Ms Mordaunt, who came third last summer, has since had her profile boosted by her prominent role in the coronation.
Former Tory MP Paul Goodman, now editor of ConHome, said the low overall satisfaction ratings suggested that many activists were ‘demoralised’ and ‘braced for defeat’.
Mr Goodman acknowledged that the panel of activists whose views are surveyed can be ‘fickle’, but added: ‘All the same, this is a bleak return for the Government as parliament resumes.’
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