It is hard to overstate the challenges Rishi Sunak's successor faces, even setting aside the muchcited fact that the last new UK leader to take a party directly from an election defeat to government was Margaret Thatcher in 1979.
To begin with, as Badenoch acknowledged in her victory speech, which came with a warning that Tories must "tell the truth" to win back the trust of the voting public, opposition is just as difficult, especially after so long in government.
There is a sense that quite a number of the 121 remaining Conservative MPs are still only just getting used to the sparse opposition benches and limited number of select committee places.
This story is from the November 08, 2024 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
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This story is from the November 08, 2024 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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