Kemi Badenoch's Conservative reshuffle has replaced Dame Priti Patel, one of the party's staunchest pro-Brexit "spartans," with Tom Tugendhat, a former committed Remainer, as shadow foreign secretary. Political editor David Maddox argues this swap could signal a subtle softening of the Tories' Brexit stance, even though Badenoch would never openly advocate rejoining the EU, single market or customs union, given the risk of a leadership challenge from her own party.

Patel opposed every Brexit compromise and favoured a no-deal exit, while Tugendhat chaired the Commons foreign affairs committee and strongly opposed Brexit before later distancing himself from that position. Badenoch's own Brexit credentials are described as ambiguous, having backed compromise deals under Theresa May and Rishi Sunak and, as business secretary, dropping plans to scrap EU red tape. Tory sources deny any Brexit motive, citing Tugendhat's stance on Israel, China and his military background instead, though the change comes amid an exodus of moderate "wet" Conservatives to Labour and the Liberal Democrats, and criticism of Badenoch's hardline approach on issues like net zero and the European Convention on Human Rights.