No amount of sliding in the polls can shake Kemi Badenoch’s self-belief – or alter her party’s direction | Andy Beckett

The article argues that Kemi Badenoch’s confidence has become a defining feature of her two years as Conservative leader, even as the party’s support has declined. It says the Tories have moved further right without rethinking their approach, raising questions about whether Badenoch’s certainty reflects conviction or overconfidence.

The Conservatives stood at 26% in a polling average when she took over and have since fallen to 21%; one forecast puts them on 128 seats at the next election. The article contrasts this with earlier periods of defeat, when the party reconsidered its direction, and says Badenoch’s Conservatives remain attached to familiar policies such as deregulation, tax cuts for the prosperous and lower welfare spending.