Posh boy and working-class girl take centre stage as Tory leadership battle hots up

Politicians, we know only too well, are fond of repetition.

With Sir Keir Starmer it’s: “My father was a toolmaker.”

With Sadiq Khan it’s: “Did I ever tell you my dad was a bus driver?”

With Tom Tugendhat it’s: “I was a soldier. I served my country.” No, really, Tom?

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As the “fireside chats” with the four Tory leadership candidates got under way on the conference stage, he must have mentioned his military background at least a dozen times.

“I’ve spent 25 years serving our country in different ways,” he said. “I’ve served on operations in Iraq, in Afghanistan, as you know. And I’ve fought our country’s battles quite literally, personally.”

Stirring stuff! But we did learn some new facts about Major Tom, who eventually rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel in his army career.

For instance, who knew that he could change a nappy during a radio interview, for instance? Or that he can mow a lawn in a straight line?

Very useful skills!

When asked about downing pints of beer, he also revealed that he gave up drinking when he became security minister.

His three rivals in the battle for the Tory crown – Kemi Badenoch, Robert Jenrick and James Cleverly – all have considerably more experience in government.

But to be fair, when this was put to him by interviewer Christopher Hope, he borrowed a Ronald Reagan gag against his younger presidential opponent in a TV debate in 1984.

“I’m not going to hold against anybody their inexperience in combat or their inexperience in foreign affairs,” said Mr Tugendhat. “I won’t hold against them the areas where they didn’t serve our country and didn’t put their lives on the line.”

That military reference again.

His Q&A included plenty of clearly rehearsed soundbites. But his five priorities were – it must be said – mind-numbingly dull. Number one, for instance, was reform of Tory HQ.

Once again, as he had been by Sky News’ Trevor Phillips, Mr Tugendhat was asked about his posh background. And yet again, he answered by claiming he learned about the country from serving in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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But when it was Kemi Badenoch’s turn, she claimed – not for the first time – that when she came to the UK from Nigeria working in McDonald’s had made her working class.

“It wasn’t working at McDonald’s that made me working class,” she said this time. “It was an example of how I had become working class…

“Sometimes I was hungry. I was on my own. I had a place to live, but I had to do everything myself at a very young age. If that is not working class, I don’t know what working class is.”

She delighted her supporters by comparing herself to Margaret Thatcher, claiming that Maggie, too, was misrepresented over her infamous “no such thing as society” quotation, just as she had been over her “excessive” maternity pay this week.

Not entirely convincing, but she got away with it.

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Where she was strong, however, was in rejecting calls from her rivals for a shorter leadership contest, so the winner can respond to Rachel Reeves’ Budget on October 30.

The Conservative Party wouldn’t look serious if it did that, she said, and the task was better left to Rishi Sunak, a former chancellor, she added.

Both leadership rivals were asked about the darling of the Tory activists, Boris Johnson. And to please them, both were complimentary about him.

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Mr Tugendhat praised the former prime minister’s record on Ukraine and vaccines and Ms Badenoch spoke of her sadness when she resigned from his government.

Playing to the Boris-adoring gallery, she says she loved him, defended him over the wallpaper controversy and thought he was being unfairly hounded over Partygate.

Must have been reading the newspaper serialisation of his memoirs!

Overall, this was a relaxed and good-humoured performance from the often feisty and combative Ms Badenoch, showing a softer side and even giggling at times. And she ended by declaring: “We have got to save the British pub.”

And with that, while the posh boy and the working-class girl continued their campaigning, the Tory activists in the hall headed for the pub.