# Can Kemi really save the Tories? | with Lee Cain

An episode of [Coffee House Shots](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1101754136), 22 May 2026, 31 min.

Audio: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/68359028e1abc4be6b032cd1/e/6a0f3ea1294da705c35a8bd2/media.mp3?tk=eyJ0ayI6ImRlZmF1bHQiLCJhZHMiOnRydWUsInNwb25zIjp0cnVlLCJzdGF0dXMiOiJwdWJsaWMifQ==&sig=BC01vab2AsBsz62pUeGRV0VOBSyhkBu8NvqikB6p2Cw

The Labour leadership contest may be rumbling on in the background, but today Coffee House turns to the Conservatives – and whether Kemi Badenoch can really revive a party still reeling from electoral collapse. Her allies argue that Badenoch is beginning to cut through: from her conference speech to her response to Rachel Reeves’s Budget, and her decision to sack Robert Jenrick. Her personal ratings have improved, even as the Tory brand remains deeply damaged. But is that enough? Can Badenoch turn the Conservatives into a serious vehicle for change? Is the Tory brand beyond repair? And could the party eventually find itself forced into some kind of deal with Reform? Tim Shipman is joined by Noa Hoffman and Boris Johnson's former director of communications Lee Cain to discuss Kemi’s dilemma – and whether the Conservative party is dead, or merely resting. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shows are listed from Apple Podcasts' charts and directory, and Podcast Index where it is used. Every show and episode belongs to its publisher and plays from the publisher's own feed; this site hosts none of them.