Runners and riders gathering in the race to succeed Badenoch
As the Conservative Party slips ever further in the polls – and despair at Kemi Badenoch's leadership mounts – conversation naturally turns to who the party might choose once she is inevitably ousted.
The party's few remaining moderates believe that Penny Mordaunt still might be their standard-bearer if a seat could be found for the woman who lost Portsmouth North last July. They say she polls favourably even outside of the party's faithful – having become a favourite of centrist dads everywhere after her role in the King's coronation.
Mordaunt is such a threat that there is already nasty gossip about her. One story claims she only narrowly avoided a wardrobe malfunction for the ages, having burst out of her distinctive blue gown shortly before the big day, requiring a last-minute repair.
And the Tory rumour mill is also sniffy about Mordaunt's generous act of selling said dress in a charity auction, alleging that her final charitable donation seems to be minus the initial cost of the £2,000 Roni dress by Safiyaa.
As a result, Tory hopes for a revival are instead pinned on hoping that Boris Johnson might be tempted to return after all – all is forgiven, at least on the blue benches. The minute a super-safe Tory seat comes up at a by-election, expect the comeback talk to start in earnest.
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