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Who will win the battle for the hearts and minds of those on the right? Nigel Farage or Kemi Badenoch?
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The Three Old Hacks look at the relationship between Nigel Farage and the Conservative Party. We are seeing a reshaping of the right in British politics, says Mihir. Nigel Farage is out to destroy the Conservative Party in his mission to become prime minister.
He is making a tactical shift towards the centre, says David Smith, to take over the Conservatives' ground. While Tory Party members may be drifting towards Reform, that "is not easy for Tory MPs to contemplate", says David Smith. He thinks the Tories have repeated the mistake they made when they elected William Hague in 1997, in electing a leader who is too young to lead the party (he was then 26). Kemi Badenoch is 44, but is "not", says David, "a very good parliamentary performer."
Mihir is prepared to put money on Farage becoming prime minister one day, but Nigel Dudley thinks that the Tory party would probably survive, but may be taken over by Reform party leaders and policies.
Turning to consider Rachel Reeves' performance as Chancellor and the measures she outlined in the Spring Budget, "it has been many decades since we have had an economist in the job of Chancellor," says David, "and she definitely is an economist," whatever her political enemies may say to the contrary. Whether or not she will survive as Chancellor has more to do with the number of enemies she has made in such a short time than it does with her abilities as an economist - pensioners who have lost their winter fuel payments, parents of children in private education, farmers, and now disabled people."She expected to be swept along on a tide of goodwill," says David, but that has not been the case.
Is the Labour government's lack of popularity down to the mismatch in expectations between what they can afford and what people want from an incoming Labour government? Is it down to their lack of preparedness when they took office.
The Three Old Hacks compare and contrast with governments past and consider the Trump effect on the UK's relations with Europe.
Former Sports editor of BBC News Mihir Bose, political analyst Nigel Dudley and Economics Editor of the Sunday Times David Smith, aka the Three Old Hacks, bring their decades of experience to bear on the most pressing political developments.
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