The House of Commons witnessed a deeply personal and confrontational exchange during the Budget debate, as Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch launched what many are calling a "chilling" attack on Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
A Display of Contempt in the Commons
During her response to the Budget on Wednesday 26 November 2025, Badenoch's criticism quickly turned personal. After observing Labour leader Keir Starmer whispering to Reeves, Badenoch taunted: "Is he mansplaining to you by the way? Is he mansplaining? Do you want help? Would you like some help?"
The tension escalated when Badenoch delivered Reeves's formal title, "the Right Honourable Lady," with what observers described as contemptuous delivery. She spat the words across the floor, setting the tone for an attack that would extend beyond political disagreement into deeply personal territory.
Badenoch accused Reeves of "wallowing in self pity and whining" about misogyny, adding in a pointed remark: "Let me explain to the chancellor, woman to woman, people out there aren't complaining because she's female. They're complaining because she's utterly incompetent."
The Dangerous Rhetoric of Women-Hating-Women
What made the exchange particularly concerning to many observers was Badenoch's adoption of what commentator Joy Lo Dico describes as "women-hating-women" rhetoric. At one point, Badenoch put on a high, whiny voice, pretending to be Reeves: "'I interrupt your Cheerios to bring you this message about income tax.'"
This performance, according to analysis, served two purposes. Firstly, it positioned Badenoch as stronger than Reeves, suggesting that concerns about "mansplaining" don't affect her. Secondly, it signaled to traditional male voters - and some women - that she rejects feminist solidarity in favour of a "each for themselves" approach.
The danger, as Lo Dico notes, is that Badenoch effectively told her own political tribe that it's acceptable to speak to women with disdain. This raises troubling questions about how she would respond if one of her own backbenchers came to her with complaints about similar treatment.
Beyond Political Disagreement
There's an important distinction between healthy political argument and personal attacks that undermine women's legitimate observations about their treatment. As Lo Dico argues from her experience founding The Trouble Club women's talks group, women should absolutely argue with each other respectfully about areas of expertise.
However, telling another woman that her observations about her own treatment are invalid or pathetic crosses a dangerous line. This approach risks undermining the progress women have made through speaking up about their experiences - from securing voting rights to equal pay and the MeToo movement.
The Conservatives' traditional strengths - fiscal conservatism and free speech - have both suffered recent blows. Liz Truss damaged the first, while Badenoch's insulting language in this exchange may have compromised the second by shutting down rather than enabling genuine discourse.
Ultimately, while Reeves framed her Budget as part of her resistance to misogyny, Badenoch has turned the argument into one about anti-feminism - a risky strategy that may have consequences when "the men in the grey suits" eventually come calling.
