One opinion poll showing the Conservatives in second place has convinced party leader Kemi Badenoch she is invincible, but her return to prime minister's questions on Wednesday suggested she remains as scattergun as ever.
In the poll, the Tories gained a couple of points and moved ahead of Reform for the first time in years. Badenoch described this as incontrovertible proof that the party was back in business, wiping clean the sins of its 14 years in government.
Badenoch's Scattergun Approach Returns
During the conference break, Badenoch appeared to have undergone a brain wipe, returning to her old habit of making things up as she goes along. She asked a series of unrelated questions rather than focusing on one subject, a tactic her advisers had previously tried to correct.
Her approach played into the hands of Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who responded with kindness and a reiteration of the facts. Burnham noted that Russia had tried to influence both the 2019 general election and the EU referendum, with evidence of Russian bots selling misinformation on social media.
MI5 Chief's Comments Spark Row
The exchange followed comments by MI5 chief Ken McCallum, who had confirmed Russia's attempts to interfere. McCallum had also suggested that dropping the story would be better for everyone, as it would only encourage the Russians. Badenoch kept the story alive by raising it at PMQs, leading to accusations she was doing the Russians' work for free.
Burnham ended by offering to debate whether Brexit had done more harm than good, an argument the Tories are not keen to have. Badenoch then asked about the budget, a question Burnham was never going to answer in advance, leaving her looking lost and clueless.
Cummings Appears Before Lords Committee
Earlier in the day, Dominic Cummings gave evidence to a Lords select committee on preventing rogue actors from entering No 10. He maintained that Boris Johnson was right to allow him to do whatever he liked, but no one else should be allowed to do the same.
The session brought back memories of the damage Cummings did during the Brexit referendum and his year in No 10, but some things never change, and we are well rid of him.
