The Trade Secretary is seen to be among the leading contenders to replace Rishi Sunak as leader if the Conservatives lose the next election.
But appearing at a fringe event in Manchester hosted by The Spectator, she said media speculation about her ambitions was unhelpful. “We want you Kemi!” someone shouted from the floor during the event when host Fraser Nelson raised the prospect of her becoming Tory leader.
“It is a problem, because it makes people think you are not a team player… when actually the complete opposite is true.” She said Rishi Sunak, who she praised as “unbelievably clever”, had faced the same problem as chancellor. She urged party members against playing “fantasy politics” – but did not rule out another run at the leadership in the future. “Labour are coming for us. We need to stop messing around and get focused on winning the next election,” she said.We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times.
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