Tory leadership candidates are set to face off at the party conference, with Jenrick, Cleverly, Badenoch, and Tugendhat each given 20 minutes to present their vision to party members. However, recent commentary suggests that Kemi Badenoch's bold remarks during the conference may have backfired. According to Dan Bloom's briefing for Politico, some senior Tories believe her candid comments on issues like maternity pay and the minimum wage have negatively impacted her standing with MPs, who will participate in knockout rounds next week. One former minister supporting a rival candidate remarked, “She messed up on day one.” Critics within the party have accused Badenoch of “gaslighting” MPs by attributing her controversial statements to media misinterpretation. A supporter of another candidate noted, “Every time she speaks, it seems to get worse for her. The longer this contest goes on, the better it is for everyone else.” Badenoch's confrontational approach and her readiness to engage in contentious debates may have raised concerns among MPs about her potential behavior as a leader, according to one lawmaker. Another described her campaign as having unraveled due to her remarks, while a third suggested that she needs a strong week to solidify her position among MPs, which has not yet occurred.

**Madness Reigns at the Tory Conference in Birmingham** As the leadership contenders compete to outdo one another in absurdity, it’s no surprise that Boris Johnson has once again stolen the spotlight with his outrageous antics. Consider the perspective of the so-called Fearless Four. Having already dispatched formidable opponents like Priti Patel and Mel Stride, they now find themselves in the chaotic arena of the Birmingham conference. They’ve plunged into a dismal environment where rational thought seems to have vanished, leaving behind only the clinically insane and the hopelessly misguided. In this bizarre setting, the most sensible voice might just be that of Michael Fabricant’s infamous rug, yearning for a return to sanity. Welcome to the Tory party conference, a true spectacle of political madness.