Kemi Badenoch is preparing to reshuffle her shadow cabinet within days as she attempts to contain growing frustration among Conservative backbenchers over the performance of the party’s senior opposition team.
The changes, expected before the Conservatives’ annual conference in October, would represent Mrs Badenoch’s second reshuffle since becoming party leader and are likely to bring a number of newer MPs into prominent positions.
The shake-up comes amid mounting pressure on the Conservatives to rebuild their political appeal as Nigel Farage’s Reform UK continues to compete aggressively for the party’s former support.
One Conservative insider told the Telegraph: “A lot of the new intake want jobs because they think that the shadow cabinet are lazy and they are having to pick up a lot of the slack.”
Claire Coutinho, the shadow energy secretary, is expected to leave the front bench before beginning maternity leave. Helen Grant, the shadow attorney general and MP for Maidstone & Malling, is also expected to depart after announcing that she will not contest the next general election.
The changes could create opportunities for members of the 2024 intake who have so far remained outside the senior opposition team.
Harriet Cross, the MP for Gordon and Buchan, is among those tipped for promotion after receiving praise for her role in the recent Aberdeen South by-election campaign.
Katie Lam, MP for Weald of Kent, is also understood to be under consideration for a more prominent role.
The reshuffle could nevertheless become more politically significant if Mrs Badenoch decides to alter the top of her economic and foreign affairs teams.
Sir Mel Stride, the shadow chancellor, and Dame Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary, have both been mentioned by Conservative insiders as possible departures.
Dame Priti, a former home secretary, has faced criticism from some colleagues who accuse her of being “invisible” on the national political stage.
The Conservatives are also under pressure from Reform on the cost of living, an area where Mr Farage’s party has sought to establish itself as the principal alternative on the right.
Despite this, Conservative MPs regard the party as retaining greater credibility on the wider management of the economy, creating a complicated calculation for Mrs Badenoch as she considers whether to alter her senior team.
For now, both Sir Mel and Dame Priti are understood to be likely to retain their positions, partly because Mrs Badenoch has yet to settle on convincing replacements.
The reshuffle will therefore be closely watched for signs of whether the Conservative leader intends merely to refresh her front bench or make a broader attempt to reset the party’s strategy.
With Reform continuing to challenge the Conservatives for support, pressure is likely to remain on Mrs Badenoch to demonstrate that her opposition operation can provide a credible alternative to the government while rebuilding support among voters who abandoned the party at the last election.
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