Kemi Badenoch (Image: PA)
There was a ripple of excitement around Westminster today as Kemi Badenoch gave her first major speech as Tory leader.
It was announced via a somewhat cryptic message from the Conservative Party, promising news on immigration.
This led to a hungry pack of parliamentary journalists – me included – migrating 600 yards from the Houses of Parliament to one of Westminster’s newest political haunts – Old Queen Street Cafe – to hear what the leader of the opposition had to offer.
Fresh from pummelling Sir during Prime Minister’s Questions, expectations were high.
In a pre-emptive strike, Ms Badenoch – flanked by Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp – announced that new figures on Thursday will show that net migration has dropped.
Kemi Badenoch speaks on immigration (Image: PA)
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This, she said, was because of the policies that the previous Tory government put in place.
She admitted that the had to win back the public trust on immigration but warned that Labour could never be trusted to tackle it.
While promising to cap numbers, review Britain’s membership of the ECHR and a zero tolerance to foreign criminals Ms Badenoch failed to put any meat on the bones of some fairly strong rhetoric.
Nor did she when it came to getting a grip on illegal migration, which Labour are failing badly at, merely insisting that a strong deterrent needs to be put in place.
It wasn’t quite the fireworks journalists were led to believe were on the way.
But it’s been a pretty good day for the opposition leader and another bad day at the office for the Prime Minister.