Is Kemi Badenoch a 'realist'?

Coffee House Shots

The Spectator

News, Politics, Government, Daily News

4.4 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 25 February 2025

⏱️ 15 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Kemi Badenoch has today given a major speech outlining the Conservatives’ commitment to ‘realism’ in their foreign policy. She said, ‘You cannot help others if you cannot help yourself’, and that the sovereignty and strength of Britain matters 'above all'. She also pressed Keir Starmer to push defence spending north of the 2.5 per cent target and – as if it was all choreographed – the prime minister dutifully has, announcing in the Commons that defence spending will reach 3 per cent of GDP by the end of the next parliament. This will come at the expense of the foreign aid budget, another suggestion that the leader of the opposition made in her speech today. What is realism? Is it right to forgo our commitment to overseas aid?

Also on the podcast, we got the news yesterday that MP Mike Amesbury has been jailed for 10 weeks after punching a man in his constituency last year. His constituency, Runcorn and Helsby, could be an interesting by-election – could it be a Reform gain?

Oscar Edmondson speaks to Katy Balls and Michael Gove.

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

Transcript

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0:00.0	We're hosting our first Coffee House Shots live event of 2025 on the 26th of February at the
0:04.8	Emmanuel Centre in Westminster. Join Michael Gove, Katie Bowles, Kate Andrews and very special guests,
0:11.0	Jonathan Ashworth and Robert Jenrick for a look to the year ahead. They'll be tackling such questions
0:15.7	as, can the Chancellor reframe the budget in her first spring statement? What will Trump's first
0:20.6	100 days look like? And will reform cause and upset at the local elections? For tickets,
0:25.4	go to spectator.co.com.uk forward slash coffeehouse live.
0:33.6	Hello and welcome to Coffee House Shots the Spectator's Daily Politics podcast.
0:37.9	I'm Oskredminton and I'm joined by Katie Balls and Michael Gove.
0:41.8	And Kemi Badenock has this morning given a major speech on foreign policy.
0:46.0	Let's start with a clip.
0:47.0	You simply cannot help others if you cannot help yourself.
0:52.1	Strengthening Britain must be the principal objective at the heart of everything
0:56.9	we do. That means not elevating internationalism or progressivism above our own national interest.
1:06.0	When David Lamy talks about progressive realism, he is not serious. Progressive realism is a
1:12.4	contradiction. It means not championing ever more expansive approaches to international law
1:19.3	at the expense of British interests. It means recognising that sovereignty matters, our sovereignty
1:26.6	above all.
1:28.3	Katie, can you start by taking us through some of the top lines and telling us what the
1:32.5	balance was between policy and rhetoric here?
1:35.6	Yeah, well, I think first of course, this is Kemi Baderna, attempting to insert herself
1:39.8	into the conversation about defence, the UK's place in the world, global security after obviously
1:47.1	a fortnight that has shaken up, longstanding security relationships that the West has relied upon
	...

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