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Newscast

Kemi Badenoch Accuses Opponents of 'Psychodrama’

Newscast

BBC

Politics, Daily News, News

4.36.6K Ratings

🗓️ 28 January 2026

⏱️ 26 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Today, Kemi Badenoch, gave a speech addressing Conservative defectors and detractors.

Adam chats to Alex, in Westminster about how Kemi Badenoch’s speech accused her opponents of ‘psychodrama’, called defectors ‘drama queens’ and presented her vision for the future of the Conservative party.

And we catch up with Chris in Beijing about what he’s seen and heard so far on his trip with the Prime Minister.

You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscord

Get in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.

New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Miranda Slade with Shiler Mahmoudi and Chloe Scannapieco. The social producer was Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Dafydd Evans. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Transcript

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0:00.0

BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts.

0:09.4

That is what it was like to be waiting for Kemi Bajenoch to deliver a big speech in Westminster

0:14.4

today, Wednesday the 28th of January. She had some very, I don't quite know how to describe it,

0:19.8

I've seen it as Ibiza-style chill-out warm-up music. But the person who was really there, for real, was Alex Forsyth. Hello. Do you want to do a, let's stick with the cool thing. Would you like to do a vibe check from the Kemi Bajenox speech? Well, like, just on the music, it's so interesting that you, like, picked up on that

0:38.1

because as I was sat in the room waiting for her to come on and deliver this speech, I actually turned to one of the other journalists that was there and said, my God, this music feels like I'm just about to start an aerobics class or something. It was really notable. So, I don't know, vibe check in the room. I mean, it was packed, it was busy.

0:55.3

Quite often parties

0:56.1

obviously do ship in supporters for these kind of events so that it does look like they've got a

1:00.0

big crowded room that they're delivering a speech to, but there really were quite a lot of people

1:03.3

at this event. And it was among the clearly conservative supporters in the room, it was really

1:09.3

well received. And we should explain to younger newscast listeners that aerobics is what people did before hit and high rocks. Oh my God, you just made me feel really old in one sentence. We're the same age though, you're nice, pretty much. So we're both really old. It's okay. Yes. Right, that's the musical analysis. In fact, there's a little bit more Kemi Bajenok musical content coming up at the end of today's newscast, but you'll get the political analysis first on this episode of Newscast. Newscast from the BBC. Fat boy sliver me in the classroom doing our violin lessons. I was the tattleail in the closet. Can I have an apology, please?

1:44.3

I trust almost nobody. That daddy has to sometimes do strong language. Next time in Moscow. I feel delulu with no salulu. Take me down to Downey Street. Let's go have a tour. Blimey. Hello, it's Adam in the newscast studio. Hello, it's Alex in the Westminster studio. And we'll be joined shortly by Chris Mason, who will give us an update on the Prime Minister's trip to China,

2:04.8

because Chris is on the plane with him. So Alex, do you want to do sort of the context of

2:09.6

Kemi Badenock's speech, first of all, like why we think she felt the need to summon you all to a room

2:14.4

with aerobics or chill out music. Yes, Insert interpretation of musical choice here. Yeah, I mean, look, the background is key,

2:21.4

because obviously what we've had in recent weeks is this steady stream, I think it's fair to say,

2:27.3

of defections from the Conservative Party to Reform UK, including some names that will be

2:32.7

familiar to people. So, of course, we had the one-time

2:35.3

Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick, who, in a day of high drama, left the Conservatives

2:40.0

Reform UK. Then there were others like Andrew Rossendell, and then most recently, Suella Braverman,

2:45.1

former Conservative Home Secretary who crossed the floor and was revealed at a Nigel Farage

2:49.9

Veterans event.

2:51.5

So I think that this was Kemi Badenock in the wake of all of that,

...

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