Beer, bafflement and Badenoch: a weekend to remember in Shanklin Con Club

Islanders enjoying a quiet afternoon at the Shanklin Conservative Club yesterday afternoon were in for an unexpected chaser of politics with their pints when Tory leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch made an appearance.

For those focused on watching football, the visit was both surprising and seemingly unwelcome. Whispers that the TV volume was turned up to drown out her speech might be wide of the mark – but who wouldn’t prefer a bit of footie drama over serious political discourse?

Although one of the two remaining Conservative leadership contenders visited the Island, she opted not to engage with the local media. Baffled local Tories contacted the IW Observer, puzzled that only the Isle of Wight County Press, part of media giant Newsquest, was invited to the event. Meanwhile, locally-owned media, such as the IW Observer and Island Echo, were missed off the guest list. However, as is often the case, those in the know were happy to share insights and their thoughts with your favourite local newspaper.

Kemi was accompanied by ex-MP Bob Seely, who seemed to be in charge of the visit. Despite losing his seat in July, he is said to remain chummy with the County Press. Could it have been he who organised their exclusive golden ticket? Some members were upset that any media at all were present at what was supposed to be a party-members only event. One said “We had to give our names on the door and they were checked off against membership lists – nobody knows how she got in”. Some thought it might have been prudent for Kemi to appear to be working rather more closely with Joe Robertson, the only Tory MP on the Island, who represents Isle of Wight East. Perhaps she is unaware of her “friend” Bob’s clever knack of always backing losing Tory candidates – although he did also support Liz Truss – and we all remember how that turned out.

Reports say around 80 members, less than 20 per cent of the local membership, attended to hear her speak—a modest turnout by any measure.

Kemi’s speech was described as “policy-lite,” seemingly a reiteration of her national message with next to no local tailoring. The main theme appeared to be criticising the Labour Party, which will doubtless have put a smile on Bob’s face, given his defeat by Labour’s Richard Quigley. Her claim that Labour is supported by “fake charities” certainly raised some eyebrows. She mentioned that she believed we would  eventually need to leave the European Court of Human Rights but preferred to explore other options first—a comment one attendee deemed “obviously a complete waste of time and effort.” After previously suggesting many civil servants belonged in jail, it was surprising to hear her say this afternoon that many are “very good” but don’t know how to do their jobs. It might be an idea for Kemi to get her hands on a copy of Dale Carnegie’s classic book ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’.

Warning “beware of lawyers” whilst standing next to Joe Robertson, newly elected MP – and a former solicitor, seemed rather tactless—or possibly a line fed to her by Bob. Joe’s reaction was described as “startled – but trying to look as though he hadn’t noticed and hoped nobody else had either.”

There were some fans there though. One said: “It was a really good visit, she came across as professional, friendly and knew what she was doing”. Pity she doesn’t seem to want to make friends with the local press – perhaps she’s worried we might ask her some more difficult questions than the Tory faithful. Like how much her ferry ticket cost.

After leaving the Shanklin Conservative Club suitably roused, Kemi was driven to East Cowes by her mate Bob. Helpful members tipped off the IW Observer, enabling our photographer to capture her in front of the iconic Union Jack doors at Wight Shipyard. Bob attempted to shoo him away, citing the need to “do some filming,” presumably to try to get the 80 per cent of members who didn’t bother to show up to vote for his bestie.

Attempts to secure a telephone interview failed, despite confirmation that our request had been passed on to her entourage of at least six “hangers-on” (plus Bob).

Does Kemi’s reluctance to engage, even with the local press on the Isle of Wight, raise questions about her readiness to handle the role of Tory Party leader and potentially the country. If she’s apprehensive about questions from us, how will she manage the scrutiny that comes with leading a nation? However, given the Tories’ recent history of quickly killing off their leaders, even if she wins (and she’s currently the frontrunner), it’s unlikely she’ll remain in the post for long – odds are she’ll be ousted in months!