A new book by political historian Anthony Seldon alleges that Kemi Badenoch, who served as business secretary under Rishi Sunak, attempted to orchestrate a leadership change while Sunak was still Prime Minister. According to Seldon, who has documented the tenures of every British Prime Minister since John Major, Badenoch reached out to various cabinet colleagues to gauge their interest in replacing Sunak, reportedly asking if they were interested in “changing the captain.”

The claims suggest that these discussions took place months before the general election, a period during which the Conservative Party was already grappling with internal divisions and poor polling numbers. The report highlights a significant breach of cabinet collective responsibility, had such a plot been successfully executed or even formally proposed.

In response to the allegations, an ally of Badenoch—who has since ascended to the role of Conservative Party leader—dismissed the claims entirely, describing them as “total bollocks.” The book, which provides an account of Sunak’s time in office, has not yet been fully released, leaving the specific evidence supporting Seldon’s claims currently limited to these excerpts. As of now, there has been no official comment from Rishi Sunak regarding the specific allegations made in Seldon’s work.