Book claims Badenoch sought to oust Sunak while serving in his cabinet

A new book by political biographer Anthony Seldon alleges Kemi Badenoch phoned Conservative cabinet ministers in 2023 asking if anyone was "interested in changing the captain" — removing then-PM Rishi Sunak. Badenoch now leads the Conservative Party in opposition. The book, "Sunak at 10," is serialised in The Independent ahead of its 27 August 2026 publication.