D'oh! New Tory blunder as 'secret papers on policy discussions and strategic planning accidentally emailed to Labour aide'

D'oh! New Tory blunder as 'secret papers on policy discussions and strategic planning accidentally emailed to Labour aide' By GLEN OWEN and ANNA MIKHAILOVA Published: 19:38 EDT, 19 April 2025 | Updated: 19:40 EDT, 19 April 2025 e-mail View comments Secret Tory documents ended up in Labour hands after accidentally being emailed to a researcher with the same name as an aide to Kemi Badenoch , it was claimed last night. Labour sources said they have been privy to policy discussions and strategic planning by Mrs Badenoch's inner circle because a Commons researcher for one of the party's MPs was cc-ed on an email chain. One said: 'This has been a gift to us.

Sadly, we think they have finally realised what has been going on.' And Mrs Badenoch's shadow justice spokesman Robert Jenrick suffered his own communications gaffe on Thursday, when his team added 600 people – including dozens of journalists among senior politicians – to a WhatsApp group about his plan to run a marathon. It sparked jokes that Mr Jenrick is 'running' for leader again after coming second to Mrs Badenoch in last year's Tory leadership race.



It comes as Mrs Badenoch is struggling to make her mark, as the Tories trail behind Nigel Farage 's Reform UK in the polls. And the Tory leader is bracing herself for big losses at next week's local elections. A source in the party said: 'I don't think she is making any inroads at all.

'She has been putting in more effort but it is not moving the dial. The general feeling is she's not a winner of elections.' Secret Tory documents ended up in Labour hands after accidentally being emailed to a researcher with the same name as an aide to Kemi Badenoch , it was claimed last night Labour sources said they have been privy to policy discussions and strategic planning by Mrs Badenoch's inner circle because a Commons researcher for one of the party's MPs was cc-ed on an email chain And Mrs Badenoch's shadow justice spokesman Robert Jenrick suffered his own communications gaffe on Thursday, when his team added 600 people – including dozens of journalists among senior politicians – to a WhatsApp group about his plan to run a marathon Mrs Badenoch admitted yesterday she is still 'learning' how to approach Prime Minister's Questions, adding: 'I have learnt it's not a courtroom.

' Donors are also not all convinced, with matters made worse when Mrs Badenoch recently turned up 'an hour and a half' late to an event hosted by a major Conservative donor, insiders told the MoS. 'It was not good. They were not impressed.

She needs a bit of humility,' a source said. Asked about the event, a spokesman for Ms Badenoch said 'Kemi was slightly delayed because she was held up in a 100-member Q&A session and she was mobbed for selfies on exit'. Allies also pointed to donation statistics for the end of last year which showed the Conservatives raising more than Reform.

While it is expected Mrs Badenoch will not face a leadership challenge this year, there is growing speculation that next spring could be fateful. It comes as Mrs Badenoch is struggling to make her mark, as the Tories trail behind Nigel Farage 's Reform UK in the polls Many privately say Mr Jenrick has emerged as the only MP able to take on Mr Farage. On Friday he topped an influential Conservative Home poll of Tory party members.

But a senior Tory said: 'To get rid of Badenoch and choose him would probably be a mistake. But who else is there?' A Tory aide said: 'Last July we were completely pummelled by an electorate that hated us, mostly because we only seemed to care about ourselves and not the country, constantly squabbling and backbiting. 'No one who continues to show that attitude has our members', our party's or our country's best interests at heart.

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