4 reasons for Kemi Badenoch to be cheerful — and 3 looming headaches

BIRMINGHAM, England — Britain’s Conservatives don’t get many opportunities to feel upbeat these days — but Kemi Badenoch is heading into party conference with a modest spring in her step. The Tory leader — who in 2024 took over an outfit near-obliterated by its worst general election result in history — can point to disarray in her chief rival’s ranks, decent personal ratings and some clear dividing lines with Labour as just a few reasons to be cheerful. Yet it’s still a massive road back for the once-dominant center-right party. Let POLITICO give you the view from Tory land as the West Midlands gathering gets going in earnest. The British public’s view of the Tory leader has improved sharply since she took over.