Kemi the Valkyrie spoils for a fight and has the Russians in her sights | John Crace

Tory leader scents Labour weakness on defence spending and declares it’s 2030 or bust UK politics live – latest updates There’s something about Kemi Badenoch making a keynote speech – everything she does comes billed as keynote these days – about defence that makes most normal people a little nervous.

Because when Kemi talks about defence, what’s really on her mind is war.

Starting one, if possible.

Kemi is never happier than when picking a fight.

With herself, if no one else is around.

You get the feeling that, left on a desert island she would be dreaming of Apocalypse Now.

Flying low over the Mekong delta in a helicopter gunship, the Ride of the Valkyries playing through her earphones while she yelled: “I love the smell of napalm in the morning.” Continue reading...