Michael Murphy: UK Tories pick a new Margaret Thatcher for a moment that badly needs one

Kemi Badenoch will have the wind at her sails opposing Labour's monstrous tax hikes

“Zero seats!” was the rallying cry of disillusioned young Conservative voters in Britain at the last general election. Their demand for a total wipeout was directed squarely at one party: their own.

This self-destructive streak has simmered in the Tory party since the country voted in 2016 to leave the European Union. Since then four prime ministers have come and — often unceremoniously — gone. Political shelf lives shortened amid wrangling over Brexit, Covid lockdown scandals, and soaring migration — issues that paint a portrait of incompetence and broken promises.