Giorgia Meloni meets Kemi Badenoch in Rome amid political controversy

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met with British Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch in Rome to discuss the economy and migration. Reports emerged suggesting Meloni urged Badenoch to ‘be your own woman’ and resist making political deals with the surging Reform UK party, which currently leads in some polls.

Robert Jenrick, a former Conservative who defected to Reform UK, launched a personal attack on Badenoch, accusing her of telling ‘a pack of lies’ regarding the nature of the meeting. A Conservative spokesperson denied that the party had made false claims about Meloni’s comments, accusing Reform UK of peddling conspiracy theories.

The political tension comes as the Conservative Party faces declining poll numbers, while Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party also faces competition from the rising National Future party in Italy.