In a move that left political observers scratching their heads, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch chose a highly symbolic location for a key media briefing in the wake of a major party defection.
A Puzzling Venue Choice
On the morning of Friday 16 January 2026, Sky News and other media outlets were summoned to an industrial estate on the outskirts of Aberdeen. The venue was not a traditional political stage but a survival training centre that prepares offshore workers for disasters at sea.
The event came just a day after the high-profile defection of former minister Robert Jenrick, who is alleged to have been scheming with Nigel Farage. Against this tense political backdrop, the chosen room featured two giant swimming pools with large, floating life rafts—the very type used in North Sea emergencies.
As journalists set up, workers in full safety gear could be seen treading water in training drills. The visual metaphor of life rafts and survival training, while colleagues were literally jumping ship, was impossible to ignore.
Behind the Scenes of the Media Circus
The staging of the event proved almost as newsworthy as the political messages. Reporters were initially given five-minute interview slots, which were then cut to four. Badenoch's minders were seen scrutinising camera angles, keenly aware of the potentially awkward imagery.
At one point, the entire media pack was asked to move to a different part of the building, where a large swimming pool would form the backdrop instead of the prominent life raft. Officials attributed this last-minute shift to a decision by the venue management.
Meanwhile, separate from the press, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was being given a tour of the same facility. A later photograph showed Ms Badenoch on board what appeared to be a simulator of a sinking ship.
Key Messages Amid the Spectacle
When the interviews finally commenced, the political narrative broke through the unusual setting. Badenoch's aides, standing at the edge of the camera shot, theatrically punched the air when she delivered sharp attacks against Nigel Farage and Robert Jenrick.
Her core message was one of party unity and resilience, insisting that Jenrick's departure was not a crisis but an opportunity to present a clearer Conservative vision. She was joined by Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay and shadow Scottish secretary Andrew Bowie.
This 20-minute behind-the-scenes glimpse, while not breaking policy news, revealed the careful—and in this case, curiously tone-deaf—orchestration of political imagery. It highlighted the intense focus on controlling the visual narrative, even when the chosen backdrop risks generating the very headlines the party might wish to avoid.
The enduring question from the day's events in Aberdeen is why the Conservative communications team believed a facility dedicated to emergency evacuations was the ideal setting to project strength and stability during a period of very public internal turmoil.
