Kemi Badenoch is poised to carry out a Tory reshuffle as she sharpens her attack on Andy Burnham.

The Conservative leader will make changes to her team before the party holds its annual conference in Birmingham in October.

The highly rated Claire Coutinho is due to go on maternity leave, meaning her Net Zero brief will need to be covered.

Shadow solicitor general Helen Grant is expected to leave the front bench after announcing she will stand down at the next general election.

Julia Lopez will also need a new role after Mr Burnham abolished the Science Secretary job she has been shadowing.

However, insiders are not expecting Mrs Badenoch to make dramatic changes to the most senior roles at this stage. 

That is despite some whispers around the future of shadow chancellor Mel Stride, shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel and shadow home secretary Chris Philp. 

Katie Lam, who currently serves in Mr Philp's home affairs team, is among those tipped to be given a more prominent post.

Other names in the frame include Harriet Cross, a Scottish Conservative MP who helped deliver the recent by-election success in Aberdeen South. 

Mrs Badenoch has bolstered her own position with a slew of impressive PMQs performances that have seen her personal ratings rise sharply.

Many MPs are optimistic that the Tories' poll numbers have also stabilised, although they are still behind Reform and Labour.

Chatter over defections to Reform has reduced and Nigel Farage has been struggling to shake off questions about his finances.

Mrs Badenoch has taken a robust position against doing any deals with Mr Farage, insisting the idea is 'monstrous'. 

Italian PM Giorgia Meloni urged her to stick to her guns when they met in Rome this week.

The politicians enjoyed an hour-long chat over coffee yesterday, with Ms Meloni said to have advised Mrs Badenoch to 'be your own woman and stand your ground'.

Ms Meloni and Mrs Badenoch are both currently facing a challenge from the Right.

Roberto Vannacci, a former general and the leader of the hard-Right National Future party, has recently advanced in the polls in Italy.