Badenoch Launches Blistering Attack on Tory Defectors and Moderates
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has delivered a combative speech, sharply criticising both members defecting to Reform UK and internal party moderates advocating for a more centrist approach. In a major address to a central London audience, she framed the political landscape as a choice between serious governance and theatrical opposition.
'Tantrum Dressed Up as Politics'
In what appeared to be a direct message to high-profile former colleagues like Robert Jenrick and Suella Braverman, Badenoch did not mince words. "To those who are defecting, who don't actually disagree with our policies, I will say: I'm sorry you didn't win the leadership contest," she stated, adding pointedly, "I'm sorry you didn't get a job in the shadow cabinet. I'm sorry you didn't get into the Lords."
Her core accusation was stark: "But you are not offering a plan to fix this country. This is a tantrum dressed up as politics." Drawing a domestic analogy, she continued, "When my kids have a tantrum, I don't give up or change my mind. I send them to their room." She warned that such behaviour in government would have severe consequences, claiming neither Reform UK nor Labour possessed a viable plan for governance.
Demanding Party Unity Behind Her Agenda
Badenoch firmly rejected calls from within her own party to adopt a more moderate stance to differentiate from Reform UK. She specifically addressed the centre-right movement Prosper UK, founded by Sir Andy Street and Baroness Ruth Davidson, which has urged a shift towards the political centre.
"This is my message to them: we're about the future, not the past," she declared. "We're not trying to recreate 2006, and it's not 2016 any more. We are not refighting those battles. It's 2026, and the world has changed." She positioned herself as building a Conservative Party for the coming decade and generation.
Her ultimatum to party members was clear: "Anyone who wants to help Conservatives get into No 10, help deliver a Conservative government, I will welcome, but they need to recognise the agenda which I am setting." She asserted her authority unequivocally, stating, "I'm the leader of the Conservative Party... and it is what I think needs to happen that they need to support." For those in disagreement, her message was blunt: they "need to get out of the way."
Contrasting 'Serious People' with 'Drama Queens'
Throughout her speech, Badenoch sought to draw a sharp distinction between her vision of the Conservatives and her political opponents. She outlined her party's platform, emphasising policies like stronger borders, halting de-industrialisation, and welfare reform as part of a serious, actionable plan.
She contrasted this with what she described as the behaviour of some in politics. "There are people in politics who don't really know what they are doing or why," she argued. "They just want to be in the room. They want to be on top. They want access, attention and advancement. When they don't get their way, they create drama."
In a definitive summation, she branded both Labour and Reform UK as "drama queens," while pledging to lead "a party of serious people." She concluded with an uncompromising stance on party direction: "I won't apologise to those walking away, because they don't like the new direction. We only want Conservatives."
