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Kemi Badenoch has warned Conservative MPs that she will not “tolerate” any more “psychodrama and intrigue” after Robert Jenrick’s defection to Reform UK, as she looks to prevent any more shifts to Nigel Farage’s right-wing populist party.
In a letter sent to Tory parliamentarians on Monday, Badenoch said it was time to “move on” and that “trust and teamwork” were not optional if they wished to return to power.
“A party that is ruthlessly focused on being effective, holding the government to account and creating a plan for the country cannot also spend its time on psychodrama and intrigue,” Badenoch wrote in the letter, seen by the FT.
“That behaviour will not be tolerated. We must not distract the country from the mess Labour is making.”
The letter amounts to both a warning and a call for unity after Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary and one-time challenger for the Conservative Party leadership, defected to Reform last week in a move that threatened to upend the right of British politics.
Jenrick has called for more Tory MPs to defect to join Farage’s insurgent party, which is leading in national polls. Andrew Rosindell, a shadow foreign office minister, also defected at the weekend, with Farage setting a May deadline for other Tories to join, saying the door would not be open indefinitely.
Jenrick is set to hold a rally in his constituency of Newark with Farage on Monday evening.
Farage’s attempt to trigger a tsunami of defections is being treated seriously by the Conservative Party, even as it attempts to play down the risk of large numbers of MPs switching sides.
Badenoch is set to hold a meeting on Monday evening with MPs who are members of the 92 Group and the Common Sense Group, both of which are on the right of the party, which is being viewed by Tory officials as an attempt to offer reassurance and dampen the risk of others leaving.
Conservative officials have indicated they do not expect to see mass defections but are keen to stem any more bleeding of MPs in case they gain momentum.
The latest constituency level polling suggests that if a vote was held today, around 80 Conservative MPs would lose their seat to Reform, though a general election is not expected for another three years.
About 25 Conservative MPs face overturning a margin of predicted Reform victory of 10 per cent or more in the latest polling, increasing the risk that some Tory parliamentarians could be tempted to jump ship.
Badenoch pledged in the letter that the Conservatives would not move leftward after Jenrick’s defection, despite some former MPs suggesting this was an opportunity to regain the centre ground.
She described a potential move leftward as “a serious misreading of the situation” and vowed to fight Reform.
“These defections are not about policy differences or ideology; they are about character,” Badenoch said.
“We are THE party of the right and must remain so.”
She warned those unhappy or considering defecting that any attempt to damage the party would be swiftly dealt with.
Badenoch sacked Jenrick prior to his defection having uncovered a “plot” by the then shadow cabinet minister to leave at a time that would inflict maximum damage on the Conservatives.
“Differences of opinion are part of a healthy party. But there is a clear line between disagreement and trying to damage the party from within,” Badenoch said.
“Those who cannot be part of a Conservative Party that is changing in this way are free to make other choices. Those who want to undermine or destroy the party will be dealt with firmly and fairly.”