Kemi Badenoch made it clear this week that she has no intention of softening her stance or changing direction, despite growing pressure from both sides of the Conservative family.
Speaking on Wednesday, the Tory leader said she would not be “blown off course” as she focuses on holding Labour to account and reshaping her party around what she calls core Conservative principles.
Her message was blunt: the Conservatives are not about appeasing everyone, and they are certainly not about chasing those who have chosen to walk away.
A Sharp Message for Defectors Heading to Reform
In one of her most striking moments, Mrs Badenoch compared recent high-profile defections to Reform UK to children throwing tantrums.
She dismissed the moves as ego-driven rather than principled, insisting that the Conservatives remain “the only party of the right”.
The comments came after a turbulent fortnight that saw former Home Secretary Suella Braverman become the third sitting Conservative MP in under two weeks to defect to Nigel Farage’s party.
For Badenoch, the pattern has become all too familiar.
Internal Fallout and a Series of Exits
Tensions inside the party had already been simmering.
Mrs Badenoch had previously removed Robert Jenrick from his role as shadow justice secretary and withdrawn the Tory whip after learning he was planning a highly public defection designed, she believed, to cause maximum damage.
Soon after, Romford MP Andrew Rosindell resigned the Conservative whip.
Former chancellor Nadim Zahawi then followed suit, defecting to Reform after being denied a seat in the House of Lords, according to Conservative sources.
The departures have fuelled a sense of instability—but also, Badenoch argues, clarity.
‘This Is a Tantrum Dressed Up as Politics’
The Tory leader did not hold back when addressing those who have left.
She suggested many of them did not fundamentally disagree with Conservative policy at all, but were instead nursing personal grievances.
“I’m sorry you didn’t win the leadership contest.
I’m sorry you didn’t get a job in the shadow cabinet.
I’m sorry you didn’t get into the Lords,” she said. “But you are not offering a plan to fix this country.”
She went further, accusing some politicians of chasing attention and advancement rather than purpose.
When they don’t get their way, she said, “they create drama”.
A Call for Discipline and a ‘Truly Conservative’ Party
Mrs Badenoch argued that Britain does not need theatrics—it needs focus.
Her vision, she said, is a party that helps “get Britain working again” and is unapologetically Conservative in its outlook.
She was equally firm with those uneasy about her leadership direction, saying she would not apologise to people leaving simply because they dislike the new course.
“We only want Conservatives,” she told supporters.
Reform’s Poll Bounce and Farage’s Confidence
Despite Badenoch’s confidence, polling suggests the defections may have helped Reform’s image with some voters.
A recent YouGov survey found that around one in nine Britons now view Reform more positively following the high-profile switches.
Among those who voted Conservative at the 2024 general election, 22 per cent said the defections had improved their perception of Reform.
Nigel Farage seized on the figures, claiming they showed his party’s appeal was widening, even as some polls suggest support has levelled off.
“The Tories in Government put us through years of psychodrama,” he said. “They are done.”
‘We’re About the Future, Not Old Battles’
Mrs Badenoch brushed aside those claims, insisting her leadership is focused forward rather than reliving old internal wars.
She said the party is not refighting the battles of 2006 or 2016, but trying to build something new for the years ahead.
That stance puts her on a collision course with senior Conservatives who believe the party must shift back toward the centre to win again.
Pushback Against a New Centrist Group
This week saw the launch of ‘Prospect’, a new group led by Sir Andy Street and Baroness Ruth Davidson, aimed at reclaiming so-called “politically homeless” voters.
Sir Andy served as West Midlands mayor from 2017 to 2024, while Ms Davidson led the Scottish Conservatives for eight years.
Mrs Badenoch was unimpressed. She warned that competing agendas and internal factions are unhelpful at a time when the party needs unity, not more labels.
Her message was simple: less grouping, more governing ideas.
Veterans, Labour and a Demand for an Apology
Beyond party politics, the Tory leader also turned her fire on Labour, calling on the Prime Minister to apologise over his role in pursuing criminal investigations against soldiers later found to have been wrongly accused of causing deaths in Iraq.
She described the treatment of veterans as a “complete disgrace” and accused Labour figures, including Keir Starmer and Attorney General Lord Hermer, of siding with those acting against Britain’s national interest.
“These veterans put their lives on the line to defend us,” she said.
“I want them to know that the Conservative Party will always have their back.”
What Comes Next for the Conservatives
With defections continuing, polling shifting and internal debates heating up, Kemi Badenoch is staking everything on clarity and conviction.
Whether that approach steadies the party—or deepens the divides—may define the next chapter of Conservative politics.
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