In a dramatic and divisive address, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has declared that moderate, one-nation Tories are no longer welcome within the party, effectively telling roughly half her parliamentary colleagues they should leave. The speech, delivered while Labour leader Keir Starmer was abroad in China, has plunged the Tories into fresh turmoil and raised serious questions about their future direction.
A United Party in Name Only
"We are a united party," Badenoch insisted repeatedly during her remarks, a statement that rang hollow given she had just explicitly rejected centre-right Conservatives. The irony was not lost on observers, as she addressed around 40 Tory MPs and 150 party activists who appeared to embrace her message of ideological purity, despite its potentially catastrophic electoral consequences.
Driving Moderates Away
The Conservative leader's uncompromising stance appears calculated to accelerate the party's march to the right, with Badenoch insisting that anyone uncomfortable with this direction should "fuck off now." This hardline approach comes despite the Tories languishing in the mid-teens in opinion polls, having fallen from the high twenties since she assumed leadership.
Shadow ministers Chris Philp and Mel Stride were dismissed as mere "useful idiots" in Badenoch's vision, while former prominent Conservatives like Andy Street and Ruth Davidson were told to "piss off" following their launch of the centre-right Prosper UK movement. The message was clear: dissent would not be tolerated in Badenoch's Conservative Party.
The Defection Dilemma
Political analysts now predict mass defections, with approximately half of Tory MPs already on watch for potential moves to Reform UK, and the other half likely considering switches to the Liberal Democrats following Badenoch's remarks. The leadership appears unconcerned about this exodus, framing it as necessary purification rather than damaging fragmentation.
Embracing Controversial Figures
In perhaps her most controversial moment, Badenoch refused to fully denounce Matt Goodwin's views on race, suggesting that "a bit of racism is now allowed" in what she perceives as the new political landscape. She further claimed that "the Tory party looks like Mark Francois," referencing the hardline MP widely tipped to join Reform UK, while comparing the economy to shadow chancellor Mel Stride - neither comparison intended as flattering.
There was no expression of repentance for the Conservative's record in government, with Badenoch suggesting that rather than criticising their tenure, the public should show gratitude that Britain was merely "on life support" rather than completely broken. She astonishingly labelled both Labour and Reform as "parties of the extreme left," a characterisation that left many in the room struggling to maintain straight faces.
Questionable Political Strategy
The timing of Badenoch's intervention seems particularly ill-advised, coming during what should have been a quiet week while Starmer was overseas. Instead of maintaining a low profile, she seized the opportunity for television exposure, delivering a speech that offered no positive vision but rather emphasised what she saw as the inevitable decline of moderate Conservatism.
Psychological Dimensions
Observers noted the advance briefing had emphasised "PSYCHODRAMA" in capital letters, suggesting a deliberate strategy borrowed from Donald Trump's media playbook. Badenoch appears to thrive on confrontation and division, with her leadership style characterised by self-sabotage and an apparent inability to tolerate success or consensus.
Her claim that "every day she had been leader of the opposition, the Tories had lurched further to the right" was presented not as criticism but as promise, suggesting she sees this rightward shift as an achievement rather than a liability. The question now becomes how far right the party can move before alienating even its traditional base, with some wondering when figures like Viktor Orbán or Donald Trump might suggest she has "gone too far."
Aftermath and Implications
Following the speech, approximately twenty Tory MPs - predominantly male - posed awkwardly for photographs, their futures within the party uncertain. With Badenoch showing no inclination toward moderation or bridge-building, the Conservative Party faces the very real prospect of continuing fragmentation as it heads toward what many predict will be electoral disaster.
The episode overshadowed even the farcical deputy prime minister's questions, where David Lammy's rehearsed gags proved too much for Andrew Griffith to handle, providing Labour with their biggest laugh in weeks. As the Conservatives continue their "onwards and downwards" trajectory under Badenoch's leadership, the only certainty appears to be more turmoil ahead for Britain's once-dominant political force.
