Mrs Badenoch: Britain is not broken

Britain is not broken, Kemi Badenoch has declared in a rebuke to Robert Jenrick following his defection to Reform UK.

Writing for The Telegraph, Mrs Badenoch sets out the dividing lines between the Conservatives and Reform and argues that, while the country has problems, its “best days are ahead”.

She strikes a notably more optimistic tone than Mr Jenrick and Nigel Farage, the Reform leader. The former used a press conference announcing his defection on Thursday to brand Britain “broken”.

Tory strategists believe the more hopeful message, and accompanying policies, will attract Right-wing voters who might be tempted by Mr Farage.

However, this approach, decided at a recent Tory shadow cabinet meeting, was the final straw that convinced Mr Jenrick he needed to leave the party. He wanted the Conservatives to declare Britain was “broken”, but others disagreed.

Mrs Badenoch counters in her article: “Yes, Britain’s problems are real, and in some cases getting worse. But Britain is not broken. We are a great country with deep reserves of strength, talent and resilience.

“What has failed is a system that too often rewards process over outcomes and intervention over results. Labour’s answer to every problem is another consultation, another review, another layer of state control. That does not make people richer. It makes them poorer.

“Being angry is easy. Anyone can point out what is wrong. Fixing it requires discipline, competence and hard thinking. I am an engineer. I believe in diagnosis and solutions. That is the mindset now shaping the Conservative Party.

“We are not a repository for frustration. We are a serious, optimistic, outward-looking party that believes Britain’s best days are ahead, not behind us. Conservatives are getting on with the work of making that a reality for you.”

Opinion polls predict Reform is on track to secure a slim majority at the next election, while the Tories would form the official opposition ahead of Labour.

Mr Jenrick was the 25th Tory defector to Reform and followed Nadhim Zahawi, the former Conservative chancellor who jumped ship earlier this week.

In the coming weeks, Mrs Badenoch’s team will try to move on from losing one of their most high-profile MPs to Reform by emphasising the differences between the parties.

One will be the Tories’ more optimistic tone about the country. There is a belief among senior Tory figures that Mr Jenrick and Mr Farage’s harsh rhetoric about Britain will put off some voters.

There will also be a focus on deep policy thinking. Some 38 new policies were announced at the party conference last autumn, and more are expected before the local elections in May.

On a visit to Aberdeen on Friday, Mrs Badenoch ruled out any pact with Reform ahead of the next election, asking: “How do you do a deal with liars?”

Meanwhile, Mr Jenrick insisted his defection was about “uniting the Right”.

However, senior Conservatives, while angered by Mr Jenrick’s departure and personal attacks, still wonder how more defections can be avoided.

Some shadow ministers are expecting Mrs Badenoch to reshuffle her shadow cabinet in the summer after what is expected to be a bruising set of results in May’s elections.

Mr Jenrick, speaking to The Telegraph on Thursday, singled out his former leader for criticism, saying: “Kemi has not been willing or able to confront the truth – she can’t handle the truth.

“So for me, it’s a very simple choice: If you want to fix the country and get rid of this failing Labour Government, you’ve got to rally behind Nigel and Reform.”

The deeply personal nature of the clashes over the past 48 hours, which saw Mrs Badenoch publicly sack Mr Jenrick after discovering evidence that his defection was imminent, appears set to continue.

Mr Jenrick’s allies are preparing to weaponise information they have collected on the Tory shadow cabinet in recent months to politically benefit Reform.

Mr Farage is also expected to announce new senior positions in Reform in the coming weeks.

In her Telegraph piece, Mrs Badenoch says of Mr Jenrick: “I’m surprised at those who say the Conservatives have lost an asset this week.

“It doesn’t matter how good someone’s TikTok videos are. If they’re trying to burn down your organisation and the people in it, they’re not an asset.”

On policy, she makes clear her party will offer constructive proposals to demonstrate that the country’s challenges can be overcome if the Conservatives are elected.

Mrs Badenoch writes: “There are now clear dividing lines with the other political parties. We choose conviction over cynicism and hope over fear.

“Ours is still one of the most successful, resilient and influential countries on earth. A country that has reinvented itself repeatedly. A country whose people quietly get on with things while politicians argue.

“Telling them their country is finished does not empower the British people – it drags them down.”

[Source: Daily Telegraph]