Key facts
- Kemi Badenoch described defectors to Reform UK as "some of the most dishonest people" she has ever met.
- Badenoch ruled out any possibility of an election deal or coalition with Reform UK.
- She criticized defectors for leaving the Conservative party when it was at its lowest.
- Badenoch stated she does not want "drama queens" in the party.
- She suggested Reform UK is inconsistent with its policies.
- Badenoch indicated a preference for another election over a "Reform-Conservative hybrid" government.
Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch has strongly criticized individuals who have defected from her party to Reform UK, calling them "some of the most dishonest people" she has encountered. Speaking at the Edinburgh festival fringe, Badenoch unequivocally ruled out any possibility of an election deal or coalition with Nigel Farage's Reform UK.
Badenoch stated that many defectors left the Conservative party during its most challenging periods, suggesting they were partly responsible for the problems and then distanced themselves. She questioned the rationale for welcoming such individuals back into the party, particularly those she described as "drama queens."
Recent polling indicates Reform UK is gaining traction, with 25% of respondents in a July-August survey supporting the party, placing it second behind Labour's 28% and ahead of the Conservatives at 18%. Despite this, Badenoch expressed a desire to win the next general election on her own terms, rather than through a "Reform-Conservative hybrid" government.
She emphasized her focus on uniting the country, not just the right wing of politics. Badenoch also suggested that Reform UK lacks policy consistency, announcing initiatives and then seemingly forgetting them. She indicated that if a hung parliament were to occur, the preferable outcome would be another general election rather than forming a coalition with Reform.