Key facts
- Kemi Badenoch accused a Conservative leadership rival of a dirty tricks campaign.
- A dossier circulated claimed Badenoch was behind anonymous blog comments from 17 years ago.
- Badenoch stated the campaign involved a "dirty dossier" of "strong comments" from 20 years ago.
- The alleged comments included stereotypes of Thai and Nigerian women and remarks about Diane Abbott.
- Tom Tugendhat announced he has secured enough parliamentary support to run for leadership.
- Mel Stride announced he has secured enough parliamentary support to run for leadership.
Kemi Badenoch has accused one of her Conservative leadership rivals of a dirty tricks campaign against her as she considers a bid for the top job. The shadow business secretary attacked her critics after a dossier was circulated claiming she was behind anonymous blog comments written 17 years ago.
Badenoch posted on social media that it was "amusing/alarming the extraordinary lengths people will go to play dirty tricks", claiming that "apparently, a leadership campaign has sent a ‘dirty dossier’ of ‘strong comments’ from 20 yrs ago to the Westminster lobby". She added, "We can do better than this, and I will be saying and writing more about how in due course." Badenoch also said much of the "discourse across the political spectrum is obsessed with the petty and the puerile".