Kemi Badenoch has allegedly begun banishing Conservative members with suspected ties to Reform following a wave of defections to Nigel Farage’s party.
A number of longstanding Tory supporters received emails this week informing them their memberships had been “suspended pending investigation” due to alleged “affiliation and support of the Reform Party”.
The messages included a stark instruction forbidding recipients from making “any public comment or announcement [including] on social media” regarding their suspension.
Those affected have not received any direct contact from Conservative Campaign Headquarters beyond the initial email.
No evidence supporting the allegations of Reform allegiance is said to have been provided to the suspended members.
The move represents a significant escalation in the increasingly fractious relationship between the two parties.
The suspensions follow a turbulent period for the Conservatives, marked by Robert Jenrick’s dramatic departure to Mr Farage’s party earlier this week.
He joins a growing list of prominent Tory figures who have crossed the floor to Reform, including Andrew Rosindell, Nadhim Zahawi and Danny Kruger.
Kemi Badenoch has allegedly begun banishing Conservative members with suspected ties to Reform
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Sources have painted a grim picture of the current mood within Conservative ranks, with insiders describing the party as being gripped by “extreme paranoia”.
In response to the mounting crisis, Mrs Badenoch arranged two urgent appearances before parliamentary colleagues this week in an apparent effort to demonstrate authority.
On Monday, the Conservative leader contacted Sir John Hayes, who chairs the Common Sense Group, to arrange an impromptu address to right-wing parliamentarians that same day.
She subsequently addressed the 1922 Committee on Wednesday, cautioning that an “unholy alliance” had emerged between Reform and certain Conservative figures.
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The suspensions follow a turbulent period for the Conservatives, marked by Robert Jenrick’s dramatic departure
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GETTYDefending her handling of the Mr Jenrick situation, Mrs Badenoch told colleagues: “We lost someone not on ideology but personal ambition.”
She sought to reassure the party faithful about its ideological direction, declaring: “We are not moving leftwards, we are the party of the right and will always be a party of the right.”
Despite these public displays of confidence, suspended members with over a decade of party service have accused Mrs Badenoch of succumbing to “total panic”.
One former member whose membership was recently paused told The Telegraph: “The Conservative Party is in a horrific death spiral.”
Suspended members have accused Mrs Badenoch of succumbing to ‘total panic’
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He warned that right-wing MPs now face pressure to demonstrate “absolutely unyielding loyalty to the Kemi regime” or risk retribution.
Another suspended Tory likened the current leadership style to a “dictatorship”, noting he had been actively campaigning for local elections before his removal.
“These suspensions will mean the right of the party will be scared to speak out,” he said. “It shows that One Nation Conservatives have control of the leadership.”
A third affected member was equally critical: “Despite what she is saying, it is clear that she is trying to purge the party of people who actually believe in conservative values.”
One suspended Tory likened the current leadership style to a ‘dictatorship’
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A spokesman for the Conservatives said: “We have sent a small number of emails to people for whom we have been presented with solid evidence that they are working to help Reform politicians get elected, which is in breach party rules.
“The recipients are given the opportunity to contest their suspension and we are very open to hearing their defence. It speaks volumes that so far only one person has.
“Reform is a one-man band that wants higher taxes, higher welfare, and bigger government.
“The Conservative Party is the only party that is serious about cutting spending, cutting benefits and living within our means.”
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