Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has issued a stark warning to her MPs, declaring she has no time for party 'psychodrama and intrigue' following the defection of two shadow ministers to Reform UK.
A Punchy Warning to the Parliamentary Party
In a strongly-worded letter sent to Tory MPs and seen by the Mail, Mrs Badenoch suggested that disgruntled parliamentarians who cannot support the party's direction are free to leave, following Robert Jenrick and Andrew Rosindell out the door. The two former shadow ministers crossed the floor to join Nigel Farage's party last week.
Mrs Badenoch explicitly warned her colleagues not to repeat the mistakes of factional infighting that marred the period up to the 2024 election, stating such behaviour 'will not be tolerated'. She is set to meet with MPs from the right of the party tonight to reinforce her message.
'We are THE party of the right and must remain so,' she wrote. 'Differences of opinion are part of a healthy party. But there is a clear line between disagreement and trying to damage the party from within.'
She added that those seeking to undermine the party would be 'dealt with firmly and fairly', creating space for those who share the leadership's values.
Reform's Deadline and the Defectors' Reasoning
The warning came as Nigel Farage set a cut-off point of May 7 for admitting current and former Conservative MPs into Reform UK. This date coincides with crucial local elections where Reform hopes to make significant gains.
Robert Jenrick, the former shadow justice secretary who defected on Thursday, echoed this deadline. He told GB News that any Tory MPs wishing to join must act quickly, as Reform would not accept 'Johnny-come-latelies' after the May elections.
The second defector, Andrew Rosindell, resigned as a shadow foreign office minister. The Romford MP, first elected in 2001, cited the government's handling of sovereignty over the Chagos Islands as a key reason for his departure, calling it a 'total failure of the British state'.
Posing with Mr Farage outside Parliament, Mr Rosindell stated, 'This man has to be our next prime minister', and criticised the 'calamity of this socialist government'. He expressed no malice towards his former colleagues but said he could no longer put his name to the party's direction.
Consolidation and the Path Forward
A Conservative Party source suggested Mr Rosindell had threatened to defect for months, framing the exits as Mr Farage doing Mrs Badenoch's 'spring cleaning'. In her letter, the Tory leader framed the departures as being less about political ideology and more about the individuals' 'character'.
As Mrs Badenoch summons her remaining MPs to a meeting in Westminster, the focus is on party unity. The twin defections and the looming Reform deadline present a clear challenge: to present a disciplined, coherent alternative to the Labour government while managing internal dissent.
The coming weeks, leading up to the local elections on May 7, will be a critical test of whether the Conservative Party can halt further erosion to its right flank and consolidate its position as the main opposition force.
