Kemi Badenoch Dismisses Tory Defection Fears as 'Nonsense' Amid Reform UK Surge
Badenoch dismisses Tory defection fears as 'nonsense'

Cabinet Minister Kemi Badenoch has launched a blistering attack on speculation about Conservative MPs defecting to Reform UK, dismissing the rumours as "complete nonsense" during a campaign visit to the crucial marginal seat of Wrexham.

The Business Secretary's forceful intervention comes amid growing Conservative anxiety about Reform UK siphoning off right-wing votes, potentially costing the Tories numerous seats in the upcoming general election.

Battle for Wrexham Heats Up

Speaking to reporters in the Welsh constituency where the Conservatives are defending a slender 2,000-vote majority, Badenoch didn't mince her words when addressing defection talk.

"I think it's complete nonsense," she stated emphatically. "I haven't heard anybody say that they're going to defect. I think people are making things up."

Her visit to Wrexham underscores the constituency's strategic importance. The area elected its first Conservative MP in 2019 since its creation in the 1980s, making it precisely the type of seat vulnerable to Reform UK's challenge.

Reform UK's Electoral Threat

Recent polling has shown Reform UK consistently capturing between 10-12% of national vote share, raising alarms within Conservative headquarters about the party's potential to act as a spoiler in tight contests.

Reform UK leader Richard Tice has previously claimed that several Conservative MPs are privately sympathetic to his party's platform but remain hesitant about crossing the floor.

The mathematics are stark: in numerous constituencies where 2019 Tory voters switch to Reform UK, it could easily hand victory to Labour or Liberal Democrat candidates.

Conservative Counter-Strategy

Badenoch, seen as a future leadership contender, positioned herself as a unifying figure within the party, emphasising collective determination to fight the election campaign.

"We are a team," she asserted. "We are working together to make sure that we get our message across."

Her comments represent the most direct high-level rebuttal to date of what some Conservatives fear could become a significant electoral problem if right-wing voters abandon the Tories for Reform UK.

With the election campaign intensifying, the battle over this segment of the electorate is likely to become increasingly heated in the coming weeks.