Conservative tensions exploded into open warfare today as Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride used his party conference speech to deliver a bombshell warning against "ideological purity" - only to be immediately contradicted by senior colleague Kemi Badenoch.
The Pragmatism Plea That Divided Tories
In what many are calling the most controversial speech of the Conservative conference, Mel Stride told activists they must embrace "pragmatism not purity" if they want to win the next election. The cabinet minister argued that clinging to rigid ideology would lead the party to electoral disaster.
"We must be a broad church," Stride declared to the Manchester audience. "We must be a party of pragmatism, not ideological purity. That is how we win elections."
Badenoch's Immediate Rebuke
In an extraordinary public display of division, Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch - seen as a future leadership contender - directly challenged Stride's comments within hours. Speaking to the same conference, Badenoch insisted that "standing for something" mattered more than electoral calculation.
"We don't win by being a lighter shade of the other side," Badenoch fired back, in what appeared to be a direct response to her colleague's earlier remarks.
Battle Lines Drawn for Post-Election Future
The public clash exposes the deep fault lines running through the Conservative Party as it faces potential defeat in the upcoming general election. The exchange sets the stage for what promises to be a bitter battle over the party's future direction.
Stride's warning represents the view of the so-called "pragmatist" wing who believe the Conservatives must move toward the political centre to regain support. Meanwhile, Badenoch's response signals the determination of the party's right wing to maintain what they see as core Conservative principles.
Conference Atmosphere Turns Toxic
The extraordinary public disagreement has cast a shadow over what was already expected to be a challenging conference for the governing party. With the Conservatives trailing significantly in opinion polls, the open warfare between senior ministers suggests deep divisions about how to approach what many expect to be a period in opposition.
One Conservative MP, speaking anonymously, described the situation as "a preview of the civil war to come" regardless of the election outcome.
