Conservative Party to Intensify Attacks on Reform's Economic Policy Amid Rising Tensions
The Conservative Party is gearing up for a fierce battle with its rival Reform, as tensions between the two groups reach boiling point. The rift was exposed when former Tory MP Robert Jenrick defected to Reform, sparking a vicious backlash from his former colleagues.
Jenrick, who had been a key figure in the shadow justice team, claimed he was joining Reform to unite the right and bring about change. However, Kemi Badenoch, who has taken over as leader of the Conservatives, has accused Jenrick of being dishonest and portrayed him as a traitor.
Badenoch's party is now determined to take down Reform in the next election, pitting the two parties against each other in a struggle for votes that will start with Scotland and Wales. The Conservative Party remains behind Reform in national polls, but Badenoch hopes that shifting voter attention from migration to economic issues will help her party gain ground.
Internal polling suggests that economic policy is a key weakness for Reform, as well as concerns about the party's leadership structure. Jenrick has claimed that his former party is still stuck in the past and unable to address its mistakes, while Badenoch has accused him of being unreliable and dishonest.
The situation has left some Conservative MPs wary of following Jenrick's lead, with one describing his treatment by Badenoch as "brutal" and "backstabbing". Nick Timothy, who has been appointed as shadow justice secretary, has warned voters that they would not welcome Jenrick's defection.
As the battle between the two parties intensifies, it remains to be seen how much damage Reform can inflict on the Conservative Party. One thing is certain, however: the war of words between Badenoch and Jenrick will continue to dominate headlines in the coming weeks.
The Conservative Party is gearing up for a fierce battle with its rival Reform, as tensions between the two groups reach boiling point. The rift was exposed when former Tory MP Robert Jenrick defected to Reform, sparking a vicious backlash from his former colleagues.
Jenrick, who had been a key figure in the shadow justice team, claimed he was joining Reform to unite the right and bring about change. However, Kemi Badenoch, who has taken over as leader of the Conservatives, has accused Jenrick of being dishonest and portrayed him as a traitor.
Badenoch's party is now determined to take down Reform in the next election, pitting the two parties against each other in a struggle for votes that will start with Scotland and Wales. The Conservative Party remains behind Reform in national polls, but Badenoch hopes that shifting voter attention from migration to economic issues will help her party gain ground.
Internal polling suggests that economic policy is a key weakness for Reform, as well as concerns about the party's leadership structure. Jenrick has claimed that his former party is still stuck in the past and unable to address its mistakes, while Badenoch has accused him of being unreliable and dishonest.
The situation has left some Conservative MPs wary of following Jenrick's lead, with one describing his treatment by Badenoch as "brutal" and "backstabbing". Nick Timothy, who has been appointed as shadow justice secretary, has warned voters that they would not welcome Jenrick's defection.
As the battle between the two parties intensifies, it remains to be seen how much damage Reform can inflict on the Conservative Party. One thing is certain, however: the war of words between Badenoch and Jenrick will continue to dominate headlines in the coming weeks.