Robert Jenrick accuses Kemi Badenoch of ‘disrespecting’ Tory members

Robert Jenrick has accused his Tory leadership rival Kemi Badenoch of ‘disrespecting’ party members by failing to set out her stance on ‘big issues’.

The ex-immigration minister swiped at Ms Badenoch for only offering ‘platitudes’ and ’empty rhetoric’ as they compete to replace Rishi Sunak as Conservative leader.

Mr Jenrick has made quitting the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) a central plank of his leadership campaign, as part of a series of policy pledges.

But Ms Badenoch has warned Mr Jenrick’s approach on the ECHR risks splitting the party and said the Tory contest is ‘not a test of who can make the biggest promises’.

She has instead urged the party to focus on the ‘job of opposition’ as she bids to oversee a ‘renewal’ of the Conservatives. 

Robert Jenrick has accused his Tory leadership rival Kemi Badenoch of ‘disrespecting’ party members by failing to set out her stance on ‘big issues’

The ex-immigration minister swiped at Ms Badenoch for only offering ‘platitudes’ and ’empty rhetoric’ as they compete to replace Rishi Sunak as Conservative leader

Speaking on BBC Radio 4 last night, Mr Jenrick dismissed a claim that voters simply won’t believe a series of fresh Tory promises so soon after the general election.

‘Kemi and I disagree profoundly on this issue,’ he told the Westminster Hour programme.

‘I think the public are deeply sceptical about our party right now and the way to begin to earn back public trust is to be very clear about where we stand on issues.

‘For example on immigration, whether we want to cap migration or not, whether we want to leave the ECHR or not.

‘I stand for capping migration, I stand for leaving the ECHR and securing our borders as a result.

‘I think it’s disrespectful to the members and the public to ask for their votes without saying where you stand on the big issues facing our country today.

‘A plan today is what I offer. A promise of a plan at some point in the future is what my opponent offers.

‘And I don’t think that’s the way to rebuild the public’s trust and confidence in us.’

Pressed on his suggestion that Ms Badenoch was being ‘disrespectful’ to Tory members, Mr Jenrick said: ‘I think if you want to regain the trust of the British people, you’ve got to have a plan.

‘I have very clear and specific plans on each of the topics I talk about.’

He added: ‘I don’t trade in platitudes, I dislike empty rhetoric, we’ve had too much of that in recent years.

‘One of the reasons the party failed at this general election was because we didn’t deliver and we didn’t set out very clear and believable plans that addressed the big challenges facing our country.

‘That is what I offer and that is, frankly, a dividing line in this leadership election. If the members of the party want platitudes, I’m not their candidate.

‘I’m the candidate that has serious and credible answers to the big challenges facing our country.’

In response to Mr Jenrick’s comments, Ms Badenoch’s allies said Tory members were ‘tired’ of party ‘infighting’.

A campaign source said: ‘Kemi and Rob have different campaign approaches, and she has no desire to criticise his approach.

‘Conservative Party members are so tired of the Westminster infighting that cost us votes at the last election.

‘Kemi wants to unite the party around conservative principles and lead us back to government.’

Ms Badenoch has not ruled out supporting Britain’s exit from the ECHR but warned it would not be a ‘silver bullet’ in tackling illegal migration.

Speaking during last week’s TV debate between herself and Mr Jenrick on GB News, she said: ‘If we need to leave the ECHR in order to control migration, we should leave it.

‘But it is not a silver bullet. It’s not even the most radical thing that we can do. 

‘Immigration is too high, both legal and illegal. We need to tackle that. It is causing a strain on public services. We’re not able to build up, build housing to keep up.

‘It is not fair, but we have to ask ourselves, why is it that countries that are in the ECHR are able to deport people who are there illegally better than us?’

In an apparent dig at Mr Jenrick, the former business secretary also said the Tory leadership race was ‘not a test of who can make the biggest promises’. 

She added: ‘The public removed us from government because they felt that we were not competent and that we were not delivering on our promises.

‘The answer is not to make new promises. The answer is to do the job they have given us properly, and that is the job of opposition.’