Kemi Badenoch blasts ‘toxic’ woke ideology and the Left’s ‘helpful idiots’ as she implores conservatives to avoid wasting the West – and says ‘some cultures are higher than others’

Kemi Badenoch declared war on ‘poisonous’ woke ideology and the Left’s ‘useful idiots’ as she warned the fabric of Western civilisation must be defended before it is lost.

The Tory leader launched a staunch defence of traditional values she said were being eroded – namely free speech, free markets and the rule of law – and proclaimed the current generation of conservatives ‘must lead the world back from the precipice’.

In a fiery speech at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) conference – which brought together Right-wing figures from across the world – she said the culture of ‘endless compliance’ to progressives amid the ‘threat of legal challenge’ must end.

Promising to shut down ‘loopholes’ in immigration law, she said: ‘If we get this right, we stand at the dawn of the new conservative century with so much opportunity and possibility.

‘If we throw this opportunity away because of anger or self-doubt or weakness, our country and all of Western civilisation will be lost.

‘And that is why we, the next generation of conservatives, must lead the world back from the precipice. It is time to speak the truth.

‘Conservatives are the guardians of Western civilisation. We need to defend what we have. But many have forgotten how to do so. It requires bravery and not endless compliance at the threat of legal challenge.’

Hailing Donald Trump, Ms Badenoch said the rebuilding process starts with ‘telling the truth’ and identifying the issues before fixing the foundations of society.

Kemi Badenoch declared war on ‘poisonous’ woke ideology and the Left’s ‘useful idiots’ as she warned the fabric of Western civilisation must be defended before it is lost

The Tory leader launched a staunch defence of traditional values and proclaimed the current generation of conservatives ‘must lead the world back from the precipice’

Britain, she insisted, must ‘get up off our knees and start fighting – not just for the UK – but for the West and our values again.

‘Some cultures are better than others, and it’s only contentious to say this because honesty has become impossible,’ she added.

‘People should not be afraid to speak out. We will be proud of our country.’

The Tory leader – who could face a leadership challenge within months if her party’s polling fails to improve, according to reports – claimed the Left’s focus on gender, climate change and diversity is about ‘control’ and has led to ‘weakness’ in implementing the rule of law.

She said progressives have an intrinsic ’embarrassment’ and ‘hatred’ of the West’s historical legacy, and share ‘common cause with our useful idiots who don’t appreciate their own inheritance’.

Conservatives must take inspiration from Katharine Birbalsingh – known as ‘Britain’s strictest headteacher’ – for the way she resisted efforts to undermine her style of imposing discipline.

The boss of the high-performing Michaela Community School in Wembley faced heavy criticism and a lengthy High Court challenge after introducing a ban on prayer rituals – but came out victorious.

Ms Badenoch added: ‘Katharine showed how you defend Western civilisation. Contrast this courage with Keir Starmer, the prime minister who took the knee during Black Lives Matter protests, in response to a problem that was not in his country and did not apply. Why? Because he was cowed by the mob.

‘The problem isn’t liberalism, the problem is weakness.’