Badenoch dismisses leadership threat after 20 Tory councillors defect to Reform UK

The Conservative leader spoke to Nick Ferrari at Breakfast from the party conference in Manchester to insist she was "shedding the baggage of the last 14 years."

It comes on the same morning that it was announced more than a dozen Conservative councillors were set to defect to Nigel Farage's party - following her own former donor Mark Gallagher.

Four colleagues made the switch earlier today before the total jumped to 14, but Ms Badenoch insisted she wants people in the party for "the right reasons."

Read more: Tory donor who funded Kemi Badenoch's leadership campaign defects to Reform

Read more: Former Tory Minister Maria Caulfield defects to Reform UK

Councillors from South Kesteven and two from Hertsmere jumped ship alongside a couple from Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

Shortly afterwards, it was confirmed one each had defected from East Riding and Rushcliffe and four moved from Gravesham in Kent.

The number passed a dozen when party members from Medway Council and Hampshire County Council switched, before another from Basingstoke & Deane Borough.

They were joined by councillors from North Yorkshire, Cannock Chase, Suffolk, and Bromley.

Launching her defence, the Tory leader told Nick: "I remember last year we had people defecting to Labour because Labour was doing well in the polls.

"Now we have people defecting to reform because Reform is doing well in the polls. We need people who are in our party for the right reasons.

"People who are in our party for the right reasons. Reform wants to increase welfare. Reform wants nationalisation.

"Those are not conservative policies. We are the only party of fiscal responsibility. And what I do know is that things are going to improve, but we need to build from the right foundations.

"I'm an engineer. We don't do things in engineering just by talking them out. You make sure you have a plan, you.

"You think it through and it is not yet time for a general election. I am very sorry that some people believe that they cannot wait.

"But I need to do right by my party and more importantly, by this country, by getting it right. And I will not be rushed into making mistakes."

Nick pointed out Ms Badenoch's first anniversary of taking power was approaching in which time the polling for the parties had dropped from 265 to 16%.

In response to claims she had been successful, Nick added: "Membership is down from 131,000 to 123,000 and you've lost over 100 councillors. By what metric are you being successful?"

Ms Badenoch replied: "A similar poll came out just before the leadership contest result was announced, saying that I was going to lose.

"These polls are not accurate. I have been at conference speaking to party members and they have been telling me to keep going.

"They elected me to do exactly what I'm doing. Take time to change the party, turn the policies around and make it clear what we stand for. Not rush outs with fly by night announcements. And that's what I'm doing."

The defections come a couple of days after Mark Gallagher, who funded Ms Badenoch's campaign, was reportedly set to defect to Reform.

She added: "The metric of success will be at the next general election. Remember, Nick, Oppositions. The last oppositions were 14, 13, 18 years. I've been doing the job 11 months.

"This conference is where we are showing the direction of travel, a stronger economy, strong, stronger borders and that we're the only party tough enough and competent enough to deliver both.

"That doesn't mean that mistakes weren't made. We had a historic defeat last year. It's going to take time to come back from that.

"But what I am doing is making sure people understand what conservatism is again. What we are doing is shedding a lot of the baggage of the last 14 years."

Following the May elections, Reform UK took control of 12 county councils and now has almost 900 councillors across the country.

Since the last general election, the party has welcomed over 150 defections from all political parties.

In a statement, Farage welcomed the additions.

He said: “The Conservative party is dead and can no longer serve as an effective opposition. It is no wonder that Councillors who actually want to fix this country are finding their natural home with Reform."