Insiders say ‘scorched earth policy’ to find defectors is plunging party ‘into death spiral’
Kemi Badenoch has started secretly “purging” Conservative Party members for alleged “affiliation and support of the Reform Party”.
Emails sent to a handful of long-standing Conservative supporters earlier this week explained that they had been “suspended pending investigation”.
The letter also warned them not to make “any public comment or announcement [including] on social media” about their suspension.
Besides the email, none of the suspended members were contacted directly by Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) or presented with any evidence of their alleged allegiance to Reform UK.
It is the latest escalation of Reform-Tory tensions since Robert Jenrick, the former Conservative MP and shadow justice secretary, was sacked by Mrs Badenoch after a copy of his planned resignation speech was leaked to her office.
Hours later it was announced that he was joining Reform in a shock press conference in Westminster.
Mr Jenrick is one of a number of high-profile Conservative MPs who have defected to Reform, joining the likes of Andrew Rosindell, Nadhim Zahawi and Danny Kruger.
Insiders now say the Tories are gripped with “extreme paranoia” and “plunging into a death spiral”, with one former MP warning it is a matter of “when, not if,” more Conservatives defect to Reform.
One former party member who recently had his membership paused told The Telegraph: “The Conservative Party is in a horrific death spiral.
“Unless MPs on the Right of the party go out and present absolutely unyielding loyalty to the Kemi regime, there is a real, tangible fear now that the party will strike out against them.
“Kemi’s scorched earth policy is causing extreme paranoia and nervous twitching amongst current members because it feels like there is no strategy to it.
“The message being sent out is that if in any way you are sympathetic to Reform, or their ideas, we will pull your membership no matter how loyal and dedicated you have historically been to the Tory Party.”
Another recently suspended Tory compared Kemi’s rule over the party to a “dictatorship”.
“I hadn’t been planning to defect or anything,” he says earnestly. “In fact, I was running a local election campaign in my free time.
“But these suspensions will mean the Right of the party will be scared to speak out. It shows that One Nation Conservatives have control of the leadership.”
A third member also hit out at Mrs Badenoch: “Despite what she is saying, it is clear that she is trying to purge the party of people who actually believe in conservative values.”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/01/24/kemi-badenoch-begins-purge-suspected-tory-traitors/ 
