Kemi Badenoch has sparked cross-party condemnation for using a speech to attack diversity policies and climate activism while European leaders thrash out a strategy to deal with the increasingly unstable global landscape and tackle the threat posed by Russia.
The Conservative leader was accused of “parroting Donald Trump’s dangerous rhetoric” instead of standing up for national security, after addressing the right-wing Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) conference in London on Monday.
Ms Badenoch used the speech to brand diversity policies and climate activism “the real poison of left-wing progressivism”, arguing that “Western civilisation is in crisis”.
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said Ms Badenoch is “competing with Nigel Farage to fawn over Donald Trump”. Labour said it shows the Tories “haven’t listened and they haven’t learned”.
Meanwhile, a source inside the Tory party said the decision to press ahead with the speech, on such a pivotal day for global defence, “sums up how bad they are at basic comms”.
Speaking alongside right-wing Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson, Ms Badenoch said: “We are distracted, too busy critiquing and deconstructing what previous generations built, rather than making sure that the very best of our inheritance is left intact for the next generation.
“This is the real poison of left-wing progressivism, whether it’s pronouns or DEI [diversity, equality and inclusion] or climate activism – these issues aren’t about kindness, they are about control.
“We have limited time, and every second spent debating what a woman is a second lost from dealing with these challenges.”
The ARC conference will also be attended by Reform leader Nigel Farage, who is expected to address the main stage on Tuesday.
The Tory leader branded Britain’s failure to spend more on defence as a weakness, saying it “only emboldens their threats to democracy and global stability”.
But she faced criticism for only giving the subject of defence a cursory mention as European leaders gather in Paris this afternoon to thrash out a response to Mr Trump’s new approach to the Ukraine war.
It comes as the prime minister travels to a European crisis summit called by French president Emmanuel Macron on Monday to face down the threat of Russia, just days after Volodymyr Zelensky called for an “army of Europe” as it could not rely on the US for defence.
There is growing concern over how Mr Trump’s agenda could impact the global defence landscape after he held shock talks with Vladimir Putin and the US suggested Ukraine may be forced to give up some of its territory.
Responding to Ms Badenoch’s speech, the Lib Dems’ Ms Cooper said. “Instead of standing up for Ukraine and Europe’s security, Kemi Badenoch has decided that she would rather parrot Trump’s dangerous rhetoric. To borrow a phrase from her political hero: sad.”
A Labour spokesperson added: “The Tories have no ideas and no remorse for the damage they inflicted on public services and the pockets of working people. They haven’t listened and they haven’t learned.
“While Kemi Badenoch indulges in talking shop politics, this Labour government is fixing the Tories’ mess. Our plan for change has already delivered 2 million more appointments in the NHS and is kickstarting growth across Britain to make people better off.”
The Conservative Party has been contacted for comment.
