Tory MP Challenges Kemi Badenoch’s Conservative Purge Plans
Conservative Shadow Minister Matt Vickers endorsed party leader Kemi Badenoch's campaign to remove moderate lawmakers who do not align with the party's hardline policies on immigration and energy.
Shadow Minister Matt Vickers defended the move to exclude so-called “wets”—a term popularised during the Thatcher era to describe moderates considered soft on core Conservative principles—according to Marcus Donaldson writing in GB News.
During an interview with presenter Camilla Tominey, Vickers was asked about efforts to “flush out the wets” following the recent departure of Gavin Barwell, a former aide to ex-Prime Minister Theresa May.
While Vickers indicated that Barwell’s exit was mainly a matter of “conduct,” he made it clear that Badenoch expects all prospective Conservative candidates to align fully with the party’s flagship policies.
If you’re an eco nut, we’re not going to allow you to stand, Vickers declared, adding that the policy applies equally to those not committed to the party’s stance on immigration, withdrawal from the European Court of Human Rights, and energy policy.
When pressed on whether prominent figures such as former West Midlands Mayor Andy Street and former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson should also face removal, Vickers stopped short of naming individuals but stressed that all future candidates must support Badenoch’s vision.
Badenoch’s Agenda for Change
The Shadow Minister framed the purge as necessary to ensure party unity around what he described as an “agenda for change” designed to “rescue this country.”
Tominey characterised Barwell as one of these closet Liberal Democrats who was hiding out in the deepest echelons of the Conservative Party, a sentiment Vickers did not dispute.
The remarks underscore Badenoch’s determination to consolidate control over the party’s direction and impose ideological discipline as the Conservatives prepare for upcoming electoral battles.
With information from GB News
