Kemi Badenoch hits back at Labour as she launches Tory leadership bid

Tory leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch has launched her campaign by saying the Conservative Party had governed like Labour while in power.

She also said she was far more concerned by the election of five "sectarian Islamist" MPs rather than the same number of Reform MPs.

The former Business Secretary said: "We need to reboot, reset, and rewire" "We talked right but governed left. Sounding like Conservatives but acting like Labour".

Mrs Badneoch addressed MPs, members and journalists in front of a banner which said "Renewal 2030".

In a combative address, she kept her comments in relation to Reform UK to a minimum.

Speaking in London, she said: "I am far more worried about the five independent MPs elected on sectarian Islamist politics, alien ideas that have no place here".

The pro-Palestine MPs who unseated Labour at July's election include: Shockat Adam, Adnan Hussain, Iqbal Mohamed, Ayoub Khan and Jeremy Corbyn.

Ms Badenoch also used her speech to vow to "deal with hard truths" if she becomes leader of the Conservative Party and replaces Rishi Sunak.

Mrs Badenoch, one of six candidates in the race, said that too often politicians focused on "spin" rather than telling voters the truth and that could not continue.

She said: "I believe in truth. Truth is not relative. Those who know me best know that I don't do spin. I do charm, sometimes, but I think life is better when people say what they think. I think politics is better when we tell it like it is. Spin can only get you so far.

"It is better to deal with hard truths today than big problems tomorrow."

Sir Keir Starmer has said he is "not going to take lectures" from the previous government following Mrs Badenoch's comments about the Labour Party.

Asked to respond to her description of the Labour government as dishonest and misleading the public over the state of public finances, the Prime Minister told the media during a visit to an Orpington primary school: "I say I'm not going to take lectures from anyone from the previous government who left the worst possible inheritance."

Former Home Secretary James Cleverly will also make his pitch for Tory leader at a London event this afternoon.

The build-up to the ballot has already seen major speeches by candidates Tom Tugendhat, Dame Priti Patel and Robert Jenrick in recent days.

Mrs Badenoch also suggested she would not set an annual cap on net migration if she becomes leader of the Conservative Party.

She seems to criticise leadership rivals Mr Jenrick and Mr Tugendhat as she suggested they were offering voters "easy answers" on reducing immigration.

Both Mr Jenrick and Mr Tugendhat have advocated imposing an annual net migration cap of less than 100,000. Mr Jenrick has also called for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights.

Asked for her views on a potential immigration cap, Mrs Badenoch said: "We had a cap of tens of thousands when David Cameron came in. We need to ask ourselves why didn't that work rather than just saying we will make another promise.

"Something went wrong there so it is not just about throwing out numbers and throwing out targets. Something is wrong with the system.

"So I am talking about the system. People who are throwing out numbers and saying 'oh, well we will leave the ECHR' and so on are giving you easy answers. That is how we got in this mess in the first place. I am not going to do that."

Tory MPs will vote for the first time in the contest on Wednesday to reduce the field from six to five. Another vote will then be held on Monday next week to whittle the list down to four.