Kemi Badenoch issues blunt message to Scottish Tory defectors, as Nigel Farage Reform threat looms

Speaking in Aberdeen on Tuesday, Ms Badenoch vowed she was “100 per cent confident” Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay was the right man to take the party forward as she launched an attack on those leaving for Mr Farage’s Reform UK and the Lib Dems.

Mr Findlay has been besieged by defectors and quitters, having lost three MSPs in the past five months, including two leaving his party in the past fortnight.

After MSP Jeremy Balfour left to sit as an independent, Graham Simpson became the first sitting Tory MSP to directly quit the party to join Reform.

READ MORE: Tory MSPs blast 'utter chaos' under Russell Findlay after Reform defection as leader ignores concerns

But in a stinging assault on those leaving the party, Ms Badenoch called out the defectors for abandoning the Conservatives because “they think they have a better chance of winning”. However, she admitted it would still take time to regain public trust after the Tories’ dismal general election result more than a year ago.

Speaking to journalists at Aberdeen Port, Ms Badenoch acknowledged her party was in “a very competitive political environment” and insisted “we need to be very focused on making sure that people understand what voting Conservative means”.

Ms Badenoch told The Scotsman that “we need to live within our means”.

She said: “We’re spending £100 billion on the interest alone on our debt - we have to cut spending. We have to bring down the welfare budget. If people want to go to parties like Reform who want to spend more on welfare, that means they are not Conservatives.

READ MORE: Russell Findlay short on time to rethink Tories' Reform conspiracy-wielding imitation strategy

“We are the ones who are thinking about the next generation. We are thinking about the people and that’s what I want to talk about and how to make everyone’s lives better - not about other politicians.”

Pressed by The Scotsman over whether the Tories were no longer a broad church able to appeal to a broad range of voters, Ms Badenoch said: “We can appeal to a lot of people, but we have to appeal with honesty, not by telling people what they want to hear.

READ MORE: Senior Scottish Tory MSP 'can't predict more defections' and makes 'collegiate unit' claim

“That is the dishonest way. Other parties may want to do that. We will not do that.”

The UK Tory leader stressed she “cannot focus on what other parties are doing”, but said: “If people don’t like our policies, then they are welcome to leave.”

She added: “We have to be a Conservative party. We are not Labour, we are not the SNP - we are not a left-wing party.”

Asked if Mr Findlay was the right person to take the Scottish Tories into next year's Holyrood election, Ms Badenoch said: “100 per cent.”

She added: “I work very well with Russell Findlay. He is doing a great job at a very tough time.

“We’ve only just suffered a historic defeat at a general election. It’s going to take time for us to come back and win the trust of the public and Russell is absolutely the person to do that.”

Pressed over whether Reform was poised to take up to half of Mr Findlay seats at next year’s election, according to polling, the UK Conservative leader said: “Nigel Farage can say whatever he likes.

“The fact is that we are here backing North Sea oil and gas. We have a proper plan - we have thought it through. We are doing the work to earn back people’s trust.

“If he is taking people out of our party who are not Conservatives, he is welcome to them. We’ve lost people because they wanted us to spend more on social security.

“Nigel Farage wants to spend more on welfare. He wants to part-nationalise the oil and gas industry. That would be a disaster.”

Ms Badenoch added: “If there are people who join other parties because they think they have a better chance of winning, that means they are doing this for the wrong reasons. This is about public service.

“What I’m really grateful for is the leadership Russell Findlay is showing at a very difficult time.

READ MORE: Russell Findlay will not quit if Tories fall behind Reform as he breaks silence on second defection

“What we’re doing is making sure the Conservative party’s message is as clear as possible.”

Ms Badenoch’s trip north of the Border came after she pledged to maximise fossil fuel extraction and essentially allow every drop of oil and gas to be drained from the North Sea, regardless of the impact on the climate and renewable energy industries.

In June, Mr Farage visited Aberdeen to pledge his support for the oil and gas sector.

The UK Tory leader said: “No other party is going to support oil and gas like the Conservative party. That’s why I’m here in Aberdeen, to spread that message.”

SNP Deputy First Minister and Economy Secretary Kate Forbes warned Ms Badenoch and others portraying Scotland’s energy future as a binary choice between oil and gas and renewables risked a “worst-of-all-worlds” situation.

Ms Forbes said: "We have an opportunity in front of us to develop and harness Scotland's offshore sector in a way that delivers jobs, economic growth and energy security, not just for the next ten years, but for the next 100.

"That fact is that Scotland's offshore industry is being jeopardised because to [Prime Minister Sir] Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage, extraction means draining every pound of Scotland's natural resources without giving a single penny back.

“The next chapter for our energy sector is one which must be written carefully and considerately, recognising the renewables jobs of tomorrow only come by protecting the world-class offshore industry we have today - it is not a binary choice. The justice of a just transition is lost on Westminster politicians, who are risking the worst of all worlds in our future.

“The opportunities of net zero are enormous, but they will not be realised if confidence and investment is lost now.”