I'm not interested in mulling over north-east Reform defections, Kemi Badenoch says
UK Tory chief Kemi Badenoch warned north-east councillors who have switched to Reform are not true conservatives and she is 'not interested' in worrying about Nigel Farage's party.
The Conservative chief took aim at the seven ex-Tory defectors across Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen in an exclusive interview with The Press and Journal.
'There are some people who just want to be politicians, and are doing it for themselves,' she said.
'I think we need to start asking why are we talking about people who clearly don't care about values and policies, but just care about winning?'
Ms Badenoch spoke to the P&J after her speech to Tory members at the party's conference in Edinburgh on Friday.
'We can't have a party of people who believe different things,' she told us.
'We need to be very clear about who we are and what we stand for.'
The Tory leader told journalists she was happy with Mr Farage picking off councillors who want to defect.
'If Nigel Farage is taking out of the Conservative Party people who are not conservatives, then I'm quite fine with that,' she said.
Earlier this week Russell Findlay exclusively told the P&J that Reform defectors were 'opportunistic' and would come to regret their decision.
Ms Badenoch told the P&J: 'Many of the people who go in there don't like what they see, and come out of it, and that's a warning for them.
'It's not my warning – it's just clearly what's going on.'
The Tory leader referenced former Reform MP Rupert Lowe, who has since quit the party and heavily criticised leader Mr Farage.
She added: 'I'm not really that interested in talking about Reform.
'I know it might be an interesting media story, I'm really worried about what's happening to all of those people out there losing their jobs.'
Six Aberdeenshire Tories have joined Reform, while Aberdeen councillor Duncan Massey switched allegiance last week during Mr Farage's visit to the city.
The most recent defector, Huntly councillor Lauren Knight, jumped ship on Thursday.
Ms Badenoch's speech to Tory members was heavily focused on the north-east as she called for Labour to scrap the oil and gas windfall tax.
The levy was originally introduced by the Conservatives in 2022, when Rishi Sunak was chancellor.
But Ms Badenoch said she was looking to the future.
'I said I disagreed with it, but I wasn't the prime minister,' she told the P&J.
'I can't go back into the past and be the prime minister.
'I can only tell people what I can do under new leadership.
'The north-east of Scotland is an area that is suffering particularly right now.
'That's why we're talking about it.'
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