Kemi Badenoch slams article accusing her of 'bullying and traumatising' staff for 'coming after the one person who can beat Starmer'
Badenoch slated the piece as a "Guardian hit job"
PA
Kemi Badenoch has blasted a Guardian article accusing her of "creating an intimidating atmosphere in the government department she used to run" as a "hit job".
The Conservative leadership hopeful had come under fire after the paper unearthed allegations of "bullying and traumatising" behaviour by "at least three senior officials" in the Department for Business and Trade (DBT).
The article included claims that individuals in the DBT were "regularly left feeling humiliated by Badenoch" and had occasionally been "reduced to tears" following meetings with the former Cabinet minister.
Though one of Badenoch's spokespeople had described the allegations as "completely false and a flagrant smear" to the Guardian, they defended her "high standards and expectations" within the department as they confirmed she "had to let go of" a number of "senior officials".
So it looks like the Guardian hit job I warned about last week has dropped.
— Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) July 30, 2024
Clearly my campaign launch has spooked the lefties and now they’re coming for the one person they know can beat Keir Starmer. (1/3) https://t.co/BPCwwW08jg
Five days ago, Badenoch had shared an image to social media claiming "a political journalist at the Guardian has been texting officials in my former department to find someone/anyone willing to make bullying accusations about me".
In the image, purportedly a message from a journalist, it is tabled that there "is an overwhelming public interest case for investigating" claims about Badenoch's ministerial conduct.
Badenoch had noted that one of the messages "was effectively encouraging them to break the civil service code".
But now, the ex-Business Secretary has claimed her "campaign launch has spooked the lefties", and accused the Guardian of "coming for the one person they know can beat Keir Starmer".
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Badenoch backed herself as "the one person that can beat Keir Starmer"
PA
She continued: "Let's be clear: these allegations are smears from former staff who I sacked after they were accused of bullying behaviour, lying about other colleagues to cover up their own failures and general gross incompetence... Intolerable behaviour I would not stand for.
"The business department has confirmed to the Guardian there were no complaints about me and no investigations.
"It's all utterly false. But I won't let it stop me or my campaign.
"The renewal of my party and the country is too important to let the Guardian, acting for the Labour Party, disrupt."
Badenoch became the sixth person to enter the Conservative leadership race yesterday
PABadenoch became the sixth person to enter the Conservative leadership race yesterday, pledging to renew, reunite and return the party to its roots.
She joined Priti Patel, Mel Stride, Robert Jenrick, Tom Tugendhat and James Cleverly in the race - and, as things stand, is the bookies' favourite.
The MP for North West Essex had accused "much of the discourse across the political spectrum" of being "petty and puerile".
But the Tories' backbench 1922 Committee chief Bob Blackman has insisted the party is "determined that this is going to be a good, clean contest" - while the six leadership candidates could be handed a "yellow card" if they "indulge in attacking each other".