The Conservatives have denied they are purging prominent centrists after Gavin Barwell lost the whip in the wake of warnings from Kemi Badenoch that supporters of policies such as targets for net zero were no longer welcome in the party.
Lord Barwell, who was an MP and minister before becoming Theresa May’s chief of staff, said he was saddened at the decision and that Badenoch risked putting off large numbers of potential voters because of her stance.
During her leadership, Badenoch has repeatedly talked about her desire to push the Conservatives further to the right.
Writing for the Telegraph last week, she said Conservatives who either supported net zero targets or who opposed the UK leaving the European convention on human rights (ECHR) were “not serious” and no longer welcome in the party.
Barwell, who was made a peer in 2019, said on LinkedIn that he first learned about losing the party whip when someone forwarded him a Daily Mail article setting this out.
He believed the decision was made because he had posted criticism of Badenoch on X for her stated mistrust of any Tories who supported net zero targets, but said he had also praised her on other occasions.
“When I do criticise her, it is because I want her to succeed, not because I want to undermine her,” he wrote. “She is doing a great job of holding this government to account and her personal ratings have improved accordingly, but that hasn’t led to an improvement in the party’s opinion poll ratings.
“That tells you that her message isn’t quite right. There are millions of centre-right voters who are attracted by what she has to say about the economy, but are put off by some of her other positions.”
The removal of the whip, he added, suggested an “intolerance of criticism”. He believed that none of the other Tory leaders he served under, from John Major to Theresa May, would have taken such a decision.
“The best leaders are those who welcome different voices, not letting unfair attacks bother them but acknowledging and learning from valid criticism,” Barwell continued. “No one has a monopoly of wisdom: Kemi will succeed if she builds a broad church and encourages a healthy debate about strategy. I hope it happens.”
An article on Tuesday on ConservativeHome, the website favoured by Tories for talking shop, called for Badenoch to distance the party from members of Prosper UK, a centrist Tory grouping led by Ruth Davidson, the former Scottish Tory leader, and Andy Street, the ex-West Midlands mayor.
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However, a Conservative source denied that Barwell had been purged for ideological reasons and dismissed as “complete rubbish” speculation that other centrist Tories could be targeted.
The source said Barwell had lost the whip for wider problems with his conduct, pointing to a letter sent to him by Susan Williams, the Conservative chief whip in the Lords, explaining the reasons for his expulsion.
The letter, seen by the Guardian, told Barwell that he would not resume the Tory whip after a leave of absence from the Lords, in part because he had not been to see Williams on his return, despite being asked to, and because of “a series of public statements directed against both the leader of the opposition and the Conservative party”.
“Robust debate and differences of opinion have always been part of our party’s tradition,” it said. “However, there is an important distinction between disagreement and conduct that undermines the discipline and mutual respect upon which any serious political party depends.
“Accordingly, should you choose to take the oath and resume your seat in the House of Lords, I am writing to confirm that you will not receive the Conservative whip.”
