A heated exchange between Tory MPs Sir Alec Shelbrooke and Ben Obese-Jecty erupted over criticisms directed at Kemi Badenoch, prompting Shelbrooke to demand that Obese-Jecty “pack it in.” The confrontation occurred in the private parliamentary lounge during the Conservative Party’s annual conference in Manchester on Tuesday, reports BritPanorama.
Former minister Shelbrooke accused Obese-Jecty of attempting to undermine Badenoch’s leadership, following claims that Obese-Jecty had made negative comments about her to the media, according to sources. Witnesses described the dispute as “heated” as tensions flared over the allegations.
Obese-Jecty has denied the claims against him. In a conversation with reporters, Shelbrooke stated, “I called him out about it. He denied it. It was about things I had been told. Let it be a lesson to people who try to undermine a positive conference. Those who think they are being clever are completely out of step with the conference and the party.”
This altercation took place just before Badenoch’s keynote address to the party members, during a conference overshadowed by leadership speculation and poor polling results for the Conservatives. A recent YouGov survey indicated that nearly 50% of party members feel Badenoch should not lead them into the next election, with around two-thirds supporting a potential electoral pact with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party.
During her address, Badenoch reassured attendees that she would not fragment the right and emphasized that no deal would be made with Reform. She unveiled a range of new policies aimed at regaining voter support, including proposals to exit the European Convention on Human Rights and implement a £47 billion reduction in public spending.
