Tory leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch says she is a victim of hit job over bullying claims

By Charlie Duffield

Conservative leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch has said she is the victim of a "hit job" and has rebuffed allegations that she bullied civil service staff while serving as business secretary.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

The Guardian reported that Badenoch is claimed to have created an intimidating atmosphere at the Department for Business and Trade.

But Badenoch has said the allegations come from a member of staff who was themselves accused of bullying and other "intolerable behaviour I would not stand for".

Badenoch is the bookies favourite to be the next Tory leader, and insisted the allegations were "smears".

She said The Guardian was "acting for the Labour Party" to disrupt her campaign.

In the Guardian article, it's claimed that she traumatised staff, prompting at least three of them to quit their department jobs.

The claims focus on behaviour that meant staff "dreaded" meetings and allegedly were left humiliated or in tears.

In a post on Twitter/X, Badenoch said: “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.”

She said that this was “intolerable behaviour I would not stand for”, and went on to add that the Department for Business and Trade had confirmed there were no complaints or investigations against her.

Badenoch, the MP for North West Essex, stressed that the accusations would not "stop me or my campaign" and insisted that her efforts to be the next Conservative leader following the party's descent at the general election had “spooked the lefties and now they’re coming for the one person they know can beat Keir Starmer”.

She added: “The renewal of my party and the country is too important to let The Guardian, acting for the Labour Party, disrupt.”

A spokesman for Badenoch went on to say that she has "high standard and expectations, and she has cultivated high-performing civil service teams who enjoy working with her”.

A Department for Business and Trade spokesperson said: “We cannot comment on individual HR matters. However, there have never been any formal complaints or investigations into the previous secretary of state’s conduct at this department.

“It is common for government departments to seek the views of civil servants and to discuss the results of those surveys in routine meetings with staff. We do not tolerate abuse or bullying of any kind.”