Tory leadership: Kemi Badenoch in vicious swipe at rival Jenrick - 'I've never been sacked'

Tory enactment favourite Kemi Badenoch said enactment members privation idiosyncratic with 'integrity' successful a thinly-veiled swipe astatine rival Robert Jenrick, who was embroiled successful contention successful 2020

Tory enactment hopeful Kemi Badenoch took a brutal swipe astatine rival Robert Jenrick, saying "I've ne'er been sacked".

Ms Badenoch, who is wide expected to beryllium announced arsenic Rishi Sunak's successor adjacent Saturday, claimed enactment members "don't privation idiosyncratic who was sacked, who had impropriety, ministerial codification issues and truthful on".

Mr Jenrick was embroiled successful contention successful 2020 aft approving a immense spot improvement enactment guardant by Tory donor Richard Desmond. It aboriginal emerged Mr Desmond had lobbied him astatine a fundrasing event. Mr Jenrick's determination would person saved the businessman astir £40million - arsenic it was made earlier a emergence successful assembly assemblage charges.

Mr Jenrick didn't contention a judicial reappraisal that said his actions were unlawful, and helium was kicked retired by Boris Johnson during a reshuffle the pursuing year. Ms Badenoch said enactment members "know I person integrity" and said determination would beryllium "no scandal" if she was enactment leader.

In an interrogation with the Sunday Telegraph she said: "I was ne'er sacked for anything, I didn't person to resign successful disgrace or, you know, due to the fact that determination was a whiff of impropriety. Everything has ever been supra board.

"I deliberation that that's thing that we truly request to deliberation astir for who is going to beryllium leader." A cardinal survey of enactment members by Conservative Home suggested Ms Badenoch has the enactment of 55%, compared to Mr Jenrick's 33%. Just 14% are undecided.

But her rival insisted it is inactive "neck and neck". The 2 hard-right candidates are going to head-to-head arsenic Tory members - who antecedently inflicted Liz Truss connected the federation - prime their favourite. The duo person publically disagreed implicit Ms Badenoch's campaign, which has been airy connected policy. Mr Jenrick has insisted members should cognize what they're voting for.

Following Conservative Home's results, based connected a survey of 828 enactment members, helium was asked if it was each implicit for him. Mr Jenrick responded: "Absolutely not. This is cervix and neck.

"That's a survey, not a poll. The past canvass that we had was done by YouGov respective weeks ago, and showed it was perfectly cervix and neck, the tightest enactment contention that we've had for galore years. There's everything to combat for and I'm surely going disconnected astir the country, arsenic I person passim the summer, and I deliberation my connection is resonating with members and with the nationalist that we request to larn our lessons."

And successful a excavation astatine Ms Badenoch, helium said: "(Members) don't privation vague promises of argumentation commissions which volition study backmost successful months oregon years to come. They privation enactment now."

The Mirror has contacted Mr Jenrick's squad for comment.