Suspended Tory was dishonest, says Badenoch

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has defended a move to suspend her group leader in Worcestershire, saying he misled party members.

Badenoch said councillor Adam Kent told his colleagues "something completely different" to what he had agreed with the Conservative Party's national office, when he hatched a deal with the Greens to take control of the county council.

Kent told the BBC he "categorically denies" misleading fellow councillors and challenged the Tory party to show him the evidence of any wrongdoing.

The county council is now controlled by a Green-Liberal Democrat-independent coalition after the Tories pulled out of the arrangement.

Badenoch told the BBC: "That council leader was suspended because he told his colleagues, as well as the national party, something completely different from what he'd agreed.

"He made a deal where he let a smaller party, smaller than the Conservative group, take control.

"Dishonesty is something that I will not tolerate in the Conservative Party. I do trust my local councillors but where people show that they cannot be trusted, then I'm afraid yes, I will step in."

Badenoch also said her party was still open to power-sharing deals, as long as they benefited local people.

In response, Kent said: "I am currently unable to comment as part of the procedure of investigation.

"I am very surprised that this seems to be a one-sided arrangement, and that the party can see fit to make any allegations they like, despite me not being able to defend myself.

"I categorically deny that I've misled anybody and I've yet to see any evidence from the party, subject to the procedures to say otherwise.

"My lawyers have now chased them on several occasions and still have not been provided with any evidence to justify the claims they have made in the media."

Kent remains the deputy leader of the county council, as a suspended Tory, after the rest of his party colleagues quit the cabinet once the Conservative's national office stepped in.

Last month he instructed libel lawyers to act on his behalf, over remarks made by the party's chairman Kevin Hollinrake on X. At that time, a spokesman for Conservative Campaign Headquarters said they were unable to comment.

The council's Green leader, Matt Jenkins, had since vowed to make the new minority coalition work and urged the Conservative Party to stop "meddling" in local politics.

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