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Liz Truss’ think tank Popular Conservatism has publicly shamed Kemi Badenoch for failing to answer 12 questions it sent to her and Tory leadership rival Robert Jenrick.
With Tory members set to choose the replacement for Rishi Sunak, the think tank also known as Popcon and launched by Ms Truss last year, put out the replies it got for each question.
For each question under Ms Badenoch they put: “No response received”.
Director Mark Littlewood told The Independent: “I’m perplexed, to be honest. We really wanted her content. The PopCon database is split about equally between her and Robert. We were pretty flexible on deadlines but felt we had to get answers/non-answers out before ballot papers arrived.”
He added: “Whether they ever had any intention of replying I just don’t know.”
A source close to Ms Badenoch pointed out that her campaign team had decided not to send answers to every group which asked because “she wants to speak about things on her own terms”.
But supporters of Ms Badenoch suggested to The Independent that Popcon is really pro-Jenrick and is in danger of being made irrelevant by her 2030 Renewal project.
One supporter said: “We all know Mark Littlewood and Popcons are supporting Jenrick, so this isn’t a surprise. But in truth, this looks more like PopCons are worried Renewal2030 is about to turn into a proper movement that will lead the Conservatives back to government, while the PopCons do emails and press releases.”
But the refusal to answer questions has brought back memories of Ms Badenoch being the only leadership candidate not to do a huddle with journalists after he conference speech. Instead she was pursued by reporters through the conference centre to the hotel.
Popcon asked 12 questions on what it means to be a conservative, what the candidates thought of quangos, abolition of the Supreme Court, repealing or amending the Equality Act, and why the last government was the highest taxing administration in history.
Another question deliberately dealt with Ms Truss’ belief that the Office of Budget Responsibility and Bank of England were responsible for the downfall of her 49-day government following her disastrous mini-Budget.
Popcon also wanted to know which taxes candidates would reduce or abolish and whether they would abandon the 2050 Net Zero target.
The remaining questions looked at whether they would change party structures, give grassroots members more power and do a deal with Reform.
In his answers Mr Jenrick said that “love of family, nation state, and freedom” made him a conservative and he vowed to unpick and replace the Human Rights Act and Equalities Act with a Great Reform Act.
While he repeated his plan to leave the European Convention of Human Rights he said he would not want to abolish the UK’s Supreme Court, the OBR or Bank of England.
He said he wants to water down Net Zero measures including five-year carbon reduction plans.
He also said he would give ordinary Tory members more powers but resisted any deal with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.
Voting takes place with Tory members until 31 October with the winner announced on 2 November.
