Tory grandee Lord Heseltine has warned Kemi Badenoch that the party’s attacks on migrants are “not the Conservative way to rebuild power”.
In a damning attack on her leadership, the former deputy prime minister has used a speech at the conference in Manchester to blast the rhetoric of the current leadership, warning that the inflammatory language “encourages the worst sort of prejudice”.
In his speech at a European Movement event at the Conservative Party conference, Lord Heseltine suggested taking such a hard right approach to politics is unconservative.
His comments comes amid a growing row over comments made by shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick, who said he had not seen “another white face” while filming a video in the Handsworth area of Birmingham. He later doubled down on his remarks, saying the UK’s second city “did look like a slum”.
Lord Heseltine warned that instead of aping Reform UK, the Tories “must make clear that we will never have any part in the populist extremism of Nigel Farage”.
“We have to deal with President Trump for the next three years,” he said. “We don’t need his mouthpiece anywhere near Number 10.
“To describe (immigrants) them as thieves or rapists is not just dishonest but encourages the worst sort of prejudice in our communities.
“If not one single boat reached these shores it would hardly touch the underlying problems facing our workforce and the demand for a constant supply of overseas workers.”
Lord Heseltine noted that the atmosphere in British politics had uncomfortable echoes of one of the darkest chapters in modern history.
“There are other uncomfortable memories from the end of the 1930s. The rise of fascism found its followers from the top to the bottom of European society in Germany, Italy and Spain, whilst Mosely marched his followers through London’s East end.
“It required Churchill’s iron determination to stop his Conservative colleagues seeking peace with Hitler.”
He also bemoaned the party’s support for Brexit, which he still maintains is harming the UK more than anything else.
Lord Heseltine said: “The latest polls tell us that 56 per cent now believe it was a mistake to leave (the EU). Only 31 per cent believe it was right. The tide is turning.”
But he expressed genuine fears about the direction of politics in western democracies.
“I am dismayed by the drift of events in world politics. The economic collapse of 2008 and the covid crisis have seriously contributed to the lack of confidence in governments and the right wing equivalents to the fascists of the thirties are back on the march: Le Pen in France, AfD in Germany, Fratelli d’Italia in Italy, Vox in Spain and conspicuously Reform in this country.
“Much of President Trump’s language in America coincides with words here in Europe. The immigrant has replaced the Jew as the problem which needs a solution although recent events here have cast a dark shadow.”
But at a conference which has made the Tories look as though they might be a dying party, he laid out a winning formula which he believes will see them regain power.
“I want to see the election of another Tory government. I believe there are five broad issues that they must address: the defence of the realm; the restoration of strength and confidence in our economy; the rule of law; the threat to our environment from pollution, global warming and climate change; and the restoration of British influence in the world.
“This is an agenda that should appeal to the younger electorate that will be in place by the next election.”
