KEMI Badenoch denies bullying accusations and defends outspoken style

Defending her style

KEMI Badenoch denied being a bully but made clear she won’t be a polite liar just to sugarcoat the truth. The Tory leadership hopeful fiercely defended her outspoken style, insisting "plain speaking is absolutely important."

Addressing accusations

She hit back at claims she fostered an "intimidating" atmosphere during her time as Secretary of State for Business and Trade. Ms Badenoch told Trending In The News’s Never Mind The Ballots: "No civil servant has ever accused me of bullying."

Standing her ground

When shown a screenshot of a blog post she allegedly wrote in 2006, she couldn't recall if she wrote it but stood her ground, saying: "I do think plain speaking is absolutely important. That is not rudeness."

On colleagues and rivals

Asked if colleagues who complain about her style are "snowflakes," she responded: "Like I said, people who've worked with me are supporting me. Of course, there'll be rival camps."

Leadership contest

Last week's second ballot in the Tory leadership contest put Robert Jenrick first with 33 votes, followed by Ms Badenoch with 28. She insisted she is still the favorite among Tory members, adding: "Being the front runner just means you have a target on your back."