Politics · 14 July 2026
Tories remove Lord Barwell’s whip as party denies centrist purge
Roger Harris via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-3.0)
Lord Gavin Barwell said he learned he had lost the Conservative whip after someone sent him a newspaper article, and blamed criticism of Kemi Badenoch’s strategy. Conservative sources said the decision was about his conduct, not his political views, citing repeated public attacks and failing to meet the party’s chief whip. Barwell warned Badenoch risks driving away centre-right voters by narrowing the party’s appeal.
Reported by The Guardian · How we write briefs