Robert Jenrick will be weakened as the Conservative Party leader as he looks like a typical ‘Tory boy’, Michael Gove has claimed.
The former cabinet minister and Kemi Badenoch backer said one of Jenrick’s biggest struggles is that he “looks like a typical Tory politician.”
He also insisted Kemi Badenoch’s ability for “getting into scraps” is an ideal quality for the next leader of the opposition.
However, Gove, who now edits The Spectator, thinks the former immigration secretary has “diligence, rigour, hunger” and he is able to answer the “big questions.”
A spokesperson for Robert Jenrick’s campaign responded saying, “Michael Gove and his acolytes have been responsible for so much of the infighting and drama that has led our party to where it is.
“Rob’s going to end that drama and the excuses that followed and just deliver for our country.”
Nadine Dorries, the former culture secretary, disagreed with Gove, posting on X: “Robert Jenrick’s mum was born in Liverpool and was a secretary. His dad ran his business out of the back of a white van. They were solid working class.
“By pejoratively calling Jenrick a ‘Tory boy,’ Gove has just insulted the vast majority of party members.”
The two leadership hopefuls are vying for the support of Conservative Party members, with the voting closing at the end of October.
The new leader will be announced on 2 November.
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