The London Assembly’s Andrew Boff is one of many who reject Kemi Badenoch’s authoritarian position. They are the only chance for the party’s future
The chair of the London Assembly, Andrew Boff, resigned this week from the Conservative party after 53 years of membership. He quit after being blocked from entering the race to be Tory candidate for London mayor because he supports the European convention on human rights (ECHR), putting him at odds with Kemi Badenoch’s hardline position.
Messages of support for one of the capital’s longest-serving Conservative politicians quickly poured in from fellow Tories. Gavin Barwell, Theresa May’s Downing Street chief of staff, has backed Boff, warning Badenoch that others would follow him over the ECHR edict. But the rest sent messages privately, not daring to reveal themselves under a leadership that doesn’t tolerate dissent. In an interview last year, Badenoch decreed that rebels “should not and cannot stand as a Conservative candidate” if they do not agree with leaving the ECHR. She also bars anyone supporting net zero.
Polly Toynbee is a Guardian columnist
