Fresh clash between Tory leadership rivals as Kemi Badenoch blasts Robert Jenrick for branding her disrespectful - but he hits back to warn the age of policy-free politics is over

The Tory leadership contenders engaged in a fresh clash today as Kemi Badenoch blasted Robert Jenrick for branding her disrespectful.

With little more than a week until voting closes in the contest to replace Rishi Sunak as Leader of the Opposition, Ms Badenoch issued a sharp retort to her rival.

She hit back after Mr Jenrick this week accused her of disrespecting Conservative members by failing to set out her stance on big issues.

He had also swiped at Ms Badenoch for only offering platitudes and empty rhetoric, as he boasted of having clear and specific plans in major policy areas.

Speaking to the BBCs Political Thinking With Nick Robinson podcast, Ms Badenoch took issue with Mr Jenricks choice of words as their row intensified.

Kemi Badenoch hit back after Robert Jenrick this week accused her of disrespecting Conservative members by failing to set out her stance on big issues

The bitter war-of-words between Ms Badenoch and Mr Jenrick deepened when Mr Jenrick stood by his criticism of his rival in a separate interview 

He doesnt know where hes going to be standing in four years time, Ms Badenoch said.

So he uses the word disrespectful. I would not use a word like that about any of the candidates who have stood.

The former business secretary added: If this was a general election, yes, it would be wrong to be standing with no policies. This is not a general election.

And if youre going to solve a problem, you need to make sure that you know what the question youre being asked is.

He thinks the question that is being asked is, what are the right policies to win a general election?

I think the question being asked is, why should we trust the Conservative Party? Trust is an issue.

We have two different diagnosis and he is writing a new manifesto. If that is what members want, someone whos got more promises to make, thats fine.

I will never make a promise unless I know how I am going to deliver it.

The bitter war-of-words between Ms Badenoch and Mr Jenrick deepened when Mr Jenrick stood by his criticism of his rival in a separate interview.

Kemi and I disagree on this point, he told BBC Radio 5 Lives Matt Chorley.

I believe you have to start with principles and values and Ive laid those out, but then I think that is not enough. You also have to have policies.

Because I think the public are deeply sceptical about my party right now. If were going to begin to win back a sceptical public, we have to have policies.

The age of policy-free politics is over.

Mr Jenrick has made quitting the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) a central plank of his leadership campaign, as part of a series of policy pledges.

But Ms Badenoch has warned Mr Jenricks approach on the ECHR risks splitting the party and said the Tory contest is not a test of who can make the biggest promises.

She has instead urged the party to focus on the job of opposition as she bids to oversee a renewal of the Conservatives. 

Speaking on BBC Radio 4 on Sunday night, Mr Jenrick had dismissed a claim that voters simply wont believe a series of fresh Tory promises so soon after the general election.

Kemi and I disagree profoundly on this issue, he told the Westminster Hour programme.

I think the public are deeply sceptical about our party right now and the way to begin to earn back public trust is to be very clear about where we stand on issues.

For example on immigration, whether we want to cap migration or not, whether we want to leave the ECHR or not.

I stand for capping migration, I stand for leaving the ECHR and securing our borders as a result.

I think its disrespectful to the members and the public to ask for their votes without saying where you stand on the big issues facing our country today.

A plan today is what I offer. A promise of a plan at some point in the future is what my opponent offers.

And I dont think thats the way to rebuild the publics trust and confidence in us.

Pressed on his suggestion that Ms Badenoch was being disrespectful to Tory members, Mr Jenrick said: I think if you want to regain the trust of the British people, youve got to have a plan.

I have very clear and specific plans on each of the topics I talk about.

He added: I dont trade in platitudes, I dislike empty rhetoric, weve had too much of that in recent years.

One of the reasons the party failed at this general election was because we didnt deliver and we didnt set out very clear and believable plans that addressed the big challenges facing our country.

That is what I offer and that is, frankly, a dividing line in this leadership election. If the members of the party want platitudes, Im not their candidate.

Im the candidate that has serious and credible answers to the big challenges facing our country.

Ms Badenoch has not ruled out supporting Britains exit from the ECHR but warned it would not be a silver bullet in tackling illegal migration.

Speaking during last weeks TV debate between herself and Mr Jenrick on GB News, she said: If we need to leave the ECHR in order to control migration, we should leave it.

But it is not a silver bullet. Its not even the most radical thing that we can do. 

Immigration is too high, both legal and illegal. We need to tackle that. It is causing a strain on public services. Were not able to build up, build housing to keep up.

It is not fair, but we have to ask ourselves, why is it that countries that are in the ECHR are able to deport people who are there illegally better than us?

In an apparent dig at Mr Jenrick, the former business secretary also said the Tory leadership race was not a test of who can make the biggest promises. 

She added: The public removed us from government because they felt that we were not competent and that we were not delivering on our promises.

The answer is not to make new promises. The answer is to do the job they have given us properly, and that is the job of opposition.