David Gauke: Getting the blame game wrong – you purge if you want to but it’s lazy who they are purging

David Gauke critiques the Conservative Party's strategy under Kemi Badenoch, who is applying purity tests on net zero and ECHR membership for parliamentary candidates, blocking former MPs and ministers. Gauke argues this 'purge of the wets' is based on a flawed analysis that blames the party's liberal wing for electoral losses, when in fact the decline was driven by Boris Johnson's lack of integrity and Liz Truss's economic recklessness. He also analyzes incoming Labour PM Andy Burnham, warning that Burnham's rhetoric may not match the realities of governing, and draws parallels between Labour's internal dynamics and recent Conservative history. Gauke concludes the purge is politically lazy and risks alienating talented candidates.