Top Tories fuelled riots with ‘divisive language’ on immigration, say party grandees

Veteran Conservatives on the party's liberal wing have criticised the rightwards shift by some senior figures

Tim Kirkhope: The Conservative party has shifted too far to the right. We must fight for the centre ground

Tory grandees have accused senior figures in their own party of using divisive language that inflamed anger over immigration before the recent rioting, amid warnings that too many Conservatives have turned a blind eye" to a shift to the right.

The criticisms come as fears grow on the party's liberal wing that the leadership election risks pulling the party further into populist polices designed to take on Reform UK.