The Tory leadership race turned nasty today as rivals Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch traded bitter exchanges as the contest enters its final days.

Conservative MPs have until 5pm on Thursday to vote on who should replace Rishi Sunak as Leader of the Opposition.

In an angry response to Ms Badenoch’s taunts about his “integrity”, Mr Jenrick warned this morning that the Tories could have “no future” if she is elected leader.

He responded to the “rubbish” attacks on him, adding: “If this is the way Kemi would behave as the leader of the party, the party has no future.”

Mr Jenrick’s outburst came after Ms Badenoch used a newspaper interview to question his standing as a government minister.

Robert Jenrick has warned the Tories could have “no future” if his rival Kemi Badenoch is elected party leader

Mr Jenrick expressed his anger after Ms Badenoch used a newspaper interview to question his standing as a government minister.

“Integrity matters … with me you would have a leader where there is no scandal,” Ms Badenoch said. Telegraph.

“I’ve never been fired for anything, never had to resign in disgrace or, you know, because it was a whiff of impropriety.”

The former business secretary’s comments appeared to be a touch on Mr Jenrick’s previous involvement in a planning dispute when he was housing secretary.

In 2020, Mr Jenrick approved a scheme to redevelop East London against the recommendation of a planning inspector.

But he later had to rescind his own endorsement after admitting the decision was “illegal” because of “apparent bias”.

It emerged that former media mogul Richard Desmond donated £12,000 to the Tories two weeks after Mr Jenrick stepped in to approve the scheme.

And it was also revealed how Mr Desmond and Mr Jenrick sat together at a Conservative fundraising dinner two months before the planning decision.

Although former prime minister Boris Johnson backed Mr Jenrick at the time of the row, he was later sacked as housing secretary in a Cabinet reshuffle in 2021.

In response to Ms Badenoch’s newspaper comments, Mr Jenrick told GB News: “I just note that a few weeks ago Labour-controlled Tower Hamlets council approved the same scheme all these years later, millions of pounds.

“I will never be ashamed of trying to build houses in this country, getting young people on the housing ladder.”

He added: “It’s a great shame that Kemi chose at the last minute to drag this out to trade personal attacks.

“If Kemi does this to Tory colleagues, it will be the death of the Conservative Party.

“I want to end the drama. I want to put an end to these petty disputes, misinformation. The public is sick to death of this kind of rubbish. It has to end now.

“Respectfully, these comments are just rubbish. This is misinformation. These are small personal attacks.

But Ms Badenoch defended her comments when she also appeared on the channel this morning.

She said: “I’m talking about me. I am someone who has conviction.

“I’m not saying anything new now, just because it’s a leadership contest. I am someone who has been describing those values ​​for a very long time.

“Also, I’m saying that since the public doesn’t trust us, you want someone who hasn’t had any of those kinds of problems.”

Asked about claims among Mr Jenrick’s supporters that she is the “establishment candidate” for the Tory leadership, Ms Badenoch added: “I’m getting everyone’s support.

“Why can’t he win everyone’s support? I think that’s the important thing.

“I’m very proud that the people who brought us from opposition to government believe they can do it.

“The people who started in opposition and ended up in government were Margaret Thatcher and David Cameron.

“They didn’t do it with a new manifesto. They did it starting from the first principles.

“That’s what I want to do and I think it’s very sad that they have to sell conspiracy theories.”

The new Conservative leader will be announced on Saturday.