Redwood attacks May for 'nasty' remark

John Redwood has joined the criticism of Theresa May, the Tory chairman, over her perceived attack on the party faithful.

Mrs May was wrong to say the Conservatives were still seen as the "nasty party" in her hard-hitting speech to the Tory conference last October, Mr Redwood says in an interview with The Independent today. The criticism follows speculation that Mrs May, a moderniser, would be dropped from the party chairmanship this summer and possibly replaced by Mr Redwood, an ally of Iain Duncan Smith.

The former cabinet minister said Mrs May's speech was interpreted as an attack on rank-and-file party members in the hall. "I didn't think they deserved that. They have been with us through thick and thin. They are incredibly loyal. They are aching for victory and have strong Conservative views. So it was a pity many of us had to spend a good few hours chatting up our members and saying, 'She didn't really mean that. We love you dearly'."

Mr Redwood welcomed the "more robust" approach adopted recently by Mr Duncan Smith but said he should go further by campaigning on Europe. "I'm not shy about Europe. We can't make sense of British politics if we ignore the elephant in the living room."

Meanwhile, Chris Patten, a European commissioner and former Tory chairman, said the Tories were "in a mess" and urged them to stop their "endless tribal warfare". He told the BBC's Breakfast With Frost programme: "People have got to work together and try to find a voice – they haven't done so far – which attracts the electorate. I fear that there are some in the Conservative Party who have become more interested in who is up and who is down in the Conservative Party, rather than whether the Conservative Party is ready and able to govern the country."

Mr Duncan Smith dismissed criticism of his leadership, saying there were more important issues to debate. "This country stands on the verge of war against a tyrant," he said. "This is a huge moment, a massive issue." Speaking on a visit to Kuwait, he said: "I am determined to lead this party through the council elections [in May] and to the general election – and to win."