Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch has slammed Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron by accusing him of a “dereliction of duty” over the 2016 Brexit referendum.
Badenoch, who supported Brexit, criticised her now-Cabinet colleague for not planning for an outcome in which a majority of Britons would vote to cut ties with the Brussels bloc.
The former Prime Minister ended up losing, with Leave receiving 52 per cent and Remain languishing behind on 48 per cent.
Cameron resigned from Number 10 and the House of Commons but was spectacularly brought back as Foreign Secretary last November.
Brexit-backer Kemi Badenoch slams Remainer David Cameron for 'dereliction of duty' over 2016 referendum
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Badenoch, who became the MP for Saffron Walden in 2017, reportedly told the CBI: “One of the most disappointing things was becoming an MP a year later and finding out there had been no plans made about how this was going to happen. I think that was the real dereliction of duty.
“If you're offering people Leave vs Remain you need to do your work, not just do the work for the option you want to win.”
During the 2016 referendum, Cameron was forced to address why civil servants were banned from giving advice to Eurosceptic Ministers.
He said: “The Government's position is that we will be better off in a reformed European Union.
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Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron
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“Ministers are free to part from that position and campaign in a personal capacity, that is, I think, a very important statement, it's right in terms of how we go about it, but it does not mean the Government is neutral, it doesn't mean the civil service is neutral, the Government has a policy from which people can depart.”
Badenoch is seen as a potential leadership contender should Rishi Sunak face the chop before or after the next general election.
Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt and ex-Home Secretary Suella Braverman, both Brexiteers, have also been identified as Tory leadership hopefuls.
Lord Cameron was this week forced to deny he suggested Britain’s departure from the European Union was to blame for an asylum returns deal with France being off the table.
Kemi Badenoch says 'no one works harder' than Rishi SunakGB NewsHe had claimed a cross-Channel pact "not possible" because of the situation the UK is currently in.
However, clarifying his position, the Foreign Secretary said: “The situation we’re in is that the Dublin Convention no longer exists whether you’re in the EU or out of the EU.
“The problem is it’s not possible to have that returns deal with France, that’s why we have looked at innovative solutions.”
The Dublin Regulation is being replaced as countries struggle with the scale of migration and are reluctant to accept transfers.