Suella Braverman has been widely condemned after she branded the LGBTQ+ Progress Pride flag as 'horrible' and 'monstrous'.
The former home secretary hit out at 'far, far too many Tory politicians' who wanted the flag flown in Whitehall to show 'how liberal and progressive we are'.
Mrs Braverman, who is expected to run for the Conservative leadership, moaned she was too enfeebled as a minister to get the flag removed from her own department.
She blamed 'other Tory politicians' for her failure, while also delivering a wider attack on 'liberal Conservatives' who 'trashed' the party.
Mrs Braverman's blistering speech in Washington DC stirred up a backlash within Conservative ranks, with some Tories vowing to thwart her leadership ambitions.
They labelled her address to the National Conservatism conference as 'disgusting' and 'intentionally inflammatory' and pledged to stop her becoming party leader.
Suella Braverman has been widely condemned after she branded the LGBTQ + Progress Pride flag as 'horrible' and 'monstrous'
The former home secretary hit out at 'far, far too many Tory politicians' who wanted the flag flown in Whitehall to show 'how liberal and progressive we are'
Mrs Braverman, who is expected to run for the Conservative leadership , moaned she was too enfeebled as a minister to get the Progress Pride flag removed from her own department
Despite a fierce backlash, Mrs Braverman doubled down on her comments this morning as she posted on social media
Mrs Braverman delivered her speech from across the Atlantic as most other MPs returned to work in the House of Commons following the general election.
She has refused to rule out another leadership bid since Rishi Sunak announced he would resign as party leader after overseeing the Tories' worst-ever defeat.
But it has been suggested her campaign is faltering as key allies abandon her.
Mrs Braverman was re-elected as an MP in Fareham and Waterlooville last week with a 6,000-vote majority, but vast numbers of other Tories lost their seats.
In her speech to the National Conservatism conference, she admitted the party had taken a 'good hiding' on Thursday night.
She said: 'Our problem is us. Our problem is that the liberal Conservatives who trashed the Tory party think it was everyone's fault but their own.
'My party governed as liberals and we were defeated as liberals. But seemingly, as ever, it is Conservatives who are to blame.'
Ms Braverman criticised the flying of the Progress Pride flag to 'show how liberal and progressive we are'.
In a transcript of her remarks, as reported by ITV, she said: 'We Tory ministers, nominally in charge of the system, completely failed.
'The Progress flag flew over our buildings as if they were occupied territory.'
She added: 'I don't say this to boast or curry favour with you as an audience, but to starkly confess my failure.
'I couldn't even get the flag of a horrible political campaign I disagreed with taken down from the roof of the Government department I was supposed to be in charge of.
'Again, some of you I suspect will be tempted to knowlingly say, 'the blob', but it wasn't. It was other Tory politicians.'
In her address to the right-wing conference in the US, Mrs Braverman continued: 'Far, far too many Tory politicians agreed that the Progress flag must be flown.
'It shows how liberal and progressive we are, which is something many Conservatives want us to be.
'Well, the Progress flag says one, monstrous, thing to me: that I was a member of a Government that presided over the mutilation of children in our hospitals.'
Responding to Mrs Braverman's speech, broadcaster Iain Dale - who was set to stand as a Conservative candidate in the general election before pulling out - said: 'What a disgusting speech.
'And she seriously thinks she has a chance of leading the Conservative Party. Not while I have a breath left in my body.'
Johnny Luk, who was the defeated Tory general election candidate in Milton Keynes Central, said: 'This is an absolutely dreadful and intentionally inflammatory speech. I urge all Conservatives to condemn it.'
John Bancroft, a Tory councillor in Cannock Chase, vowed: 'Suella Braverman will NEVER lead me! '
Former Labour culture secretary Ben Bradshaw said: 'Suella Braverman reveals the true face of the Tory right with her bitter fury about LGBT people. We exist. Get over it.'
And Labour MP Stella Creasy said: 'Everyone has to stand up to this bile polluting our politics, not just Tories who get vote in contest, because equality benefits and liberates us all.'
But, despite the backlash, Mrs Braverman doubled down on her comments this morning as she posted on X: 'The Progress flag represents the highly contested view that people, including children, can change their sex. I disagree with that view.
'Yet the Progress flag is flown on government buildings, by the police, NHS & armed forces. It's a symbol of our failure as Conservatives.'
