Kemi Badenoch is eyeing a "root and branch" reshuffle of her top team in her first major reshuffle as party leader.

The top Tory is said to be plotting to remove "dead wood" opposition Cabinet ministers holding back the Conservatives.

Party insiders suggested to the Mail on Sunday that Mrs Badenoch will try to "buy off" MP Katie Lam, who is now on "defection watch".

She was close with Robert Jenrick before his departure to Reform UK.

It has been suggested that Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride, Dame Priti Patel and Chris Philp could be at risk.

Shadow energy spokesman Claire Coutinho is seen as more dynamic and is hot favourite to replace him in the key role, the paper reported.

A Conservative Party spokesman has denied the claims.

It comes as Mrs Badenoch used her party's spring conference to say the Prime Minister is “too scared to make foreign interventions” and that the UK is “in this war whether Keir Starmer likes it or not”.

Speaking in Harrogate, Mrs Badenoch said the Prime Minister was “sitting on the fence” when it comes to the conflict in the Middle East.

The Tory leader said last week’s by-election won by the Greens has “spooked” the Labour Party.

“Now Keir Starmer is too scared to make foreign interventions for fear of upsetting a tiny section of that electorate.

“Everyone remembers the mistakes of the Iraq War, nobody sensible is suggesting that we should drop bombs without a second thought.

“But Keir Starmer spent days consulting lawyers, plucking up the courage to say whose side he was on.

“Canada and Australia had the moral clarity to do so immediately and unequivocally. Even now, our Prime Minister is sitting on the fence. We are in this war, whether Keir Starmer likes it or not.”