A pamphlet distributed by Kemi Badenoch at Tory conference was co-written by a Tory who was suspended by the party over Islamophobic tweets.
In 2015 John Moss, a councillor in Waltham Forest, tweeted that “every 11 year old girl” should be frightened of Islam.
He was suspended in June 2019, when the comments were found by a news website - but the suspension was lifted a month later after he completed “diversity and anti-bias training”.
Ms Badenoch has slammed workplace diversity initiatives as “ineffective and counterproductive”.
And she made headlines during this week’s Tory conference after she suggested not all cultures were “equally valid”.
The pamphlet itself, entitled “Conservatism in Crisis” singles out diversity and inclusion programmes for criticism several times.
Cllr Moss told the : "As part of a longer conversation in 2015 about the failure of public officials to respond to accusations of child sexual exploitation I made a a comment which, when read alone was disrespectful and wrong. I apologised for that, withdrew the comment and accepted the sanctions imposed, undertook training and the suspension was lifted. "
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After days of trying to persuade members and colleagues at the Conference in Birmingham, the Tory leadership candidates, who also include James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick and , will be whittled down from four to two next week by the parliamentary party before the membership gets the final say.
Newark MP Mr Jenrick is the front-runner in the contest, though Ms Badenoch has topped bookies lists in recent weeks, and Mr Cleverly was given a boost by a well-received conference speech.
“Some people say I like a fight,” Ms Badenoch said in her address to conference on Wednesday. “I can’t imagine where they got that idea. But it’s not true. I do not like to fight. But I’m not afraid to fight.”
She added: “Every day of the last parliament I fought for Conservative values. I fought for them even when I was told it wasn't in my interest. I fought for women's rights to safe spaces and children's rights to grow up in their own time. I fought against those who seek to divide our country based on race. I fought for the future of my 3 children and for your children."
