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Kemi Badenoch has presented herself as a “classic old school Conservative” as she kicks off her party’s annual conference, unveiling a series of policy promises alongside a detailed 100-page document outlining her core principles. Speaking to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, Badenoch emphasized her belief in common sense and the idea that hard work should be rewarded. She further stated that welfare ought to serve as a “safety net, not a lifestyle.”
Facing a challenging political landscape where the Conservatives are trailing behind Labour and Reform UK in the polls following their significant defeat in the 2024 general election, Badenoch is keen to distinguish her leadership. She has personal poll ratings that exceed those of her party. In interviews, she referred to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage as a “grumpy grandpa” and made a lighthearted comparison of Labour leader Andy Burnham to “the cheesy uncle who does all the dad jokes,” while describing herself simply as a “no-nonsense mum.”
When questioned about her proposed cuts to benefits and the ambitious plan to add 50,000 new prison places, Badenoch rejected the notion that these measures represented a return to the “nasty party” politics of the past. Instead, she called it the “common sense party” approach, asking rhetorically why the previous methods had failed if they were so effective. In her essay titled *The Right Way*—a nod to Margaret Thatcher’s 1976 essay *The Right Approach*—she reflects that the former Conservative government stumbled because it lacked a clear identity and failed to reverse structural changes made by Labour, which she claims led to the state expanding “by stealth.”
Badenoch’s essay sets out a vision where the next Conservative government will adopt the principle that business, rather than government, drives economic growth. The party plans to stimulate this growth by cutting taxes, reducing bureaucracy, and shrinking the civil service to its pre-pandemic size. The essay also highlights the importance of political leaders having the resolve to say no when resources are limited, signaling a shift toward fiscal discipline. Meanwhile, at the Birmingham conference, the Conservatives promise to eliminate the current childcare “cliff edge” that excludes parents earning over £100,000 and aim to end early offender release by reducing the overseas aid budget to £1 billion per year to fund the additional prison places. In contrast, Labour Party chair Bridget Phillipson criticized the Conservatives, saying they are “stuck in the past” and out of touch with the public’s desires, while praising Andy Burnham’s recent plans as a hopeful alternative for Britain
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