Kemi Badenoch opened the Tory conference in Birmingham by presenting herself as a "classic old‑school Conservative" and releasing a 100‑page essay, The Right Way, that outlines market‑led principles. She emphasised that welfare should be a safety net, argued "business, not government, creates growth," and proposed tax cuts, deregulation and a smaller civil service. The party pledged 50,000 new prison places funded partly by cutting overseas aid to £1bn and to end the childcare "cliff edge" for parents earning more than £100,000. Opponents say the agenda looks backward; Badenoch insists it represents common sense and discipline.
Kemi Badenoch Declares Herself a "Classic Old‑School Conservative" as She Unveils 100‑Page Plan and Tough Policy Pledges
[BBC]
Kemi Badenoch opened the Conservative Party's annual conference in Birmingham by describing herself as a "classic old‑school Conservative" and publishing a 100‑page statement of principles alongside a package of policy pledges.
"I believe in common sense, people working hard and being rewarded for that effort," she told BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg, adding that welfare should be "a safety net, not a lifestyle." Badenoch has repeatedly presented herself as a pragmatic, "no‑nonsense mum" leading the party’s recovery after the 2024 election defeat.
Policy Direction and Political Context
Facing low party polling compared with Labour and Reform UK, Badenoch is positioning the Conservatives around clear, market‑focused principles. Her essay, titled The Right Way — an intentional echo of Margaret Thatcher's 1976 piece The Right Approach — argues that the previous Conservative government lost its sense of purpose and failed to roll back structural changes that expanded the state.
In the essay she sets out a central proposition: "Business, not government, creates growth." Her plan promotes tax cuts, deregulation and a reduction of the civil service back to pre‑pandemic levels as routes to renewed economic growth.
Welfare, Prisons and Childcare
Badenoch reiterated that welfare should remain a safety net rather than a long‑term lifestyle choice. She announced plans to deliver 50,000 new prison places — a proposal the party says would be funded in part by cutting the overseas aid budget to £1 billion a year, aimed at reducing early release of offenders. The party also pledged to end the current childcare "cliff edge" that denies entitlement to parents earning above £100,000.
An 88 foot long satirical take on the Bayeaux Tapestry poking fun at Labour and Reform UK is a popular attraction at the Tory conference [Reuters]
Conference figures note that over the Conservatives' 14 years in government the net increase in prison places was around 500 — the result of 14,142 places added offset by 13,660 lost largely to closures and dilapidation.
Rhetoric, Rivalry and Community
Seeking to set herself apart, Badenoch has lampooned political rivals — calling Reform UK leader Nigel Farage a "grumpy grandpa" and Labour leader Andy Burnham "the cheesy uncle who does all the dad jokes." She framed her approach as "the common‑sense party," saying: "What is really missing from politics and government today is people prepared to say no."
"The UK is not a dormitory, it is not a hotel," she said, arguing that "British culture means something" and warning against "lots of little ghettos of separatist communities where they are recreating the place they come from — that will ruin the United Kingdom."
At the conference she urged members to debate robustly but remain united: "We're going to be having debates, we're going to have arguments, they are going to be fun. We're going to challenge each other and afterwards we're still going to be a united party."
Opposition Reaction
Labour Party chair Bridget Phillipson accused the Conservatives of being "stuck in the past and out of touch," contrasting Badenoch's proposals with Labour leader Andy Burnham's recent plans to "bring back hope to Britain," and warning that Badenoch's agenda risks returning the country to damaging policies of past decades.
The conference's mixture of cultural messaging and concrete pledges — from childcare reform to prison expansion and civil service cuts — sets a clear, combative agenda as the Conservatives attempt to rebuild electoral momentum.
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