At the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, Kemi Badenoch delivered the most consequential speech of her leadership so far - a bold, unapologetic address that sought to reclaim the soul of the party after a historic electoral defeat.
Framing herself as the real leader of the opposition, Badenoch laid out an aggressive agenda aimed at reviving the Conservative brand. But while the hall cheered and the base left energised, major challenges lie ahead for Badenoch and her party, and much like Keir Starmer last week, she may have brought herself time but the big question is, can she reverse the steep decline in the polls.
Rallying the Base, Not the Country
The Conservatives are still trailing Labour by double digits and have slipped behind Reform UK in the national consciousness. In that context, this conference speech was less about turning the national tide and more about steadying internal nerves and keeping the membership onside.
Badenoch opened by thanking her shadow cabinet and councillors, calling them ‘a strong team’ ready to ‘save Britain from decline’. She described the 2020’s as a test of Britain’s resolve to ‘restore a strong economy, secure our borders, and rebuild our national strength’. But her core mission was political — to redefine what the Conservative Party stands for and reassert her authority as leader.
Policies with Punch
The headline policy — scrapping stamp duty on primary residences - drew the loudest applause. Calling it ‘a bad, unconservative tax’ Badenoch framed it as a way to unlock aspiration, increase mobility, and reignite home ownership.
Other headline proposals included:
- Tax cuts for small businesses, family farms, and private education.
- Borders and sovereignty: Leaving the ECHR, scrapping the Human Rights Act, and deporting 150,000 illegal immigrants — “a plan, not a slogan.”
- Welfare reform: Tightening access to disability and mental health benefits, restricting Motability eligibility.
- Civil service cuts: Reversing the growth in headcount since 2016.
- Climate rollback: Repealing the Climate Change Act and introducing a “cheap power plan” to cut bills by £165.
- Law and order: Banning doctors’ strikes, tripling stop-and-search, and “ending political correctness” in policing.
- Education: Closing “rip-off” degrees and doubling apprenticeship funding.
Badenoch also introduced a ‘golden economic rule’: half of all savings from spending cuts would go to reducing the deficit, the rest to tax cuts or growth — backed, she said, by £47 billion in identified savings.
Defending the Tory Record
In a pointed defence of the party’s time in government, Badenoch hit back at Labour’s narrative that the last 14 years had been a failure. She reminded the hall that Conservative governments had cut the deficit, improved schools, and led international efforts against Russia.
“The task now,” she said, “is to fight harder for what we believe in.”
Much of Badenoch’s fire was reserved for Labour. She accused Keir Starmer’s government of “peddling fantasy economics,” reckless borrowing, and “sucking up to Beijing.” Chancellor Rachel Reeves, she said, was “destroying business confidence” and “stealing from our children and grandchildren.”
But behind the punchlines was a serious attempt to draw a clear line between Conservative values — responsibility, free enterprise, family, and free speech — and what she painted as a directionless Labour government.
A Speech That Bought Her Time – for now
While Badenoch’s speech landed well in the room, and the conference ended on a more optimistic note than it began, it’s clear this wasn’t a reset moment for the party - it was a holding action.
The Conservatives are still struggling for relevance in the national conversation. Most of the week's coverage was confined to the party faithful, not the public. And Badenoch, while consolidating her leadership for now, knows the pressure will return fast.
With local and mayoral elections due in May 2026, many in the party believe she will face fresh leadership challenges if results disappoint.
For now, she has done what was needed: rallied the base, sharpened the message, and made the case that the Conservatives still have something to say.
But to present a credible threat to Labour, she will need more than applause in the conference hall. She’ll need to win back the country.