Kemi Badenoch positions herself as ‘old school’ Conservative amid policy launch

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has declared herself a “classic old school Conservative” as she launched her party’s annual conference with a comprehensive 100-page statement outlining her guiding principles. Speaking to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, Badenoch emphasized a return to common-sense politics, stating, “I believe in people working hard and being rewarded for that effort,” and added that welfare should serve as a “safety net, not a lifestyle.”

The policy roll-out comes as the Conservatives struggle to regain footing in the polls, trailing both the Labour Party and Reform UK following their historic defeat in the 2024 general election. While Badenoch’s personal approval ratings remain higher than her party’s overall standing, she has drawn sharp distinctions between her leadership style and those of her political rivals. She dismissed Reform UK leader Nigel Farage as a “grumpy grandpa” and characterized Labour leader Andy Burnham as “the cheesy uncle who does all the dad jokes,” describing herself instead as a “no-nonsense mum.”

When questioned whether her proposals for benefit reductions and a significant expansion of prison capacity signaled a return to the “nasty party” rhetoric associated with the past, Badenoch rejected the characterization. “It’s the common sense party. That’s what we’re doing,” she said. She argued that the previous Conservative administration’s failures were due to a lack of clear ideology, noting, “If we were doing so well the old way, then why did we have such a terrible issue in 2024?”

In her essay, titled The Right Way—a deliberate nod to Margaret Thatcher’s 1976 The Right Approach—Badenoch asserts that the last Conservative government failed because it did not understand its own values. The document claims that despite 14 years in power, the party did little to reverse structural changes introduced by Labour, resulting in a state that “grew by stealth.” She argues that the next Conservative government will be defined by one central principle: that business, not government, drives growth.

Key pledges announced at the Birmingham conference include ending the childcare “cliff edge” that currently disqualifies parents earning over £100,000 from receiving entitlements. Additionally, the party has promised to deliver 50,000 new prison places by cutting the overseas aid budget to £1 billion annually, aiming to prevent the early release of offenders. This stands in contrast to the previous government’s record, which saw only 500 net prison places created over 14 years after accounting for closures and dilapidation.

Badenoch also highlighted a perceived lack of decisiveness in modern politics, writing, “What is really missing from politics and government today is people prepared to say no.” She called for parties to recruit individuals willing to reject good causes when resources are insufficient. Meanwhile, Labour Party chair Bridget Phillipson criticized the Conservative approach, stating that Badenoch “wants to drag our country back to a politics that let so many people down over the past 40 years,” while accusing the Tories of being “stuck in the past.”