Kemi Badenoch is heading into the Conservative conference in Birmingham with a message that is simple and deliberately narrow: the party she leads should stop apologizing for being the party it is. She wants to put her party back on the big stage, and she is doing it by rejecting the legacy of the last decade of Conservative government.
Badenoch will speak at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall, the centrepiece of a conference that opens with a proposed expansion of prison places and a new “tough love” approach for young people claiming benefits. Ahead of the event, she told interviewers this week that the party was “finally saying what we believe” and “should be more aggressive” in displaying its core beliefs. Her allies are already singing her praises, and some of her sharpest critics are admitting she has outlasted them.
The setting is significant. Marillion performed at the hall last month, and Katherine Jenkins will perform there next week. Symphony Hall has become the focal point of the conference, a grand venue that signals ambition and confidence. For Badenoch, it is a chance to project a leader who can command attention and deliver a message that cuts through the noise.
A Leader Who Defied Cynics
A senior Tory says Badenoch “has actually defied cynics like me” who initially disapproved of her leadership. That admission carries weight because it comes from someone who was not on her side from the start.
The party’s shadow cabinet faces a different problem. One shadow cabinet member says “The problem we still have is trust of the party and the brand.” Trust is a persistent issue for the party, and Badenoch will need to address it if her message is to land.
An ally offers a more positive take. “People now know who she is and they enjoy her interventions,” the ally says. “I don’t always agree with her but I know where she stands.”
Disavowing the Last Decade
Badenoch will use the conference to disavow much of what the Conservatives did in office between 2010 and 2024. That includes growing the civil service, raising taxes, and passing a climate change law. She is telling her party that those decisions were mistakes, and she wants to distance herself from them.
The move is strategic. By rejecting the policies of the past, Badenoch is positioning herself as a break from the establishment. She is not offering a new plan for government; she is offering a rejection of the old one.
One shadow minister admits “we’ve still got a whole battle on the right” despite “Kemi’s boldness” breaking through. That is a warning that the fight within the party is far from over. The right of the party has been energized by Badenoch’s style.
The Battle Against Burnham
Badenoch’s allies are openly hostile to her Labour opponents. A senior ally describes Andy Burnham’s Labour as “like a fairy story where he has come to the rescue of Britain and he has a wand in his hand and nothing else.” That is a harsh caricature, but it is also a deliberate attempt to define the opposition.
The senior Tory adds that Burnham “has opened the door to it quite well, as he has harked back to the ’70s in a way that I’m astonished by.” The implication is that Burnham is making a political mistake by embracing a past that the Conservatives want to reject.
The conference is a chance for Badenoch to make that contrast stick.
The Risk of Alienation
Not everyone in the party agrees with Badenoch’s approach. A former cabinet minister warns that she risks slipping into “an alienating divisive manner â nasty party stuff.” That is a serious charge, and it comes from someone who knows the consequences of division.
The warning is that Badenoch’s aggressive style could push voters away. A party that is too aggressive can become toxic, and the conference is a high-profile moment where that risk is especially visible.
Badenoch has always seemed allergic to the idea of doing any kind of deal with Reform. That is a refusal to engage with a movement that has reshaped British politics. It is also a refusal to soften her message to appeal to a broader audience.
The Conference Agenda
The conference opens with a proposed expansion of prison places, echoing Howard’s “Prison works” mantra. That is a direct appeal to a constituency that cares about crime and punishment. It is also a reminder that the Conservatives have not abandoned their traditional positions.
A new “tough love” approach for young people claiming benefits was announced ahead of the event. The details of that approach have not been fully explained, but the title suggests a shift away from the welfare state.
The agenda is designed to show that the Conservatives have a plan for the country. Badenoch is using the conference to signal that her party is ready to lead, and that she is willing to say what others have been afraid to say.
The Fight Within the Party
The shadow cabinet’s view of Badenoch’s project differs from her allies’. While her allies see a leader who has clarified her identity and gained public recognition, the shadow cabinet sees a party still struggling with trust.
The two views are not reconcilable, and the conference will show which one holds more weight. The shadow cabinet’s trust problem is real, and Badenoch will need to address it if her message is to land with the public.
What Comes Next
The conference is a test for Badenoch. Her standing with the public has improved, and she is now much better known, according to her allies. Whether she succeeds depends on whether her message lands with the public.
Her allies believe she has the strength to carry the party forward. The shadow cabinet believes she has a trust problem to overcome. The two views are not reconcilable, and the conference will show which one holds more weight.
The conference is a chance for Badenoch to define the next chapter of her leadership. She has already changed the conversation within the party. Now she needs to change the conversation outside it.
KEY FACTS BOX
– Kemi Badenoch speaks at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall
– Marillion performed at the hall last month; Katherine Jenkins performs next week
– Conference opens with proposed expansion of prison places
– New “tough love” approach for young people claiming benefits announced ahead of the event
– Badenoch disavows 2010–2024 Conservative actions: growing the civil service, raising taxes, passing climate change law
The conference is a moment of reckoning for the Conservatives. They have spent years trying to find their footing, and now they have a leader who is willing to stake everything on a clear vision. Badenoch has cemented her image. Now she needs to prove that the image works.
Source material: “Kemi Badenoch has cemented her image. Now she wants to put her party back on the big stage,” the BBC.
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