Kemi Badenoch Declares Herself a 'Classic Old School Conservative'

Kemi Badenoch has announced herself a "classic old school Conservative" as she launches the Conservative Party's annual conference, accompanied by a comprehensive statement of her guiding principles. Badenoch stated her belief in "common sense, people working hard and being rewarded for that effort," and characterized welfare as a "safety net, not a lifestyle."

These declarations come as the Conservative Party seeks to differentiate itself in a competitive political landscape. Currently trailing in opinion polls behind Labour and Reform UK, the party is working to recover from its 2024 general election defeat. Badenoch, whose personal approval ratings reportedly exceed her party's, has offered pointed descriptions of rival leaders, referring to Reform leader Nigel Farage as a "grumpy grandpa" and Labour leader Andy Burnham as "the cheesy uncle who does all the dad jokes." She described herself as a "no-nonsense mum."

Responding to suggestions that her policy proposals, which include benefit cuts and a significant increase in prison capacity, harken back to the "nasty party" era, Badenoch stated, "It's the common sense party. That's what we're doing." She questioned the effectiveness of previous approaches, asking, "And, quite frankly, if we were doing so well the old way, then why did we have such a terrible issue in 2024?"

Badenoch's essay, titled "The Right Way," deliberately evokes Margaret Thatcher's 1976 essay "The Right Approach." In it, Badenoch contends that the previous Conservative government faltered due to an unclear identity. She argued that despite years in power, the party did not sufficiently reverse Labour's structural changes, leading to a "state grew by stealth."

The essay emphasizes that the "next Conservative government will have one central principle: business, not government, creates growth." Proposed methods for achieving this growth include tax cuts, deregulation, and reducing the size of the civil service to pre-pandemic levels. Badenoch also highlighted a perceived lack of willingness to decline proposals, stating, "What is really missing from politics and government today is people prepared to say no."

As the conference convenes in Birmingham, the Conservatives have pledged to address a childcare "cliff edge" affecting parents earning over £100,000. Additionally, the party aims to create 50,000 new prison places by reducing the overseas aid budget to £1 billion annually, a measure intended to prevent the early release of offenders. During the Conservatives' 14 years in power, a net of approximately 500 prison places were added, a figure that accounts for new constructions and additions against losses from dilapidation and closures.

Bridget Phillipson, Chair of the Labour Party, criticized the Conservative proposals, asserting that the party "is stuck in the past and remains completely out of touch with what people across Britain want to see." Phillipson contrasted Badenoch's approach with Labour's, stating, "Last week Andy Burnham set out a plan to bring back hope to Britain. Kemi Badenoch wants to drag our country back to a politics that let so many people down over the past 40 years."