Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has made it clear that her approach to the economy will be “completely the opposite” of Chancellor Rachel Reeves' policies. In her first interview with the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, Badenoch outlined her key policy priorities, including a commitment to reverse the VAT hike on private schools, which she described as a “tax on aspiration."
Badenoch acknowledged that the Conservatives had “got a lot of things wrong” leading up to their historic election defeat. However, she refrained from conducting a post-mortem of her predecessors and characterized the Partygate scandal as “overblown."
As Badenoch prepares to appoint her shadow cabinet in the coming days, she emphasized her desire for a meritocratically selected front bench that demonstrates party unity. When questioned about reversing the increase in employers' national insurance contributions, she noted her limited influence, stating:
“We’re not going to be able to oppose anything in terms of getting legislation through.”
She stressed that increasing taxes would not stimulate economic growth and would leave citizens poorer.
Badenoch firmly believes that businesses create growth, countering Reeves' approach. She expressed concern over how Reeves has highlighted being the UK’s first female chancellor:
“I think that the best thing will be when we get to a point where the colour of your skin is no more remarkable than the colour of your eyes.”
In critiquing former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Badenoch stated he lost trust with voters by failing to keep promises regarding immigration and tax policies.
Reflecting on her resignation from Boris Johnson’s cabinet over the Chris Pincher affair, she remarked that it led voters to feel disconnected from their representatives. Regarding Partygate, she asserted:
“A lot of the stuff that happened around Partygate was not why I resigned - I thought it was overblown.”
Badenoch also emphasized her intention to move forward without dwelling on past mistakes, focusing instead on rebuilding trust within the party.
In discussing voter shifts towards Reform UK, she argued that this reflects a lack of clarity in Conservative values. She believes that if they can effectively communicate their principles, voters will recognize Reform as merely a distraction from Conservative governance.
Through these initiatives and perspectives, Kemi Badenoch aims to restore faith in the Conservative Party while advocating for economic policies that prioritize growth and unity.
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