Understand
Conservatives united behind Kemi Badenoch but face challenges winning over voters
Overview
At the Conservative Party's annual conference in Birmingham, leader Kemi Badenoch showcased a united party following the removal of political internal dissent and high-profile departures. Badenoch used her speech to announce a new inheritance tax plan, strongly reject any potential deal with Reform UK, and frame the Conservatives as a 'no-nonsense' party. Despite party unity and enthusiasm, opinion polls indicate that the Conservatives remain deeply unpopular and face significant hurdles in winning back voters.
Key points
- Kemi Badenoch's leadership is met with strong unity and no internal dissent at the Conservative Party conference.
- Badenoch announced a new Conservative plan regarding inheritance tax during her speech.
- She firmly ruled out any pre-election or post-election deals with Reform UK, criticizing their character and figures.
- Despite being united, opinion polls show the Conservatives remain highly unpopular and have yet to win over the wider electorate.
- The party hopes to exploit political gaps to overtake Reform UK in the polls and position themselves as the primary alternative to Labour.