Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch says party is reviving and rejects Reform UK pact
Badenoch told delegates the Tories are a "no‑drama" party and will not partner with Nigel Farage's Reform UK.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Britain’s opposition Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said on Wednesday that the party is on a path back to power and dismissed the idea of an alliance with rival right‑of‑centre Reform UK.
What happened
Speaking to delegates at the Conservative Party’s annual conference in Birmingham, Badenoch declared the party "the no‑drama party" and "the no‑nonsense party" and said it had ended internal infighting, scandals and splits that had threatened its cohesion after the 2024 election loss.
What the reports add
- Both the Winnipeg Free Press (via the Associated Press) and The Independent reported that opinion polls consistently place the Conservatives behind the governing Labour Party and Reform UK.
- The Independent noted that delegates expressed optimism about a rebound, a shift from last year’s more pessimistic gathering.
- The Associated Press article highlighted that Reform UK has been outperforming the Conservatives in recent local elections and is aiming to become the leading right‑wing party.
- The Independent added that Reform UK is under parliamentary and police investigations over its finances.
What was said
"This party is now the no‑drama party," Badenoch told delegates.
"We are the no‑nonsense party," she added.
She said she would not live in a country where people "debate whether my mixed‑race children are English."
"We must not let these people take us backwards. That is not the country we are," Badenoch said.
"For people who say ‘Unite the right’ – we are not uniting with that," she said, receiving a standing ovation.
She warned that a Conservative government would slash welfare spending, loosen regulation, cut taxes and sharply reduce the number of people paying inheritance tax.
She called Prime Minister Andy Burnham a socialist who wants to “turn the clock back to the 1970s.”
How it came about
The comments follow a period of turmoil for the Conservatives after their worst‑ever defeat in the 2024 general election, which left them with 121 seats in the 650‑seat House of Commons. Earlier this month, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey warned that a Conservative‑Reform UK partnership could turn Britain into a "Trump satellite state" (see Felo coverage). Badenoch’s rejection aligns with deputy leader Alex Burghart’s earlier statement that the party would never make a deal with Reform UK, as detailed in Felo’s conference‑speech article. The backdrop includes former minister Suella Braverman’s defection to Reform UK and her claim that only white people can be English, which Badenoch specifically denounced.
Key facts
- Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the party is reviving and will not ally with Reform UK. (winnipegfreepress.com)
- Badenoch made the remarks at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham. (independent.co.uk)
- Opinion polls place the Conservatives behind Labour and Reform UK. (independent.co.uk)
Timeline
- 2024-07-04 — Conservatives suffer worst‑ever election defeat, reduced to 121 seats.
- 2026-09-19 — Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey warns of a Conservative‑Reform UK "Trump satellite state" alliance.
- 2026-10-07 — Kemi Badenoch speaks at Conservative conference, rejects Reform UK pact.
