Key facts
- Kemi Badenoch is asserting strong control over the Conservative Party's direction and policy.
- Badenoch believes policy decisions should not be driven by chasing specific voter groups.
- The party's current agenda includes opposition to net zero and a review of human rights protections.
- Free childcare will be extended to individuals with incomes above £100,000.
- A future Badenoch government would exempt homes from inheritance tax.
Kemi Badenoch is asserting significant control over the Conservative Party, aiming to remake it in her own image with a distinct right-leaning agenda. She has stated that centrist ideas are no longer desired, and the party's direction now includes opposition to net zero policies and a review of human rights protections.
Badenoch's approach to policy is driven by her personal convictions rather than a desire to appeal to specific voter demographics. This is exemplified by decisions such as extending free childcare to individuals with incomes above £100,000, which she believes is the right thing to do. Allies describe her policy decisions as "tablets of stone," indicating a strong resistance to changing her mind.
The party conference saw Badenoch as the central figure, with activists chanting her name and her image prominently featured. Despite the party's polling numbers, her position is seen as secure, partly due to the departure of some dissenting MPs to Reform UK and the party's reduced size in Parliament, which limits internal factions.