The Conservative Party, under the leadership of Kemi Badenoch, is at a crossroads. As delegates gathered in Manchester for her first party conference as leader this October, the mood was anything but triumphant. Polls place the Tories in a distant third, trailing not only Labour but also the insurgent Reform UK. With the party’s future at stake, Badenoch has rolled out a bold—and, to some, deeply divisive—policy agenda aimed at clawing back support. But whether these moves will unite the party or deepen its rifts remains an open question.
In the days leading up to the conference, Badenoch made headlines by announcing a dramatic shift in Conservative policy: the repeal of the UK’s landmark Climate Change Act 2008. This law, originally introduced by Labour’s Gordon Brown and later strengthened by Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May in 2019, commits the government to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Badenoch, however, argued that the current laws “tied us in red tape, loaded us with costs, and did nothing to cut global emissions.” She promised instead to focus on “growth, cheaper energy, and protecting the natural landscapes we all love.”
This move has sparked an intense backlash from within her own party. According to i newspaper, former Prime Minister Theresa May called the plan a “catastrophic mistake,” warning that it would “upend 17 years of consensus between our main political parties and the scientific community.” Alok Sharma, ex-Cabinet minister and former COP26 president, echoed these concerns, cautioning that abandoning climate targets risks alienating younger voters and those in key marginal seats. “The path to a prosperous, secure and electable future for the Conservative Party lies in building on our achievements, not abandoning them,” Sharma said.
Yet, for some Conservatives, especially those further to the right, Badenoch’s willingness to scrap net zero is a welcome sign of differentiation from Labour and a direct response to the rise of Reform UK. Recent YouGov polling paints a stark picture: if an election were held now, Reform could win 311 seats—just 15 short of a Commons majority—while the Conservatives would be relegated to fourth place with only 45 seats. The Liberal Democrats would take 78, and Labour 144. It’s a scenario that underscores the urgency many feel within the party to reclaim lost ground.
Badenoch, however, remains adamant that the party should not “rush out” new policies simply to keep up with the competition. “It’s not about being the first to announce a policy,” she told the BBC. “It’s about having the best policy.” That patience, she admitted to Laura Kuenssberg, might come at a cost: “There may be a price to pay in the opinion polls, but my approach will pay off eventually.”
Her critics are not convinced. Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen, speaking to i newspaper, lamented that the party should have gotten “our show on the road much sooner than we have.” He added, “We need to start to pull our socks up… start to communicate better and start to outline what a positive Conservative Party can deliver.”
Another of Badenoch’s headline policies is the promise to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), a stance that marks a significant shift from her earlier position. “I have not come to this decision lightly, but it is clear that it is necessary to protect our borders, our veterans, and our citizens,” she declared, citing a review led by Lord Wolfson that found the ECHR “places significant constraints” on deportations, veterans’ protections, and sentencing. Badenoch has gone further, stating unequivocally that “if you do not agree with leaving the ECHR, then you should not and cannot stand as a Conservative candidate at the next election.”
This hard line has opened up yet another fault line within the party. Moderates, especially those aligned with the One Nation caucus, have long regarded ECHR membership as a “red line.” The risk, as i newspaper notes, is that Badenoch’s stance could force out dissenters and further polarize the party. In her words to GB News: “If you want to be a Member of Parliament as a Conservative, then you need to understand that leaving the ECHR is a manifesto commitment.”
Immigration, too, is front and center. Badenoch unveiled plans to remove 750,000 illegal migrants, ban those entering the UK without permission from claiming asylum, and double the funding of a special “Removal Force” to £1.6 billion per year. When pressed by Laura Kuenssberg about where deportees would be sent, Badenoch was blunt: “They will go back to where they should do or another country, but they should not be here.” She dismissed questions about logistics as “irrelevant,” arguing that not being able to deport people for lack of a destination “is basically inviting every single person across the world to our shores.”
All of this is playing out against a backdrop of internal party intrigue. Allies of Robert Jenrick, who came second to Badenoch in last year’s leadership race, are reportedly collecting no-confidence letters from Conservative MPs. According to i newspaper, up to a dozen have been submitted, with 36 needed to trigger a vote. While party rules prohibit a leadership challenge in the first year, Badenoch’s anniversary is fast approaching on November 3, 2025—and with it, the possibility of a coup if the party’s fortunes don’t improve.
Meanwhile, Badenoch has faced criticism over her own performance, including a much-publicized blunder on the BBC where she incorrectly claimed Northern Ireland voted for Brexit. In reality, the nation voted 56% to 44% to remain in the EU. Such missteps have fueled doubts about her ability to take on both Labour and Reform, especially as the party’s poll numbers remain stubbornly low.
Yet, Badenoch insists she is undeterred. In an interview with BBC London, she rejected suggestions that the party had given up on the capital, despite holding only 9 of 75 London MPs and 400 of 1,800 council seats. “We do not give up anywhere. We may not win everywhere, but we don’t give up,” she said. She criticized Labour’s record on housing and accused Sadiq Khan of presiding over a dramatic fall in house-building. “Their plans are a big mess,” she said, “and none of it is going to work. It’s pie in the sky.”
Asked about the challenge from Reform UK, Badenoch was equally resolute: “We are the only party that is competent enough to deliver a stronger economy, stronger borders.” She acknowledged the scale of the challenge, noting, “We had a historic defeat last year, our worst defeat ever. That’s happened under previous leaderships. I need to draw a line under 14 years. We’re starting afresh.”
Her message to doubters within her own ranks? “Hold your nerve.” In her opening conference speech, Badenoch declared, “We have listened, we have learned and we have changed.” Whether the party faithful—and the electorate—are willing to give her the time she’s asking for is another matter entirely.
For now, Kemi Badenoch is betting that patience, not panic, will prove the winning strategy. With the stakes this high, only time will tell if her gamble pays off.
