The Conservative Party conference in Manchester, held on October 6 and 7, 2025, was marked by a visible lack of energy, a slew of empty seats, and a noticeable absence of high-profile party figures, according to extensive coverage by outlets including Sky News, BBC, and The Guardian. While party leader Kemi Badenoch insisted the event was “teeming” with activists and “thrilled” members, the reality on the ground painted a far less vibrant picture.
From the outset, attendees and journalists alike could not ignore the rows of empty chairs in the main conference hall. Sky News’ Sophy Ridge directly compared the turnout to the previous year, noting the smaller crowds and the ease with which one could move around the venue. The exhibition center, usually bustling with delegates and lobbyists, resembled a ghost town, with few exhibitors and even fewer visitors. “It’s so quiet in there. I’ve been to busier dinner parties,” one security guard reportedly told a journalist, as recounted by The Guardian.
Despite the optics, Kemi Badenoch repeatedly denied that low attendance was an issue. Pressed by BBC Breakfast’s Sally Nugent about “halls that seemed empty” and unfilled seats, Badenoch responded, “It’s simply not true,” emphasizing that she had received complaints from people about having to queue to get in. She doubled down on this point in interviews, insisting, “A lot of the people who came just because we were in government, the corporate lobbyists, yes, they’re not there, but our members are here. This is one of the first conferences I’ve been to where it has really felt like the members owned it, and I’m really proud of that.”
Still, the absence of former Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, as well as ex-cabinet minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg—who instead attended Reform UK’s gathering in Birmingham—cast a shadow over the event. The lack of big names was not lost on attendees or the media. The Guardian described the atmosphere as one of “infinite sadness and suffering,” with many party faithfuls appearing bewildered as to why they had even come. The event, it seemed, was more an exercise in routine than a rousing rally for the party base.
Adding to the sense of malaise was the steady stream of defections to Reform UK, Nigel Farage’s insurgent party. On October 7, Reform UK announced that 20 Conservative councillors had crossed the floor, a move timed to coincide with Badenoch’s media rounds. Conservative frontbencher Andrew Rosindell even called for an electoral pact with Reform, underscoring the threat posed by the rival party, which continues to poll strongly among right-leaning voters.
Badenoch, however, was keen to project confidence in her leadership and the party’s direction. She described the conference as “a very good conference,” despite what she acknowledged had been “a tough defeat” at the last election. She insisted, “We are showing people the direction that I’m taking the party.” Party members, she claimed, were “thrilled” with flagship policies such as leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and slashing £47 billion in public spending. Yet, she also conceded that leaving the ECHR would not be straightforward and could jeopardize the UK’s post-Brexit trade deal with the EU. “The difference between Conservatives and a party like Reform is that we recognize there will be difficulties,” Badenoch told BBC’s Today programme. “We’re not going to pretend that this is all going to be easy and it’ll get done in an afternoon, and we move on with our lives. We are being honest.”
She further clarified, “We do not need to be in the ECHR for that agreement to continue. It’s just one extra ground which they could use if they chose to do so.” Badenoch also ruled out any alliance with Reform UK, telling ITV’s Good Morning Britain, “It’s going to be a long journey back from a historic defeat and on very long, difficult journeys you will lose some people on the way.” She added, “There are some people who will leave because all they want to do is win elections. They don’t know what they’re winning the elections for.”
Yet, challenges to her leadership remain. A YouGov poll published on October 7 suggested that half of Conservative Party members thought Badenoch was the wrong person to lead the party into the next general election. The poll also indicated that shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick was the top pick among party members to replace her. Jenrick was scheduled to address the conference, calling for significant reforms to judicial appointments and claiming to have “uncovered a hidden network of activist judges with links to open border campaigns.” He argued that a “deep rot has infected parts of our judiciary.”
The conference programme did little to lift the spirits of those present. Mel Stride, the shadow chancellor, delivered a speech to a sparsely attended audience, struggling to keep delegates engaged. The Guardian’s John Crace described the scene as “an act of desperation,” with Stride offering “neither hope nor a plan” and receiving little to no applause for his promises to keep the two-child benefit cap and cut various benefits. The lack of enthusiasm was palpable, with attendees seemingly present only out of obligation.
Claire Coutinho, the shadow energy secretary, followed with a presentation that fared no better. Her proposals, including repealing the Climate Change Act and installing air conditioning in every building, were met with confusion and skepticism. The morning concluded with a debate on the Online Safety Act, notable only for its lack of interest. Toby Young, a right-wing commentator, won an online audience poll by a margin of 12 votes to 8—a result that, in the current climate, almost counted as a landslide.
Throughout the conference, the mood was one of resignation rather than renewal. The banners proclaiming “Stronger economy. Stronger borders” seemed at odds with the visible lack of momentum and the palpable sense of a party in retreat. As one observer put it, the event felt like “a meta conference—a conference that only existed because someone had thought there needed to be a conference.”
For Kemi Badenoch and the Conservative Party, the Manchester conference was a stark reminder of the challenges that lie ahead. With defections mounting, allies absent, and party members divided over the path forward, the road to political recovery appears long and uncertain.
