Badenoch rejects 'nasty party' charge over Tory welfare plans at conference

Mixed · 2Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch rejected suggestions that her party's welfare and prison policies mark a return to the 'nasty party' label, in an interview on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on the first day of the Conservative conference in Birmingham. 1 2 Mixed · 2Badenoch said: "It's the common sense party" and asked why, if the party had done so well the old way, it suffered such a terrible defeat in 2024. She also called herself "a classic old-school Conservative". 1 2 Mixed · 2The question put to her cited colleagues' worries that tougher rules for young people on benefits and accusations of benefit cheating sound "quite 1980s" and recall Theresa May's 2002 'nasty party' warning. Badenoch replied that "Personal responsibility is not a 1980s idea" and that "The principles and the values never change". 1 2

Left · 1Recent Conservative proposals include axing benefits for some under-25s and pre-loaded cards for some claimants that would bar spending on alcohol, cigarettes and gambling, according to the Mirror. 1 Left · 1The Mirror reported that Badenoch could not say how many people she believed were cheating the benefits system, replying "I don't have exact figures for you" and that her team had done the research. It cited the most recent figures putting fraud-related overpayments at 2.2% in 2024-25, down 0.5 points on 2023-24. 1 Left · 1Badenoch said welfare should be "a safety net, not a lifestyle" and that the party looks after "those who can't look after themselves". 1

Centre · 1The party also unveiled a plan to end the childcare 'cliff edge' for parents earning over £100,000, giving all parents working 16 or more hours a week 30 hours of free care. It is estimated to cost £700 million a year, which party officials say could be funded by cutting the number of public servants at arms-length bodies. 2 Mixed · 2Badenoch indicated that people earning £1 million a year would still qualify but said the pledge targeted earners around the threshold. Asked about means-testing, she said the number of parents of very small children earning tens of millions of pounds is "negligible". Early Years Alliance chief executive Neil Leitch said it was right to question the eligibility criteria but called it disappointing that the proposal focuses on higher earners rather than disadvantaged families. 2 1 Centre · 1The Evening Standard reported further announcements: tighter access to student loans for non-UK nationals, said to save £900 million a year, and blocking EU Settled Status claims the party says are being "abused". It also reported a pledge of 50,000 new prison places funded by cutting the overseas aid budget to £1 billion a year. 2

Mixed · 2Badenoch hinted to the Sunday Times that the party could cut or scrap inheritance tax, calling it "morally right" that people are not taxed twice, but said she would not announce tax cuts without showing how they would be paid for. 1 2 Mixed · 2Badenoch said the party would keep the state pension triple lock despite doubts voiced by figures including Jeremy Hunt, Tom Tugendhat and Katie Lam, saying "our policy is to keep it". The Mirror noted that Prime Minister Andy Burnham told Labour's conference that Labour would reform the guarantee to fund a national care service. 1 2 Centre · 1In lighter exchanges, Badenoch called Burnham the "cheesy uncle" and suggested voters see Badenoch as the "no-nonsense mum", after describing Reform UK leader Nigel Farage as a "grumpy grandpa". The Standard reported that the Tories trail Labour in the polls despite an uptick in Badenoch's personal approval, and that Badenoch said: "We are a new Conservative Party." 2

Right · 1In her conference speech in Birmingham, Badenoch launched a plan called The Right Way, drawing on the party's 1976 publication The Right Approach, which GB News said sets out her diagnosis of Britain's problems and the principles for a future Conservative government, including that "wealth must be created before it can be distributed" and that "freedom requires responsibility". 3 Centre · 1The Standard described The Right Way as a 95-page guide published on Sunday, which says there were failures in previous Conservative governments' approach to net zero, immigration and how Brexit was delivered, and says government should be strong in areas such as defence, borders, public order and the rule of law. 4 Right · 1In the speech she said her aim to "renew" the party went beyond changing policies or removing members who had plotted against her, and she accused Keir Starmer of lacking a plan and said of Prime Minister Andy Burnham: "Andy Burnham doesn't have one either, and that is why I know the announcements he is making will all come to nought." 3