Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has launched her party’s annual conference with a series of policy announcements and a 100-page essay setting out her vision for Britain, describing herself as a “classic old school Conservative” focused on common sense and rewarding hard work.
Speaking to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, Badenoch said welfare should function as a “safety net, not a lifestyle” and positioned herself as a “no-nonsense mum” in contrast to Reform UK’s Nigel Farage, whom she characterised as a “grumpy grandpa”.
The declarations come as the Conservatives attempt to recover from their historic defeat in the 2024 general election. The party currently trails both Labour and Reform UK in opinion polls, though Badenoch’s personal ratings exceed those of her party.
New pledges on childcare and prisons
According to BBC News, the Conservatives have committed to ending the so-called childcare “cliff edge” that currently excludes parents earning more than £100,000 from government childcare entitlement. The party has also promised to deliver 50,000 new prison places by slashing the overseas aid budget to £1 billion per year, a move designed to end the early release of offenders.
The prison pledge represents a significant acceleration from the party’s record in government. During their 14 years in power, the Conservatives created around 500 net prison places – adding 14,142 in new and existing facilities while losing 13,660 mainly to dilapidation and closures.
Essay echoes Thatcher era
Badenoch’s essay, titled The Right Way, deliberately echoes Margaret Thatcher’s 1976 work The Right Approach. In it, she argues that the previous Conservative government failed because it lacked clear principles and did little to reverse structural changes made by Labour.
“We did little to reverse the structural changes Labour had made which took the country in the wrong direction. The result was that the state grew by stealth,” Badenoch wrote.
The essay states that “business, not government, creates growth” and outlines plans to achieve economic expansion through tax cuts, deregulation and reducing the civil service to pre-pandemic levels. It emphasises the need for politicians prepared to say no to “good causes when the resources simply are not there to do everything”.
During a question and answer session at the conference in Birmingham, Badenoch focused on citizenship and community cohesion. She said the UK is “not a dormitory, it is not a hotel” and stressed that “British culture means something”.
To applause, she added: “I don’t want lots of little ghettos of separatist communities where they are recreating the place they come from – that will ruin the United Kingdom.”
Labour Party chair Bridget Phillipson responded by saying the Conservative Party “is stuck in the past and remains completely out of touch with what people across Britain want to see”.
What this means for Poles in the UK
While the Conservatives remain in opposition with no immediate prospect of implementing these policies, Badenoch’s emphasis on welfare reform and her comments on immigration and integration signal the direction the party may take if it returns to power. Polish residents in the UK who rely on any form of welfare support should monitor how Conservative policy develops, particularly around benefits eligibility and work requirements.
The proposed expansion of childcare entitlement to include higher earners above £100,000 would not affect most working families, but the party’s broader stance on taxation and the size of government could influence future budgets. Polish business owners and self-employed workers may be affected by any future moves to cut regulations or reduce the civil service.
Badenoch’s rhetoric on community cohesion and her rejection of “separatist communities” may also shape future Conservative approaches to integration policy, though she did not announce specific measures affecting EU citizens with settled or pre-settled status. Those eligible to vote in UK elections may wish to follow how the party’s positions evolve ahead of the next general election.
