Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch is set to deliver her keynote address at the Tory Party Conference today, where she is expected to pitch a slate of tax cuts and economic reforms in what she will describe as a “battle for the soul of the nation,” reports BritPanorama.
Her speech comes on the final day of the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham, where senior Tories have gathered to outline their future plans and vision for the economy.
Badenoch will attempt to appeal to voters’ wallets, prioritising tax-cutting measures and economic growth as central themes of her address. In excerpts released beforehand, she is expected to assert: “Conference, there is a fight coming in British politics.”
“A fight that we have not seen in this country for more than half a century. It will be a battle for the soul of this nation. A battle of ideas,” she insists, emphasising the urgency for stronger economic growth. Badenoch warns that Britain is “running out of money and running out of time to put it right.”
Among her anticipated announcements are key policy proposals, including a planned cut to the 40% inheritance tax rate applicable to estates valued over £325,000. She is also expected to propose measures to halve employer National Insurance contributions for young workers aged 21 to 24 and eliminate proposed “mansion tax” levies on English homes worth more than £2 million.
Additionally, she will pledge that 50p of every pound saved through these policy changes will go directly towards reducing the national budget deficit. Badenoch will advocate for a leaner state, arguing that the government should refrain from intervening in areas where individuals can make their own decisions.
In her speech, she will assert that the Conservative Party is “fighting again for the belief that what people earn belongs to them, not government,” while accusing Labour of wanting to “wind back the clock to failed ideas of the past.”
However, opposition leaders have already criticised her proposals. Labour chairwoman Bridget Phillipson stated that the Conservatives have not “learned a single lesson” since their election defeat, claiming their economic credibility “remains in tatters.” Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey accused Badenoch of spending “half her conference making unfunded promises and half lecturing the country on fiscal responsibility.”
How to watch the Tory leader’s speech live
Badenoch is scheduled to deliver her closing conference address at 12pm today, which can be watched live on The Sun’s official YouTube channel.
This conference marks a significant moment for the Conservative Party as it seeks to reposition itself amid economic challenges. Badenoch’s proposals, while ambitious, will be tested against the scrutiny of opposition critiques, reflecting broader debates on fiscal policy and governance in the UK.
