Badenoch Urges Conservatives to Offer Solutions, Not Slogans

Download IPFS

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has called on her party to avoid becoming a “repository of disenchantment” and instead become the voice of solutions and optimism, as Reform UK continues to outpace the Tories in key polls. Speaking to the Financial Times, Badenoch outlined a vision of leadership that draws from bold reformers abroad while resisting the temptation to mimic populist talking points.

Badenoch’s remarks come at a critical time for the Conservatives, who have struggled to regain political ground following a series of bruising local election defeats and a persistent slide in national polling. Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, has seized much of the public narrative in recent months, placing pressure on the Conservative base. However, Badenoch insisted that copying Reform’s rhetoric or policies would be a mistake. “We must be the party that offers hope,” she said. “Not just the one shouting the loudest.”

In particular, she drew inspiration from Argentine President Javier Milei, who made global headlines for slashing public spending and tackling his country’s entrenched inflation. Badenoch did not shy away when asked if Britain needed its own Milei-style leadership. “Yes and yes,” she responded. She praised Milei’s refusal to allow the state to “spread its tentacles everywhere,” calling him a template for restoring fiscal sanity and shrinking government excess.

Milei’s impact has been notable. Since taking office in 2023, Argentina has posted its first budget surplus in over a decade, and monthly inflation fell to 1.5%, its lowest level in more than five years. For Badenoch, this serves as clear proof that fiscal discipline and political will can turn around an economy plagued by bloated government and unchecked spending. She cited similar concerns in the UK, warning about the spiralling national debt and its long-term consequences. “Wealth is being driven out of the country by higher taxes,” she said. “More young people are leaving as well.”

Badenoch, now eight months into her leadership, has made internal changes aimed at sharpening the party’s focus and reasserting Conservative principles. Her recent shadow cabinet reshuffle brought back former Home Secretary James Cleverly, with a clear intent to get what she called “our heavy hitters” back on the front lines. Cleverly, who had remained on the back benches since losing in the leadership race, has cautioned against copying Reform UK’s playbook, arguing instead for the Conservatives to remain “more normal” and credible in the eyes of the electorate.

Despite media speculation about her leadership, Badenoch dismissed suggestions of internal threats to her position. “I can’t spend all my time worrying about regicide. I would lose my mind,” she said. Her pragmatic and unflappable tone has appealed to some within the party who are looking for a serious approach to the economy and national renewal.

She also acknowledged that leadership is a journey, not an event. “You don’t want people to be the very best they’re going to be on day one,” she said, promising to improve and evolve in the role. With the next general election looming and the party struggling to define itself in the face of Reform’s rise and Labour’s lead, Badenoch’s emphasis on practical policy and economic focus may offer a clearer alternative for disaffected voters.Whether the Conservative Party can reconnect with its core supporters and win back public trust will depend not on outflanking populist rivals, but on delivering a credible path forward. Badenoch’s message is that the party must be about competence, not chaos. The time for protest politics, she argues, is over. The time to get serious has begun.