Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch is poised to deliver a blistering critique of what she terms the political 'psychodrama' engulfing both the Labour Party and Reform UK. In a significant address, she will also issue a pointed challenge to moderate factions within her own Conservative ranks, urging them to abandon nostalgic attachments and embrace a forward-looking agenda.
A Scathing Critique of Opposition Antics
Mrs Badenoch's speech is expected to sharply criticise the recent Westminster theatrics, highlighting Labour's internal strife over the decision to block Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham from standing in the forthcoming Gorton and Denton by-election. Simultaneously, she will reference the high-profile defection of her former colleague, Suella Braverman, to the rival Reform UK party.
She is anticipated to declare: "At a time when Nato has been under threat. At a time when Conservatives were simultaneously working day and night in Parliament to find ways to stop the Government surrendering British territory in the Chagos Islands, and piling the pressure on Labour to save Britain’s pubs, what were the other parties doing? Psychodrama!"
Adding further weight to her condemnation, Mrs Badenoch will assert: "Neither are serious and the public are thoroughly fed up with this style of politics." This forms part of a broader argument positioning the Conservatives as the sole serious party of the right in British politics.
Staking Claim as the Party of the Right
In a direct rebuttal to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage's claim that his party now represents the "genuine centre-right," Mrs Badenoch will firmly state that the Conservatives are "proudly the party of the right. The only party of the right."
She will contrast her party's focus with that of her rivals, stating: "Labour and Reform are fighting the battles of the past. The world has changed … and I am building a Conservative Party for the future." This rhetoric underscores a strategic effort to define the Tories as the only political force equipped to address contemporary challenges.
A Message to Conservative Moderates
A significant portion of the address appears tailored for moderate Conservatives. Mrs Badenoch is expected to challenge those she perceives as clinging to outdated approaches, saying: "There’s another group of people who seem to think that if we just pretend that nothing bad is happening, everything is going to be OK … as long as we say nice things and don’t mention immigration."
Her message to this faction will be unequivocal: "This is my message to them: we’re about the future, not the past." This comes in the wake of public calls from prominent Tory figures, including Sir Andy Street and Baroness Ruth Davidson, for the party to adopt a more centrist stance to effectively counter Reform UK.
Responding to Internal Party Dynamics
The timing of this speech is notable, following just days after the launch of 'Prosper UK,' a new political movement spearheaded by Street and Davidson. This initiative aims to attract millions of so-called "politically homeless" voters, applying indirect pressure on the party's leadership direction.
In a clear response to such internal currents, Mrs Badenoch will emphasise temporal change: "We’re not trying to recreate 2006, and it’s not 2016 any more. We aren’t refighting those battles. It’s 2026 and the world has changed. This is about the future. I am building a Conservative Party for the next decade and the next generation."
She will conclude this line of argument with a firm, closing directive: "It’s time to move on." This speech, therefore, serves a dual purpose: attacking external opponents while seeking to consolidate and redirect her own party's ideological trajectory ahead of future electoral contests.
