Kemi Badenoch Pledges To Abolish Stamp Duty On Primary Homes If Tories Win Next Election

Kemi Badenoch used her Conservative Party conference speech to promise abolition of stamp duty on primary homes if the Tories win the next election.

“Conservative leader promises wide-ranging tax cuts, including ditching Labour’s ‘tractor tax’ I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent”

The Independent

She branded the levy a “bad” and “unconservative” tax that hinders social mobility and home ownership.

The Independent

Positioning the move as essential to “free up the housing market,” she tied it to a broader vision of a smaller, more effective state that “does less but does it better.”

Several outlets underline the ideological framing: The Telegraph highlights her description of stamp duty as “un-Conservative” and economically harmful.

The Guardian notes the tax is widely disliked by both Tories and economists.

Sky News adds that the plan would apply only to primary residences, not additional properties, underscoring the policy’s scope as presented at the conference.

Costings and fiscal rules diverge across reports.

Multiple outlets cite a £4.5bn estimate from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) versus a higher £9bn Conservative figure.

The Telegraph

The Guardian adds the party intends to allocate £9bn because it anticipates higher stamp duty revenue before 2029–30.

Sky News similarly reports the IFS cost as “around £4.5 billion” but says Conservatives claim £9bn due to expected pre-election tax changes.

Upday News notes the tax raised “about £13.9 billion last year” and pegs abolition of stamp duty on primary homes at between £4.5bn and £9bn.

Chronicle Live echoes the £4.5bn (IFS) to £9bn (Conservative) range and sets the pledge within Badenoch’s “golden rule” to spend only half of any savings on tax cuts and the rest on deficit reduction.

The pledge is part of a broader political and policy initiative.

Chronicle Live places Badenoch’s speech in the context of leadership challenges and competition from Reform UK, noting that no major defections occurred during the conference.

The Daily Mail highlights a confrontational stance toward Labour and emphasizes a wider agenda focused on law and order as well as border control.

The Mirror outlines strict commitments including mass deportations, leaving the European Court of Human Rights, abolishing the Climate Change Act, and prohibiting doctors from striking.

NewsBreak also points out the proposal to ban doctors from striking, along with plans to repeal Labour’s workers’ rights reforms and introduce a “golden economic rule” to divide savings between reducing the deficit and cutting taxes.

Reactions and economic impact assessments diverge regarding the proposed changes to stamp duty.

The Telegraph cites the IFS labeling stamp duty the UK’s most economically damaging tax and argues that abolishing it on primary homes could significantly stimulate economic growth.

upday News

Property118 (Western Alternative) reports industry support from Propertymark, Zoopla, and Knight Frank, predicting more moves and increased confidence if stamp duty on primary residences is scrapped.

By contrast, the Daily Express says experts have expressed concerns about replacing the lost revenue.

The Mirror warns that the plan would primarily benefit buyers of expensive homes.

Upday provides fiscal context, noting that stamp duty raised about £13.9 billion last year, highlighting the trade-off between hopes for growth and foregone government receipts.

Scope and exclusions differ across reports, with most outlets saying the pledge covers only primary residences.

“ByArchie Mitchell, Kemi Badenochhassolidified her position as Tory leaderwith a policy-laden Tory conference speech aimed at silencing her critics”

NewsBreak

Sky News states it "applies only to primary residences, not additional properties," a line echoed by The Mirror’s list of exclusions and Property118’s note that it will not apply to additional properties or company purchases.

NewsBreak

Property118 also says the pledge affects England and "will not affect Scotland or Wales, where stamp duty is devolved."

Notably, The Independent departs from this by saying Badenoch promised to abolish stamp duty "on all homes," which conflicts with the primary-residence-only descriptions elsewhere, highlighting ambiguity in some reporting.