Kemi Badenoch speech latest: Conservative leader to promise tax cuts in ‘battle for the soul of the nation’

Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today. Join today Already a member? Log in Kemi Badenoch rejects the idea her proposed new missile defence is a British ‘Iron Dome’ Stay on top of the latest political news with our View from Westminster newsletter Get the latest political headlines with our free email Get the latest political headlines with our free email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A “battle for the soul of the nation” is approaching, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch will say as she is expected to centre her speech on promises to cut taxes. She is widely expected to announce in her closing speech on Wednesday a proposed cut to the 40 per cent rate of inheritance tax, which applies to an estate’s value worth more than £325,000. Pledges announced in previous days have included halving employer national insurance for workers aged between 21 and 24, and scrapping the so-called “mansion tax” on properties in England with a value higher than £2 million. Ms Badenoch will warn “something is going to break” without better growth under the Tories as she accuses Andy Burnham ’s Labour of presiding over a “tax doom loop that is making us all poorer”. Ms Badenoch will hope the speech revives the electoral hopes of her party, which trails both Labour and Reform UK in opinion polls. She said on Tuesday if there were a hung parliament at the next election, she would rather fight two general elections in quick succession than form a coalition with Nigel Farage ’s Reform UK. Key Points Tax cuts top of the agenda at party conference Tories rule out pact with Reform UK Fight is coming in British politics, Kemi Badenoch to warn What will Kemi Badenoch say in today's speech? Kemi Badenoch issues warning to Tory MPs Kemi Badenoch issued a warning to wavering Tory MPs, insisting that anyone who defects to Reform UK will not be allowed back into her party. While the Tory leader said she wants “Reform voters to come back to us”, she said the MPs “who left our party… are people who just cause problems”. Speaking to GB News, Ms Badenoch said: "I want Reform voters to come back to us. The people in Reform as politicians, the MPs, especially the ones who left our party, they are people who just cause problems. “Their conference… it was overshadowed by an exposé and scandals. You know, they deny it, but they keep having these problems. "Their leader in Wales had to step down after being arrested. The one before him is in prison for taking bribes from Russia. I don't want to do a deal with those types of people. I want Reform voters to come back to us, back to the Conservative Party.” Sian Elvin 7 October 2026 09:29 How Reform will attempt to oust the Tory leader Reform UK will try to oust Kemi Badenoch by using a US-style primary to find its candidate to fight her Essex seat at the next general election. Every resident of North West Essex constituency will have the chance to choose who stands for Nigel Farage’s party, even if they are not a member. In what is already expected to be a hotly contested constituency, Reform hopes the move – which emerged on the eve of Ms Badenoch’s speech to her party conference in Birmingham – will help them build support for their pick. The final choice will be made through a vote at a public event hosted by Mr Farage. Open primaries are held in a number of US states and allow voters to take part in the selection of Democrat and Republican candidates even if they are not party members. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage ( PA Wire ) Sian Elvin 7 October 2026 09:13 Schedule for the final day of the conference Wednesday is the final day of the Conservative Party conference. Here’s who is speaking today: Party chair Kevin Hollinrake Shadow home secretary Chris Philp Shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy Leader Kemi Badenoch will deliver the closing speech at 12pm Sian Elvin 7 October 2026 08:59 John Healey to ‘cut energy bills for most poor’ in Budget The chancellor is said to be considering a move that would cut soaring energy bills for the poorest people in his first Budget. The government has so far kept all discussions regarding the Budget under wraps, but according to The Guardian, reform to help people with high energy bills is on the table. The paper reported John Healey is considering increasing the warm homes discount to help the poorest households heat their homes. Chancellor John Healey speaking at last week’s Labour Party conference ( Getty ) He is reportedly considering an increase of £100 to the £150 discount to energy bills, funded by taxpayers rather than bill-payers. It comes as the chancellor is having to find vast sums of money in his first Budget to fund Andy Burnham’s prime ministerial pledges, as well as fund a £4.7bn black hole in defence spending. Sian Elvin 7 October 2026 08:45 What will Kemi Badenoch say in today's speech? Kemi Badenoch is expected to tell the audience of Tory politicians and campaigners: “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. A battle that goes to the very core of who we are and what kind of country we want to be.” Ms Badenoch will pitch the Tories, who are behind Labour and narrowly trailing Reform UK in opinion polls, as the party “fighting again for the belief that what people earn belongs to them, not government”. Echoing former Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher, she will say the Tories offer “the right way” and argue “no one else is going to deliver a stronger economy and a stronger country”. “We are running out of money and running out of time to put it right,” she will say. “Conference, we have a fight on our hands and we need to be ready. Unless we start creating more value, unless we start growing our economy, something is going to break.” Sian Elvin 7 October 2026 08:26 Tories rule out pact with Reform UK The deputy leader of the Conservative Party has ruled out a pact with Reform UK, citing Nigel Farage’s “dubious” financial affairs. Alex Burghart said the Tory party will “not ever” make a deal with their right-wing rivals, despite other figures in the party calling for a pact. Alex Burghart, deputy leader of the Conservative Party ( Getty ) Asked about comments made by former Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, who said Conservatives should at least consider striking a deal, Mr Burghart said: "I'm very fond of Jacob, but we're not doing a deal with Reform. “Reform have said that they are out to destroy us. Reform have taken money from very dubious sources in very dubious ways. “Nigel Farage has not accounted for £5 million that went into his private bank account. I am very suspicious of large sums of money given from cryptocurrency, which is a system deliberately set up to hide its origins. “You can buy a lot of things with money, but you can't buy integrity.” Sian Elvin 7 October 2026 08:11 Kemi Badenoch does want to 'get rid' of inheritance tax Ahead of Kemi Badenoch’s speech later, deputy Tory leader Alex Burghart said Ms Badenoch does want to “get rid” of inheritance tax. She wants to get rid of inheritance tax, but she's only going to do it if we can afford it,” he told Sky News. “That's why she's asked Andrew Griffith, shadow chancellor, and the economic team to see what the options are. But we're not going to commit to anything unless we can afford it.” Athena Stavrou 7 October 2026 07:58 Tax cuts top of the agenda at party conference Kemi Badenoch is expected to unveil cuts to inheritance tax in her major speech at the Conservative Party conference later on Wednesday. The announcement would come a year after her 2025 conference promise to abolish stamp duty for buying homes. Kemi Badenoch will give her major speech at the Conservative Party conference later on Wednesday ( PA Wire ) After suggesting over the weekend reducing inheritance tax would be "morally right", she is set to place tax cuts at the heart of her address. The so-called “mansion tax” on properties in England with a value higher than £2 million would also be ditched. She is further expected to cut employers’ national insurance for workers aged 21 to 24 to 7.5 per cent, in an effort to tackle the youth unemployment crisis. It is thought welfare cuts of £30bn will pay for the policies. Sian Elvin 7 October 2026 07:40 Something will break without better growth, Badenoch to predict Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch is set to warn in her conference speech that “something is going to break” without better growth as she accuses Andy Burnham’s Labour of wanting to “wind back the clock to failed ideas of the past”. The Tories have put the economy top of their agenda at their party conference in Birmingham, focusing less on the so-called “culture wars” that dominated previous years. Mrs Badenoch will accuse Labour of believing “growth is created by politicians” and presiding over a “tax doom loop that is making us all poorer”. Sian Elvin 7 October 2026 07:15 Fight is coming in British politics, Badenoch to warn A fight is coming in British politics, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch is set to warn, in her leader’s speech at the end of the party conference. She is set to say it will be “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. “A battle that goes to the very core of who we are and what kind of country we want to be.” She will pitch the Tories, who are behind Labour and narrowly trailing Reform UK in opinion polls, as the party “fighting again for the belief that what people earn belongs to them, not government.” Kemi Badenoch at the Conservative Party conference ( PA ) Sian Elvin 7 October 2026 07:00