Kemi Badenoch and her Conservative colleagues have announced a swathe of bold policies that might at last start to win over wavering voters. Over the past year, Kemi’s critics have complained that she’s been too slow to set out big ideas – and let Nigel Farage make all the running. But she’s making up for it, at the Tory party conference in Manchester.
We’ve seen pledges to take the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights, stop the welfare bill rising even further and cut household energy bills, giving some much-needed relief to people still struggling with the cost of living. And the conference has barely begun. In the days to come, we can expect big announcements on cutting crime, making sure our courts really do punish criminals and more.
First we had confirmation that a Conservative government would will leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), allowing foreign criminals to be deported and potentially allowing a government to revive plans to process asylum seekers in Rwanda.
Then we had the announcement of a tough plan to stop illegal immigration, including the a pledge that nobody who has entered the UK illegally would be able to claim asylum. Plans for a new removal force, similar to the American Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE), have been controversial because ICE is hated by the left in the US, but it shows the Tories are getting tough on this issue.
Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride set out plans to save £47 billion, including by stopping benefit claims for people with low level mental health problems. Right now the Treasury is spending more than it receives in taxes, which means it either needs to increase taxes, cut spending or borrow more (which actually means spending more on debt servicing). Labour seems incapable of cutting spending, but the Conservatives have a plan.
Tories have announced a permanent 100% business rates relief for the hospitality businesses – to help struggling pubs, restaurants and cafes survive, and bring life to derelict high streets. And a cheap power plan, ending Labour’s “green” taxes, would cut household energy bills by £165.
Mrs Badenoch argued that she first needed to re-establish the Conservatives as a credible party before making big announcements.
It meant that Conservatives had little to say while Reform made bold promises in recent months,
However, the Tories argue that they can now say their plans are credible, well thought out and will actually be delivered.
It remains to be seen whether voters will be impressed. And nobody expects that the Conservatives, currently in third place in the polls, will receive a massive boost in support immediately.
But in the long run, this conference could prove to be the moment the Tory fightback began in earnest.