Badenoch Rules Out Reform Deal, Even for Power
Kemi Badenoch said she would rather hold another general election than do a deal with Reform UK to take power if no party wins a majority. BBC
No deal with Reform
Mrs Badenoch spoke in Birmingham as leader of the Conservative Party at its annual conference. She also published a 100-page document, The Right Way, setting out the party's principles. BBC
Mrs Badenoch described Reform UK as "neck deep in scandal". She said joining forces with them would mean "just one problem after another". BBC
She has long said she would not make a pact with Reform before an election. Yahoo She described Reform as a party trying to destroy the Conservatives. Yahoo She warned Conservatives who defect to Reform will not be allowed back. Independent
What she pointed to
She pointed to three cases. Dan Thomas stood down as Reform's leader in Wales after arrest on suspicion of assault and controlling or coercive behaviour. He said he had done nothing wrong. Nathan Gill, a former Reform leader in Wales, was jailed for 10-and-a-half years after admitting taking bribes for pro-Russia interviews and speeches. Nigel Farage received a £5m gift from a billionaire Reform donor before he became an MP. He said he had done nothing wrong. BBC
Jobs and childcare
On jobs, Mrs Badenoch pledged to halve employer National Insurance — the tax firms pay on staff wages — for workers aged 21 to 24. BBC The party said the change would save businesses £1,545 a year for each employee in that age group. The Times Ministers said the aim is to make younger staff cheaper to hire.
She also promised to scrap the £100,000 childcare cliff edge, the point at which parents in England suddenly lose childcare support. BBC The pledge would restore free childcare to higher earners. Telegraph The party put the cost at £700m a year, to be paid for by cuts to public sector jobs. Telegraph Childcare is devolved, so the commitment as set out applies in England.
Other conference promises
The wider conference programme covered defence, education and welfare. On 6 October the party announced Britannia Shield to protect Britain from missile and drone attacks, and a pledge to parents to keep political activism out of the classroom. Conservatives It announced a plan to save £900 million a year by cutting student loans for non-UK nationals. Conservatives On 5 October it hosted a rally to back farmers and called for the Family Farm and Business Tax to be scrapped in full. Conservatives The party also plans 100,000 more apprenticeships for 18 to 21-year-olds by lifting funding caps and supporting employers with up to £5,000 for each British apprentice. Conservatives
The broader context here is about timing and choice. Mrs Badenoch is telling activists, donors and candidates to fight Reform for votes now and to expect no deal after the election either. That gives voters on the right a clearer choice. But it also limits her options if the next parliament is hung, when no party has a majority. Labour and the Liberal Democrats will note the pledge. Reform will present it as evidence the Conservatives prefer opposition to agreement. Westminster will now watch candidate selection, spending pledges and whether the no-deal line holds under pressure.
