Kemi Badenoch has acknowledged that she is still finding her feet as leader of the Conservative Party, seven months into the role, as the party battles historic lows in public opinion and election results.
Speaking candidly on Friday, the Conservative leader stated, “It takes quite a while to learn how to do the job.” Her comments came just a day after Mel Stride, the Shadow Chancellor, defended her leadership and pledged improvement. “She will get better,” he assured, suggesting her performance both in media and at the dispatch box during Prime Minister’s Questions would improve with time.
Mr Stride’s support followed a dismal result for the Conservatives in Thursday’s Scottish by-election in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, where the party came in fourth. Labour won the seat, narrowly edging out Reform UK and the SNP, while the Conservatives secured just 6 percent of the vote.
Ms Badenoch emphasized that it is unrealistic to expect immediate mastery of such a complex role. “People often assume that the minute you come into a job like being leader of the opposition, that you are ready to go,” she said. “It actually takes quite a while to learn how to do the job, and what I have been saying is that every week it gets better and better.”
Drawing comparisons with past Conservative leaders, she added, “Every week I have more experience, and this is what every leader of the opposition has found from Margaret Thatcher to David Cameron.”
Despite the bleak polling, Badenoch expressed optimism about the Conservative Party’s prospects. She referenced the unpredictable events of the last election cycle, including the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, as reminders of how quickly the political landscape can shift.
“There is going to be so much more that people are going to see, not just from me, but from the Conservative Party. We were down at the last election, but we are not out.”
Kemi Badenoch
Badenoch Eyes Withdrawal From Human Rights Treaty
In a significant policy shift, Badenoch signaled her intent to move the Conservatives toward supporting a British withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), a position long advocated by her former leadership rival, Robert Jenrick.
She argued that the ECHR had been weaponized against democratic decisions, claiming it obstructs Britain’s ability to manage immigration and enforce deportations. “This use of litigation as a political weapon is what I am calling lawfare. It isn’t just damaging our security, it’s also damaging our prosperity,” she said.
While she stopped short of making a formal pledge to leave the ECHR, she noted, “I do believe that we will likely need to leave.” Badenoch announced she had assigned a group of legal experts to examine the ramifications of a withdrawal, with findings expected to be shared at the party’s October conference in Manchester.
That conference, she hinted, would include a major speech likely calling for Britain to formally exit the ECHR.
In a speech delivered in Westminster, Badenoch also dismissed the idea that Reform UK, which outperformed the Conservatives in the by-election, represents the true opposition to Labour. Addressing claims that Reform was rising to replace the Tories, she responded, “Nonsense.”
She characterized Reform as a mere protest movement. “Another left-wing party,” she declared. “What they’re trying to do is talk this situation into existence.”
Badenoch remained firm in her resolve that the Conservative Party, not Reform UK, remains Labour’s main challenger at the next general election. “Labour is going to be facing the Conservative Party at the next election and we’re going to get them out,” she concluded.
Despite mounting challenges and growing scrutiny, Badenoch appears determined to solidify her leadership and rally her party, banking on time, experience, and bold policy proposals to regain public confidence.
READ ALSO: NPP Chairman Rebukes NDC’s ‘Hypocrisy’ over New Energy Levy
