Badenoch Rules Out Reform UK Coalition, Vows Fresh Election Instead

Kemi Badenoch has drawn a hard line against any post-election partnership with Reform UK, declaring she would prefer the country to return to the polls rather than enter government with Nigel Farage's party. In an interview with BBC Political Editor Chris Mason, the Conservative leader described Reform as "neck deep in scandal" and argued that governing alongside them would mean enduring "one problem after another." Her remarks, made as the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham drew to a close, amount to one of her most explicit rejections yet of the idea that the two right-of-centre parties could eventually combine forces.

The intervention comes amid a volatile political landscape in which opinion polling points towards a hung parliament at the next general election. Under that scenario, Labour is currently projected to emerge as the largest party, with Reform and the Conservatives trailing behind in a fragmented Commons. With no single party on course for an overall majority, questions have intensified about what coalitions or confidence-and-supply arrangements might be possible. Badenoch, however, insisted the answer for her party is not a pact but a second trip to the ballot box.

She stated plainly that if no party secured an overall majority, the likeliest outcome would be another election held shortly afterwards. In her view, the Conservatives remain "the only credible alternative to Labour" and "the only ones with a plan." When asked how she would respond to a hypothetical hung parliament in which the Tories were the largest party but Reform held a significant bloc of seats, she replied that voters who want Conservative government must vote Conservative, reiterating her commitment to a fresh election if no majority emerges.

Badenoch's resistance to working with Reform is not new. She has long ruled out any deal before the election, characterising Farage's outfit as a party bent on destroying the Conservatives rather than cooperating with them. What is fresh is her willingness to frame the choice in such stark constitutional terms, effectively telling voters that a vote for Reform cannot be traded into a Conservative-led administration. The stance is designed both to differentiate her party and to tempt Reform supporters back into the Tory fold.

Her pitch to those voters was direct. She said she wanted people who had drifted to Reform to "come back" to the Conservatives, arguing that Farage's party is mired in controversy. As evidence, she pointed to the arrest of Dan Thomas, who stepped down last month as Reform's leader in Wales after being arrested on suspicion of assault and controlling or coercive behaviour. Thomas has said he did nothing wrong. She also cited Nathan Gill, the former Reform leader in Wales, who was sentenced to ten and a half years in prison after admitting taking bribes in exchange for pro-Russia interviews and speeches.

Further scrutiny, Badenoch noted, has surrounded Farage himself over financial support he has received. This includes a £5m gift from a billionaire Reform donor before he became an MP. Farage has consistently insisted he has done nothing wrong. By cataloguing these episodes, Badenoch is attempting to frame Reform as a party carrying too much baggage to be a reliable partner in government, even as polling suggests it remains a potent electoral force.

The conference has also seen Badenoch attempt to recast the Conservatives as a party distinct from the one that suffered a historic defeat in the 2024 general election. She unveiled a 100-page document titled The Right Way, which sets out the party's guiding principles, and told the BBC that the Tories are returning to being "the authentic Conservative Party, that people knew and loved." The language reflects a broader effort to reassure the party base while reaching out to voters who abandoned it.

On the policy front, Badenoch announced a significant adjustment to the Conservatives' offer for young workers. The party now proposes halving the rate of employer National Insurance contributions on earnings for workers aged 21 to 24, cutting it from 15% to 7.5%. The change replaces an earlier plan announced last year, under which young people would have seen the first £5,000 of National Insurance they would have paid in their first job redirected into a nominated savings account. That policy, dubbed the "First Job Bonus," was estimated to cost £2.8bn annually.

Explaining the shift, Badenoch said youth unemployment had "skyrocketed" and that it made little sense to offer a bonus for a first job if young people could not obtain one. She said the party was "adapting and updating" its approach so that it addressed the problems young people face today. The Conservatives said the new measure targets starter jobs, with the standard rate applying to earnings above £50,270, and that it "smooths the cliff edge" created when employer National Insurance jumps from 0% to the full rate as a worker turns 21.

The policy responds to mounting pressure on the government to reduce employer National Insurance contributions for younger workers as a way of expanding job opportunities. Around one million young people in the UK are not in education, employment or training, a figure that has given the debate added urgency. Badenoch defended the targeted approach when asked why she was not proposing cuts for all workers, saying the party had to find the money first and pointing to what she described as a "golden economic rule" of fiscal credibility — finding savings before spending them.

Beyond the specifics, the conference has exposed the strategic calculation underway inside Conservative ranks. Senior figures speak privately about the importance of reaching a "tipping point" in the contest between the Tories and Reform. The hope is that if the Conservatives can first draw level with Reform in the polls and then establish a small lead, they can begin to argue credibly that they are the only viable alternative to a Labour government, potentially drawing further support as a result.

The electoral arithmetic remains daunting. Polling suggests only about one in five voters would currently back the Conservatives, a figure that underscores the scale of the recovery task. Badenoch acknowledged that "politics is volatile," but struck an optimistic note, saying the party operates in a different political world and that within that context it can win. She was careful to add that she was not predicting victory, only that the conditions for a comeback exist.

Timing is another factor shaping the debate. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said last month that he was not tempted to call an early general election, arguing it would throw the country into a backward-looking process. Under current rules, the next general election must be held by August 2029. Farage, for his part, has previously claimed that Reform has "replaced the old fuddy-duddy existing Conservative Party," a jibe that captures the bitter rivalry between the two camps.

Badenoch's message to voters, delivered in the closing hours of her party's conference, was that the Conservatives offer plans on the economy, borders, welfare, defence and energy costs. She said she wants to grow the economy, make the country richer, stop the boats and bring energy costs down. Whether that message can close the gap with Reform — and whether her refusal to contemplate a deal ultimately helps or hinders her path to power — will be tested in the months ahead.