Badenoch says next election is ‘battle for the soul of this nation’
Kemi Badenoch will argue that the next election will be the biggest “battle for the soul of this nation”t seen in at least half a century as Tory officials gear up for the prospect of an early election.
In her main speech on Wednesday, Badenoch will say that partly leaders will wrestle over a “battle of ideas” at the next General Election.
The address to party members will lead on the economic issues facing Britain as she will set out the Conservative Party’s ambition to cut spending, narrow the deficit and reduce taxes for businesses and households.
“There is a fight coming in British politics,” Badenoch is expected to say.
“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.”
The Tory leader will tell an audience of activists that taxes will rise under Burnham, who believes that the “government knows best”.
In interviews on Tuesday, she warned that the country would head for a “hung parliament” if an early election was called.
But during her speech, Badenoch will say that the party has reformed and is “fighting again for the belief that what people earn belongs to them, not government”.
She will also re-iterate a commitment to allocate half of identified savings towards cutting the deficit in order to maintain fiscal discipline.
Badenoch’s effort to boost Tories
Fresh tax cut pledges are likely to be key to her speech. Last year, Badenoch surprised audience members by announcing that stamp duty on primary residences would be scrapped.
On Tuesday, the Conservatives announced that employers would face a lower tax burden when hiring young people aged between 21 and 24 at a cost of just over £2bn for the government.
Rumours are also swirling that Badenoch will announce reforms to inheritance taxes.
The latest City AM/Freshwater Strategy polling showed Labour leading Reform UK by one point and the Tories by six points.
Badenoch has looked to re-assert the party’s stance on the UK economy at the Conservatives’ conference, making welfare reforms and tax cuts central to party proposals.
New dividing lines are emerging between the main political parties, with Reform UK looking to ease taxes for lower income Britons and small businesses and Labour pledging to boost public services with the introduction of a National Care Service partly funded by reforms to the triple lock pension.