Badenoch Rules Out Reform UK Coalition and Vows Fresh Election Instead

Kemi Badenoch has declared she would prefer a second general election over entering a power-sharing arrangement with Reform UK, drawing a hard line as the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham drew to a close.

In an interview with BBC Political Editor Chris Mason, the Conservative leader said Nigel Farage's party is "neck deep in scandal" and that partnering with it would mean facing "one problem after another". Her remarks effectively shut down speculation that the Tories might consider a coalition or confidence arrangement with Reform should the next election produce no clear winner.

Badenoch said voters who want Conservative government must vote Conservative, and repeated her position that if no party secures an overall majority she would push for another trip to the polls rather than negotiate with Farage's outfit. The statement sharpens the dividing line between the two parties on the right, a relationship that has grown increasingly bitter as Reform has surged in national polling.

Current polling points to a hung parliament at the next general election, with Labour projected to emerge as the largest party, followed by Reform and then the Conservatives. That arithmetic has fuelled months of Westminster chatter about whether the two right-of-centre parties could eventually combine forces. Badenoch's intervention appears designed to close that door, at least publicly, before the speculation grows louder.

The timing matters because the Conservatives are still recovering from a historic defeat in the 2024 general election. Badenoch has spent her leadership trying to convince voters that the party has changed, and she used the conference to present a 100-page document titled "The Right Way" that sets out the principles she says will guide a future Conservative government.

She told the BBC the party is returning to what she called the authentic Conservative Party that people knew and loved. It is a familiar pitch for a leader trying to rebuild trust after a crushing loss, but Badenoch acknowledged the difficulty of the task, describing politics as volatile and conceding that current polling suggests only around one in five voters would currently back the Tories.

Even so, she insisted the party can win, arguing it is the only credible alternative to Labour and the only one with a plan. Her message to Reform supporters was blunt: she wants them to come back to the Conservatives, framing her rival party as an unreliable vehicle for voters who want lower taxes, controlled borders and economic growth.

To support that argument, Badenoch cited a series of controversies involving Reform figures. She pointed to the arrest of Dan Thomas, who resigned 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 highlighted the case of Nathan Gill, the former Reform leader in Wales, who was sentenced to ten and a half years in prison after admitting he took bribes for pro-Russia interviews and speeches.

Farage himself has faced intense scrutiny over financial support he has received, including a five million pound gift from a billionaire Reform donor before he became an MP. He has consistently insisted he has done nothing wrong. Badenoch's decision to raise these cases in a national interview suggests the Conservatives intend to make character and conduct a central theme of their attacks on Reform rather than fighting purely on policy.

On policy, Badenoch used the interview to announce a significant change to the party's offer for young workers. The Conservatives now propose cutting the rate of employer National Insurance contributions on earnings from fifteen per cent to seven and a half per cent for workers aged 21 to 24. The measure is targeted at starter jobs, with the standard rate applying to earnings above 50,270 pounds.

The announcement replaces an earlier plan, launched last year, under which young people would have seen the first 5,000 pounds of National Insurance they paid in their first job redirected into a savings account of their choosing. That policy, branded the First Job Bonus, was estimated to cost 2.8 billion pounds a year. Badenoch explained the shift by saying youth unemployment has skyrocketed, and argued it makes little sense to offer a bonus for a first job when people are struggling to get one at all.

She said the party is adapting and updating its policy so that it addresses the problems young people face today. The Conservatives argue the new approach smooths the cliff edge that currently exists when employer National Insurance jumps from zero to the full rate as a worker turns 21, a step change that critics say discourages firms from hiring younger staff.

The government has faced repeated calls to reduce employer National Insurance contributions for younger workers as a way of boosting job opportunities. Around one million young people in the UK are not in education, employment or training, a figure that has given urgency to the debate over how to get more under-25s into work. Business groups have long complained that the current system makes hiring younger workers relatively expensive compared with older staff.

Asked why the Conservatives would not simply cut National Insurance for everyone, Badenoch said the money must be found first. She cited what she called a golden economic rule, saying the party is being fiscally credible by identifying savings before committing to spending. If she could afford to cut contributions for everybody, she added, she would, but the priority is to show that any tax reduction is paid for.

The commitment to fiscal discipline reflects the political bind the Conservatives are in. After years in which the party was criticised for unfunded tax promises and market turmoil, Badenoch is trying to rebuild a reputation for economic competence while still offering voters a tangible reason to return. Targeting younger workers allows her to talk about growth and jobs without making the sweeping tax cuts that critics would immediately label irresponsible.

The bigger strategic bet is that the Conservatives can reach what senior figures privately describe as a tipping point against Reform. The hope is that if the Tories can draw level with Reform and then establish even a small polling lead, they can argue they are the only realistic alternative to Labour and begin to win back voters who drifted to Farage's party. Until then, Badenoch's refusal to entertain any deal with Reform keeps her options open and denies Labour an easy attack line about a right-wing pact.

For now, the next general election must be held by August 2029, and Prime Minister Andy Burnham said last month he was not tempted to call an early contest, arguing it would send the country into a backward-looking process. Farage has previously claimed Reform has replaced what he called the old fuddy-duddy existing Conservative Party. Badenoch's conference week has made clear she intends to test that claim directly at the ballot box, on her own terms, without any deal.