Kemi Badenoch Pledges Tax Cuts at Conservative Party Conference
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch announced tax cuts and a new economic rule in Birmingham, framing the next election as a battle for the nation's soul.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch announced a series of tax-cutting pledges during the party conference in Birmingham, framing the upcoming election as a "battle for the soul of the nation." Her economic agenda includes halving employer national insurance for workers aged 21 to 24, scrapping the mansion tax on English properties valued over £2 million, and reducing the 40% inheritance tax rate for estates exceeding £325,000.
To manage these changes, Badenoch introduced a "golden economic rule" stating that 50p of every pound saved through policy changes will be used to reduce the budget deficit. She positioned the Conservatives as the party of individual earnings and economic growth, contrasting her vision with the policies of Prime Minister Andy Burnham's Labour Government.
Opposition leaders dismissed the proposals. Labour chairwoman Bridget Phillipson claimed the Conservative Party has not learned any lessons since its 2024 election defeat. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey criticized the promises as unfunded and attributed current economic struggles to Brexit and previous Conservative mismanagement.
