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Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservative Party, has declared that her party is the only one with a concrete plan as she officially launched the Conservatives’ local election campaign. The upcoming elections on 7 May will see voters selecting representatives for 136 out of the 317 local councils across England. Addressing a crowd in London, Badenoch highlighted the choice facing voters as one between parties that “whinge on” and the Conservatives, which she described as “a party that can actually fix things.”
In a subsequent BBC interview, Badenoch acknowledged the upcoming local elections would be “a challenge” for her party but emphasized that she would remain steadfast in her approach regardless of the results. She explained: “When you have a long-term strategy, you don’t necessarily get the outcomes immediately, that is not a reason to start flip-flopping about.” She further added, “Local elections can be quite challenging but the way to deal with them is not just to be overwhelmed by the challenge, it is to fight back and fight harder.” Reflecting on potential outcomes, Badenoch pointed out the evolving political environment, stating, “The world has changed, we are in a multi-party system, it’s quite clear it’s not as it used to be, so we will have different types of election results, but what I’m saying is that when there are many parties anything can happen.”
Despite the Conservative Party’s recent struggles in national opinion polls since the 2024 general election, Badenoch expressed optimism at the campaign launch, asserting that the party was “coming back.” She criticized rival parties for not adequately addressing the country’s issues while claiming that the Conservatives possess the “courage, the competence and the team” necessary to “get Britain working again.” Badenoch also candidly conveyed that not everyone would agree with the party’s plans, but insisted, “That’s ok,” adding, “We are no longer going to try to please everyone all the time.” She acknowledged mistakes made in areas such as tax and immigration but warned against leaving councils and the country under the control of “third-rate people who do not know what they are doing.”
Among the pledges leading into the local elections, the Conservative Party has promised to exempt retail, hospitality, and leisure businesses in England from business rates tax up to an annual cap of £110,000. Badenoch also outlined broader policies contingent on a future general election victory, including a significant policing investment of £800 million aimed at recruiting 10,000 new officers. She vowed to direct these officers to focus on catching criminals and issued a firm warning: “I’ve got a message for shoplifters, phone thieves, violent thugs your days of getting off scot-free are numbered.” On election day, nearly 5,000 council seats will be contested, covering 136 councils responsible for key local services like social care and refuse collection. Additionally, elections will be held for national parliamentary representatives in Scotland and Wales, as well as mayoral contests in several London boroughs and towns such as Croydon and Watford
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