Badenoch Rules Out Coalition with Reform UK, Says She'd Prefer Fresh Election

Kemi Badenoch has declared she would choose a second general election over entering a power-sharing arrangement with Reform UK, hardening her position as the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham drew to a close. In an interview with BBC Political Editor Chris Mason, the Conservative leader argued that Nigel Farage's party is mired in controversy and that any governing partnership with it would generate relentless difficulties. Her remarks amount to one of her most explicit rejections yet of a post-election pact with the insurgent right-wing party.

The Conservative leader described Reform as "neck deep in scandal," suggesting that aligning with it would produce "one problem after another." She cited the arrest of Dan Thomas, who stepped down as Reform's Welsh leader last month after being detained on suspicion of assault and controlling or coercive behaviour. Thomas has stated he did nothing wrong. Badenoch also referenced Nathan Gill, the former Reform leader in Wales, who was sentenced to ten and a half years in prison after admitting he accepted bribes in exchange for pro-Russia interviews and speeches.

Beyond legal cases involving individual figures, Badenoch pointed to the scrutiny Farage has faced over financial support, including a £5 million gift from a billionaire Reform donor received before he became an MP. Farage has consistently denied any wrongdoing. By cataloguing these episodes, Badenoch appeared intent on framing Reform not merely as a political rival but as an unreliable partner, an argument likely to intensify as both parties compete for voters on the right.

The political context gives her stance particular weight. Opinion polling indicates the next general election could produce a hung parliament, with Labour currently projected to emerge as the largest party, followed by Reform and then the Conservatives. Under such an outcome, neither Labour nor the Conservatives would command an overall majority, thrusting smaller parties into a potentially decisive role. A scenario was put to Badenoch in which the Tories would be the biggest party and Reform would hold substantial influence in a hung parliament. Asked whether she would work with Reform in government, she responded that voters seeking Conservative government must vote Conservative, reiterating that she would pursue another election if no party secured an overall majority.

Badenoch has long resisted any pre-election deal with Reform, characterising it as a party whose aim is to dismantle the Conservatives. Her latest comments extend that logic into the post-election realm, effectively ruling out a coalition even if it were the arithmetic route to power. She said she wants Reform voters to "come back" to the Conservatives, appealing directly to those who have drifted to Farage's outfit. The next 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 drag the country into a backward-looking process.

The conference has formed part of a broader effort by Badenoch to present the Conservatives as a changed party, distinct from the one that suffered an historic defeat in the 2024 general election. She published a 100-page document titled The Right Way, setting out the party's principles, and told the BBC that the Tories are returning to the authentic Conservative Party that people knew and loved. She acknowledged that politics is volatile, while insisting the party can win even though polling suggests only about one in five voters would currently back it. "We're the only credible alternative to Labour, the only ones with a plan," she said.

On the conference's final day, Badenoch also announced a significant shift in the party's youth employment policy. The Conservatives now propose 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 promise, announced last year, to redirect the first £5,000 of National Insurance paid by young people in their first job into a nominated savings account. That policy, branded the "First Job Bonus," was estimated to cost £2.8 billion annually.

Explaining the revision, Badenoch said youth unemployment has "skyrocketed" and that a savings bonus is meaningless for people who cannot secure work in the first place. "We're adapting and updating our policy so that it works for the problems they have today," she said. The Conservatives say the new measure targets starter jobs, with the standard rate applying to earnings above £50,270. They argue it smooths the "cliff edge" that currently exists when employer National Insurance jumps from 0% to the full rate as a worker turns 21.

The policy responds to growing pressure on the government to reduce employer National Insurance 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 fuelled cross-party concern. Asked why the Conservatives would not cut National Insurance for everyone, Badenoch stressed fiscal discipline, saying the party operates under a golden economic rule: savings must be identified before spending commitments are made. "If I could afford to cut it for everybody," she began, indicating she would do so if resources allowed.

Privately, senior Conservatives speak of a potential tipping point in the competition between their party and Reform. The hope is that if the Tories can draw level with Reform and then edge ahead in the polls, they can argue they are the only viable alternative to Labour and attract further support. Badenoch's refusal to contemplate a deal is designed in part to sharpen that choice for voters, presenting the Conservatives as the sole realistic route to removing Labour from office without depending on Farage's party.

The strategy carries risks. Reform has previously claimed it has "replaced the old fuddy-duddy existing Conservative Party," and Farage's outfit continues to poll strongly. By rejecting cooperation outright, Badenoch may reassure traditional Tory supporters who view Reform with suspicion, but she also forgoes the possibility of consolidating the right-of-centre vote in a hung parliament. Whether that calculation pays off will depend on whether the Conservatives can convert their conference messaging into measurable gains in the polls.

For now, Badenoch's message blends defiance with a direct appeal. She listed her priorities as growing the economy, making the country richer, stopping the boats, and delivering plans on borders, welfare, defence and lowering energy costs. "That's what we're about," she said. With the conference over, the test will be whether voters on the right respond to that pitch or continue to see Reform as the more compelling vehicle for their grievances.