Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has dismissed Reform UK as a “protest party”, claiming leader Nigel Farage “likes to talk about himself” and not the intentions of the party.
Speaking to Camilla Tominey on GB News, Badenoch addressed the challenge posed by Farage’s party, suggesting that protest parties naturally “do well this side of the electoral cycle”.
She contrasted her approach with that of Reform, taking aim at Farage: “He likes to talk about himself – I like to talk about what I want to do for the people of this country.”
Badenoch stressed her commitment to rebuilding the Conservative Party under “new leadership” without the “infighting and all of the rows” that characterised its recent past.
Kemi Badenoch took aim at Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, claiming he ‘likes to talk about himself’
GB News / PA
Badenoch mocked Reform UK’s proposal to appoint a “minister for deportations”, calling it redundant.
“We already have a minister for deportations. We have a Home Secretary. They’re the minister for deportations,” she told GB News.
She criticised what she described as empty rhetoric in politics, asking: “Aren’t people tired of people just talking things that are just rubbish?”
The Conservative leader emphasised the difference between announcements and actual policy implementation.
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Nigel Farage visited Ramsgate as part of the Reform UK campaign trail
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“What I’m not going to do is treat our country like it’s a TV show,” she said, adding that “announcements are not plans. They’re not policy. Policy is how you’re going to do it, not just the headline”.
Badenoch outlined her immigration strategy, highlighting several key policies already announced by the Conservatives: “I have said we are going to stop that conveyor belt to British citizenship,” she stated, referring to a recent announcement on indefinite leave to remain.
She explained her focus on reducing demand for migration to the UK, saying people shouldn’t be “fast-tracked to citizenship via indefinite leave to remain”.
“We’ve got to get that Rwanda plan working. That’s how we fix the boats,” she stated, pointing to specific deterrence measures as part of her broader immigration policy.
Badenoch told GB News that she is ‘building the foundations’ of her Conservative Government
GB News
Badenoch acknowledged the Conservative Party’s challenging position following its electoral defeat last year.
“We are in the aftermath of a historic defeat. We’ve never had so few MPs. Of course, it’s going to take time,” she admitted.
She cautioned against expecting quick turnarounds in the party’s fortunes: “I’ve been leader five and a half months coming up to six and if things turn around quickly, be suspicious. It could be a flash in the pan,” she warned.
Instead, Badenoch emphasised her methodical approach to rebuilding the party, saying she was “building solid foundations”.
