In anticipation of this autumn’s party conferences, BBC London’s political editor Karl Mercer is engaging with party leaders and their deputies for brief discussions focused on significant challenges facing the capital, as well as potential party strategies to address these issues.
In this session, he interviews Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative Party.
KM: “Voters continue to support Sir Sadiq Khan while the Tories struggle to gain traction in London. It seems the party has resigned itself to this situation.”
KB: “Not at all. We refuse to concede any ground. While we might not win everywhere, we are certainly not giving up.
“I often point out that many politicians win elections by making grand promises that they cannot fulfill.
“Take Sadiq Khan’s record on housing as an example. The rate of home construction in London has drastically declined. This is the capital, where the essential infrastructure exists.
“Conversely, Labour is focusing on building homes in rural areas that are inaccessible to many.”
KM: “Does this mean you would challenge his proposals to develop on the green belt? Are you against any construction on London’s green spaces?”
KB: “Their plans are a complete disarray. When I became shadow housing secretary following our loss last year, I informed Angela Rayner that her proposed initiatives were unfeasible.
“They claim they will create 1.5 million homes, but we managed to construct 1 million in the previous parliament. They are lagging behind our achievements. Their proposals simply do not function.
“Their discussions about the green belt and planning reforms are unrealistic. They lack solid plans.”
KM: “Let’s discuss the party’s standing in London. You currently hold a record-low number of councillors—400 out of 1,800.
“I recently spoke to a senior Tory colleague about the upcoming elections, and she expressed a bleak outlook, suggesting that both you and her party would face significant losses to Reform.”
KB: “That’s not the case. I’m communicating to everyone that recovery requires time.
“After experiencing a significant defeat and losing numerous seats, we understand that regaining public confidence will be challenging. However, that’s what we’re actively working on.
“We cannot allow ourselves to relent to parties that lack credible plans and merely make arbitrary announcements.”
KM: “So you believe you won’t lose any councils in London to Reform?”
KB: “We are the only party capable of fostering a robust economy and strengthening our borders.
“When it comes to councils, Reform may have won some, but I recently participated in a by-election in Newark, Nottinghamshire, shortly thereafter because local councillors had effectively quit.
“They claimed they would reduce spending while simultaneously requesting more funds. That isn’t serious governance. We can’t allow individuals to treat this as a game. We need to demonstrate our capability to deliver.
“We are determined to regain councils in London. That’s my goal. We are on the path to recovery. People are recognizing that Labour cannot fulfill their promises. They require a Conservative government.”
KM: “To be fair, you mention your comeback, yet you only have nine MPs in the capital out of a total of 75.”
KB: “Indeed, we acknowledge this. We faced a historic defeat last year, our worst ever.
“This stems from previous leaderships, and I need to mark a clear distinction after 14 years. We are starting anew.
“The Conservative Party is undergoing renewal. We are focused on rebuilding trust. I am implementing policy changes, which might not sit well with everyone. Some may disconnect from us along the way.
“Nonetheless, I am advocating for honest, common-sense conservative values that resonate with the public—genuine, traditional conservatism.”
