Kemi Badenoch has revealed that the Conservative Party nearly ran out of money when she assumed leadership.
She admitted donors considered withdrawing support following the party’s worst-ever election defeat. Moreover, Badenoch inherited a party facing internal turmoil after losing 250 seats last year.
Badenoch explained she spent her early months “working furiously behind the scenes.” Consequently, some observers believed her team was inactive.
“Without money, a party can’t survive,” she said, defending her focus on fundraising.
Asked if the party risked bankruptcy, Badenoch confirmed, “Yes, there was.” However, she declined to reveal exactly how close the Conservatives came to running out of funds.
She admitted that keeping donors engaged “took quite a lot of my time,” which she wished she could have spent campaigning more publicly. Nonetheless, Badenoch said the party now stands on a firmer financial and strategic footing.
Her efforts culminated in a policy blitz during the party conference in October. There, she outlined plans to end stamp duty and withdraw Britain from the European Convention of Human Rights.
Badenoch also shared insights on learning on the job. She described Prime Minister’s Questions as “more theatre than prosecution” and compared it to a panto, rather than an interrogation.
She initially prepared detailed arguments and statistics, but Sir Keir Starmer dismissed her points as “rubbish.” Therefore, she adjusted her strategy, focusing on one topic at a time.
The leader dismissed rumours of internal rivalries, emphasizing that colleagues should post on social media using their instincts, while checking new policy lines to avoid confusion.
Ahead of this month’s Budget, Badenoch said she was sharpening the party’s economic messaging. Despite Reform UK’s strong polling, she rejected Nigel Farage as the main opposition.
Instead, she argued that the Conservatives forced significant policy changes on issues like grooming gangs and the Winter Fuel Allowance. She also criticised Reform UK for chasing headlines and pursuing policies that “do not stand up to scrutiny.”
Farage recently walked back on his party’s £90bn tax-cut promise, citing the “dire state” of public finances. Badenoch’s leadership continues to focus on party recovery, donor engagement, and practical policymaking in a challenging political landscape.
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