Kemi Badenoch was left visibly rattled in a chaotic BBC interview after repeatedly failing to explain what the Tories would actually do differently to Labour on the economy.
The Tory leader clashed with Today presenter Emma Barnett during a grilling on BBC Radio 4 — a day after Labour unveiled its multi-billion pound spending review.
While Labour has laid out detailed plans to invest in the NHS, net zero, schools and defence, Badenoch was unable to offer a single concrete Conservative economic policy in return.
🎧 “We wouldn’t have made the mess…”
Barnett opened the interview by asking what the Tories would do instead of Labour’s spending plans.
Badenoch replied:
“We wouldn’t have made these errors in the first place.”
But Barnett pushed back:
“It’s a bit early to call it their mess when you were in power for so long.”
Badenoch dodged the question again, claiming Labour’s plans were the problem — while refusing to explain how she would fix them.
🫤 “There is no election today”
Pressed on whether she would reverse tax hikes or cut welfare, Badenoch insisted:
“There is no election today. What I’m not doing is setting out a manifesto for four years’ time.”
She claimed oppositions don’t have the “detail” needed for specific policies, though added vaguely that reform is needed and “the welfare state does need to be cut.”
When Barnett reminded her the Tories came fourth in a recent poll, Badenoch refused to discuss the figures.
Instead, she blamed the last 14 years of Tory rule on external events like the pandemic:
“We had Covid, Emma, we had a pandemic which cost £400bn. What’s Labour’s excuse?”
💥 Car crash turns to damage control
When Barnett pointed out that voters want to know what the opposition stands for, Badenoch snapped:
“You are asking questions which are changing the very focus of what I’m talking about.”
Later in the day, she appeared to reference the exchange during a speech, claiming she had spoken to “an interviewer who didn’t understand that there are other ways to reduce the size of the state.”
But many on social media saw it differently — describing the interview as a trainwreck, a squirm-fest, and a clear sign the Tories are out of ideas.
You can watch it below:
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