Kemi Badenoch delivered a no-nonsense message to Welsh Conservatives contemplating a move to Reform: “You’re welcome to leave.” Visiting Cardiff, the UK Conservative Party leader criticised Welsh Tories considering a switch and took aim at Plaid Cymru, branding them separatists aiming to fracture the UK. With an election looming, Badenoch pledged that voting Conservative means getting Conservative. She dismissed polling concerns, focusing on the upcoming election in May, and positioned her party as the sole “credible alternative” to Labour.
Badenoch also slammed Labour’s past performances, highlighting issues like the contentious 20mph restrictions, while underscoring Conservative plans to abolish business rates on the high street and Welsh stamp duty. She assured that the Conservatives were unified in preserving the UK and lambasted Reform as merely a “protest party” lacking a real agenda for Wales.
In response to dismissals and defections, she affirmed her commitment to traditional Conservative values, stressing no room for those wavering in their allegiance. Despite a challenging political landscape, Badenoch is confident of the Conservative vision to revitalise Britain. The stage is set for a political showdown as Welsh Conservatives rally under her leadership, eyeing a strategic turnaround in the political fortunes of the party.