The New Statesman: politics and culture Tory conference through the eyes of the NS ... and GB News
Oct 8, 2025
Join Ethan Croft, an on-the-ground reporter who provides a vivid account of the Conservative conference, capturing Kemi Badenoch's electrifying speech and the party's ambitious yet questionable policy proposals. Will Dunn, a journalist who watched the conference through GB News, analyzes the channel's Reform-centric approach and its unique framing of political events. Together, they dissect the atmosphere of a seemingly nostalgic Tory gathering and explore the tension between feel-good politics and hard policy realities.
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Badenoch's Polished Thatcher-Style Pitch
- Kemi Badenoch delivered a well-received, Thatcher-styled economic pitch that blended charisma with austerity rhetoric.
- The speech aimed to reclaim the right-wing economic space by promising debt-focused savings and tax cuts.
Big Promises, Thin Fiscal Detail
- The abolition of stamp duty was the speech's surprise and the crowd's biggest reaction, despite unclear funding plans.
- Conference vibe prioritized feel-good announcements now, leaving the fiscal maths for later scrutiny.
Golden Rule Framing And The Autocue
- The conference framed savings as a ‘golden economic rule’ splitting savings between debt reduction and tax cuts or growth.
- The messaging was crafted heavily with autocue cues and repeated phrasing to build a durable slogan.