Has Kemi Badenoch given the Tories a route back to power?

This year’s Conservative Party Conference felt noticeably quiet. Reports suggest only 2,600 tickets were sold, a far cry from the crowds of previous years. Despite the smaller numbers, the fringes were still buzzing with energy and ideas. Much of that came from younger attendees keen to talk about housing and planning reform.

The conference theme “Stronger Economy, Stronger Borders” set the tone for a party focused on rebuilding trust through fiscal discipline and a promise to get the economy back on track. To date Kemi Badenoch has been cautious about showing her hand, previously stating that “Policies without a plan are not policies; they’re just announcements.”

In her keynote on Wednesday morning, she introduced her new ‘golden rule’: for every pound saved, half would go towards reducing the deficit. The most eye-catching policy was her commitment to scrap stamp duty – a bold move designed to stimulate the housing market and send a signal to younger voters struggling to get on the ladder. She also reaffirmed the party’s inevitable commitment to leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as reforming welfare and cutting public spending.

While the atmosphere in Manchester suggested Badenoch’s leadership is more secure than suggested in the build-up, few deny that the Conservatives face an uphill battle ahead of next May’s election, not least in London where the party has been gradually declining in recent years. The latest polling suggests they would be left with just five parliamentary seats behind Labour, Reform and the Lib Dems. For those in the built environment, there will be particular interest in how fiscal discipline is balanced with the need for housing delivery, infrastructure investment and local growth.

The question now is whether the tone and direction set at conference will be enough to shift the dial – or whether it simply marks the start of a long process of rebuilding political and public confidence. There’s a long road ahead, but it does feel like the Conservative Party is beginning to find its purpose again.