Badenoch warns Conservatives against letting Reform 'take us backwards'

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has spoken about the dividing lines between her party and Reform UK, warning against allowing the rival party to “take us backwards” and ruling out the possibility of a coalition between the two.

Positioning against Reform

Badenoch's comments come as the Conservative Party continues to navigate its political positioning relative to Reform UK, which has gained ground in parts of the British electorate in recent years. Her remarks suggest an effort to draw clearer distinctions between the two parties rather than suggesting any alignment or cooperation.

The specific policy areas Badenoch cited as dividing lines between the Conservatives and Reform were not detailed in full in the available reporting.

Ruling out a coalition

By explicitly ruling out a coalition with Reform UK, Badenoch addressed ongoing speculation within British politics about whether the two parties, which compete for some of the same right-of-centre voters, might eventually cooperate or merge in some form.

Wider political context

The comments reflect the broader competitive dynamic on the right of British politics, where the Conservative Party and Reform UK have both sought to appeal to overlapping segments of the electorate since Reform's rise in recent election cycles.