UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch warns Chancellor Rachel Reeves will frame herself as “victim” at the autumn Budget amid tax rises and spending plans.
As reported by The Telegraph, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch claims Rachel Reeves will portray herself as a “heroic victim” during the upcoming Budget amid tax hikes.
Ahead of the Budget, Kemi Badenoch accused Labour of using a “smokescreen” to hide tax rises aimed at funding benefits costs.
What did Kemi Badenoch say about Rachel Reeves’ “heroic victim” claim?
Speaking Tuesday with Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride, Kemi Badenoch said,
“Next week Rachel Reeves is going to tell you a story. In this story she will be painted as the heroic victim.”
She said,
“The wicked Tories and the black hole they’re somehow creating in the public finances, long after they left office. Donald Trump and his tariffs. Brexit, an event she has conveniently become aware of.”
Ms Badenoch stated,
“And inflation, which despite her best efforts, keeps rising because of things other people are doing. This story is nonsense.”
She continued,
“The truth is, next week Rachel Reeves is going to put up people’s taxes to spend more money on benefits. Everything else is a smokescreen for this simple fact, a fact she cannot deny.”
The Tory frontbencher said her party “needs some time” to develop potentially “revolutionary” policies.
She said,
“We don’t know what sorts of problems we’ll be dealing with at the next election so we’re not writing that manifesto now.”
Ms Badenoch stated,
“We’re going to need some time to look at how we’re going to fix the mess that Labour is making – we may need to do something really revolutionary, that’s what we’re working on.
I have promised I’m not making any announcements until we have plans to back them up, that is my guarantee. We will think through every single thing we do.”
What did Kemi Badenoch say about reversing Labour’s two-child benefit cap?
Kemi Badenoch confirmed the Tory party would reverse Labour’s decision to scrap the two-child benefit cap.
She said,
“On the question of unwinding changes Labour makes to the two-child benefit, I think we are putting people on notice – we cannot afford this.”
Ms Badenoch stated,
“If we keep allowing Labour to change the benchmark for where we are, we’re never going to solve these problems. We need to start living within our means, that is something I will stand by.
Many of the problems we have now are because we did not unwind the mistakes from Labour in 2010. That’s a promise I am making now.”
She continued,
“Only the Conservatives believe in the fairness of the two-child benefit cap. Every single other party in politics – the Lib Dems, the Greens, and even Reform want to scrap it.”
The Tory leader added,
“Right now, Nigel Farage and Zia Yusuf are holding a press conference on how they would save money. In reality they want to increase benefits by scrapping the cap, they just don’t get it, none of these parties do. The Conservative Party are the only party in this country committed to living within our means.”
How did Kemi Badenoch respond to questions about past Conservative tax freezes?
When questioned about the past Tory tax threshold freezes, Kemi Badenoch said,
“I have said, the taxes were too high after the previous Conservative government. I am the new leader of the Conservative party, I’m not a former prime minister.”
She added,
“I am talking about what the Conservative Party will do when we are next in Government next time – I don’t have a time machine to go back and fix what other people did. We can see those things didn’t work, we have learned those lessons, we’re going to try something new.”
What did Kemi Badenoch say about Tory support for immigration measures and Reform copying policies?
The Conservative leader said her party will support the Government on immigration measures.
She stated,
“On asylum, we will support them on sensible measures. The Home Secretary has arrived where we were in 2023. The rest of her party is still in 2005, they’re living in a different world.”
Kemi Badenoch added,
“What the Home Secretary doesn’t understand is that all these sensible measures she’s talking about will not work if we’re in the ECHR. Our policy is to leave the ECHR because we have to, not because it’s just something we want to do.”
She accused Reform UK of copying Tory policies, saying,
“We spent a year making sure our policies are robust and stand up to scrutiny. That is not the same for Reform, who wait for us to announce things, copy it then tweak it slightly.”
What Are the Conservative Party’s Immigration Policies?
The Conservatives propose requiring most new migrants to wait 10 years, instead of the current 5, before they can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain, the right to settle permanently in the UK.
After gaining ILR, applicants would then have to wait an additional 5 years before being eligible to apply for British citizenship.
The party plans to make settlement a privilege that is “earned through commitment and contribution.” This means that individuals who have claimed benefits or housing aid while on a work visa would not be allowed to stay indefinitely.
What is the two-child benefit cap in the UK?
The two-child benefit cap is a UK welfare policy that limits financial support for low-income families with three or more children.
It restricts child-related payments in Universal Credit and Tax Credits to the first two children in most households, meaning families do not receive additional support for a third or subsequent child born after April 6, 2017.
The policy affects around 1.6 million children in low-income households, with nearly 60% of affected households being in work.
The current Labour government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer hinted at a clear intent to remove the two-child benefit cap, with a formal announcement on the policy’s future expected in the November 26, 2025, Budget.
What to expect in Rachel Reeves’ 2025 Autumn Budget?
The 2025 Autumn Budget will be presented by Chancellor Rachel Reeves on Wednesday, 26 November 2025.
The Budget expected tax considerations include possible tax hikes or freezes on income tax and National Insurance thresholds, potential reforms to ISAs, and discussions around energy VAT and rental income taxation.
The government plans a balancing act to fill the fiscal gap, using targeted tax changes and freezing certain thresholds. It also aims to protect key investments while managing public borrowing and economic growth amid rising inflation and borrowing costs.
