Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservative Party, called on the police to restore their trust in the Tories during a speech to the Police Federation conference in London. Addressing rank-and-file officers who had previously jeered former Prime Minister Theresa May over police budget cuts, Badenoch acknowledged past mistakes while emphasizing a new approach under her leadership.

Reflecting on the austerity period, Badenoch admitted that the cuts imposed under May’s government—including a 20 percent reduction in police funding—were flawed. Although she acknowledged limited government resources at the time, she argued that it was a mistake to reduce police numbers simply because crime figures were falling. “I disagreed with that completely,” she said, stressing that officers should not have been assumed surplus despite a downward crime trend.

Badenoch also rejected the widespread claim that the police are institutionally racist. Citing her public support for law enforcement during the 2020 George Floyd protests and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, she positioned herself as a consistent advocate for officers during politically contentious periods. “I stood up for the police and I backed the police,” she said, underscoring her long-standing support even when it was unpopular.

While urging police to place their confidence in the current Conservative leadership, Badenoch acknowledged ongoing challenges within the force. She described officers as stretched thin and warned that public trust has weakened due to high-profile failures such as the death of Henry Nowak last December. Nowak, a student who died while handcuffed after officers failed to recognize that he had been stabbed, was cited as an example that has eroded community faith in policing. Badenoch called such incidents “the wrong thing to do” and confirmed that subsequent governments have worked to restore and increase officer numbers beyond previous levels.

Badenoch framed her leadership as a fresh start for the party’s relationship with the police. “It’s like a football team. We’re under new management. A lot of the bad players are gone,” she said, adding that the public had rejected past leadership “and we’ve got new players.” She urged officers to trust her and the current Conservative Party, pointing to her previous opposition to May’s restrictions on stop-and-search policies and her firm stance against the notion of institutional racism within the police.

Despite her forceful defense of law enforcement, Badenoch acknowledged the need for accountability and indicated willingness to support officers facing misconduct proceedings. Her comments reflect an effort by the party to rebuild rapport with police officers after a decade marked by budget cuts and public criticism.