The Conservative Party held its annual conference this week in Birmingham, projecting a notably optimistic tone despite recent electoral setbacks. Party leader Kemi Badenoch delivered the keynote address on Wednesday, outlining a vision centered on economic policy as the path to regaining power.

Badenoch framed the party’s strategy around fiscal restraint and tax cuts, emphasizing a need to reduce the size and scope of government. She argued that the state currently provides too much support to too many people and pledged to prioritize spending on defence and prison places while cutting the national debt. Central to this approach is a plan to identify £70 billion in savings through reductions in the civil service, regulators, and working-age benefits. The Conservatives contend these measures will fund tax cuts mainly targeted at upper-middle and high-income groups.

Critics, however, question the feasibility of these savings, warning that austerity measures often lead to increased social costs that can ultimately raise government expenditures. They also argue that the proposed tax cuts primarily benefit wealthier voters and describe the party’s framing of shifting resources from so-called “undeserving” benefit recipients to middle-class families as an electoral tactic.

Badenoch’s agenda aims to appeal to two key voter blocs: those in former Conservative “blue wall” constituencies now held by the Liberal Democrats, and supporters of Boris Johnson in 2019 who later switched allegiance to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party. These groups differ significantly in their outlooks, particularly on Brexit, with one camp embodying a nationalist perspective and the other more liberal-oriented. Badenoch’s speech reflected this tension, including a pointed critique of Reform UK politicians for promoting a narrow ethnic definition of Englishness, while maintaining a sharp focus on tax cuts she believes resonate broadly.

Despite the upbeat messaging, the party faces persistent challenges. Past experience, notably the 2024 election campaign, showed that promises of pre-election giveaways failed to build public trust in the Conservatives’ competence and responsibility in governance. This trust deficit remains, and it is unclear whether reverting to a traditional fiscal conservative platform will be sufficient to regain voter confidence.

At the Birmingham conference, Conservative MPs and members appeared largely united behind Badenoch’s leadership and policy direction. Yet, political analysts suggest the party’s internal consensus may not translate into wider electoral appeal. The real test for the Conservatives will come as they seek to convince a broader electorate familiar with past Conservative governments who may remain skeptical of the party’s promises and approach.