The Conservative Party has experienced a notable resurgence under the leadership of Kemi Badenoch, according to party chairman Kevin Hollinrake, who called for unity among voters on the Right ahead of the annual party conference in Birmingham. Speaking on the eve of the event, Hollinrake highlighted significant progress in opinion polls over the past year, with the party narrowing the gap on both Labour and Reform UK.

Reflecting on the party’s standing twelve months ago, Hollinrake acknowledged that many viewed the Conservatives as struggling and on the decline, with some doubting Badenoch’s tenure. He noted that the party has since regained momentum, capturing more seats in recent projections compared to Reform UK. A YouGov survey last week indicated that the Conservatives could secure 130 seats at the next general election, outpacing Reform UK’s projected 123 seats. Additionally, the party has led Reform in a poll for the first time in more than 500 days, according to a More in Common survey showing the Conservatives at 23%, one point higher than Reform.

Despite the improved polling figures, Hollinrake emphasised the necessity for the right-leaning electorate to coalesce behind Badenoch. He expressed cautious optimism about surpassing other parties on the Right, while questioning whether all of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK policies align with traditional right-of-centre positions.

The Conservative leadership is preparing for the possibility of an early general election as soon as spring 2027. Hollinrake noted that much of the party’s manifesto has already been drafted and that over 2,000 applicants have sought to stand as Conservative candidates. He emphasised the importance of giving candidates ample time to campaign locally as representatives of conservative values, while acknowledging the party’s ability to accelerate candidate approvals if an election is called sooner than expected.

One policy area generating internal debate is the maintenance of the triple lock on state pensions, which guarantees annual increases based on the highest of wage growth, inflation, or 2.5%. Some within the party, including former chancellor Sir Jeremy Hunt, advocate for reforming the policy to focus solely on inflation, citing sustainability concerns. However, Hollinrake insisted that the Conservative Party would uphold the triple lock if in government, arguing that pension spending in the UK remains moderate compared to other developed nations and that reducing pension growth to fund other government expenditures would be unjust.

Hollinrake stressed that planned government spending cuts—totaling £47 billion and including reductions in welfare, civil service numbers, and social housing availability—would allow the party to maintain the policy. He outlined the forthcoming manifesto’s priorities as low taxation, deregulation, lower welfare expenditure, robust defence funding, and stricter border controls, describing the platform as “classic conservative” principles.

Although the Conservative Party’s campaign funding trails that of Reform UK, which recently received £72 million from two billionaire donors, Hollinrake downplayed the role of money in election outcomes. He cited the Referendum Party’s poor 1997 election performance despite heavy spending and pointed to Reform UK’s reliance on a central figure without a broad team or detailed policy plans as a potential weakness.

Addressing past criticisms, Hollinrake identified the party’s failure to deliver on immigration promises during its previous 14 years in government as a significant error but noted that new measures are now in place to address such concerns. He appealed for renewed trust in Badenoch’s leadership, underscoring her record of consistency and commitment to the party’s outlined plans.