Badenoch has ‘clear direction’ for Tories but policy takes time – Stride

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch “has very clear direction” but it takes time to come up with “the right policy platform”, a member of her shadow cabinet has said.

Shadow chancellor Mel Stride defended his party leader who has previously said she will not “rush out” policy positions, arguing there is no “quick fix” following the Tories’ 2024 election defeat.

Mrs Badenoch has claimed the process of rebuilding the party is a “marathon, not a sprint” and warned there were a number of challenges to face, including the local elections which she said would be “very difficult”.

Mr Stride said the Tories have a “huge mountain to climb” after the last general election but they “have the time to do it”.

He told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: “There will not be a general election for probably another four, four-and-a-half years. We have absolutely got to regain the trust on a number of areas including, and most significantly, the economy.

“I am absolutely confident that under Kemi’s leadership – she has very clear direction, she knows what her conservative principles are – that we will do the hard yards and that deep and thoughtful work to come up with the right policy platform that means that we can get back into political contention.

“These things take time. We need to re-earn that respect from the electorate and that’s what we’ll be doing over the coming months and years.”

Mrs Badenoch became Tory leader in November, defeating Robert Jenrick to replace Rishi Sunak.

The MP for North West Essex said in her victory speech that the party needs to be “honest” about the mistakes they made in government, and spent the leadership contest focusing on “principles” instead of policy.

But critics have said swift action is needed to see off the threat of Reform UK, which has been buoyed by a series of Conservative defections and a boost in the polls putting it within a few points of Labour and the Tories.