𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

There’s a lot of talk about Kemi Badenoch growing more popular, while some of the pundits at Westminster think Nigel Farage and his party Reform UK are struggling. But Mrs Badenoch and the Conservatives have made a big mistake – and Reform will make them pay for it.

Because at her recent party conference, the Tory leader and her team set out a series of measures to help people deal with the cost of living and keep more of their own money. There was tax-free childcare for people earning more than £100,000, an end to the “mansion tax” imposed by Labour on properties worth more than £2million, and a big increase in the amount couples can leave to their children before they become liable for inheritance tax.

But there was a huge problem. All these policies only benefit people who are already wealthy.

That’s even true of inheritance tax, which a lot of people hate and fear – even though they (or their children) won’t actually have to pay it. Even today, fewer than one in 20 estates are liable.

So Mrs Badenoch is vulnerable to the criticism that she is only helping the richest in society. There’s nothing wrong with thinking wealthy people should be allowed to keep their own money, or pass it on to their children. But the problem is that we are all of us – not just the most wealthy – affected by the cost-of-living crisis and facing ever-growing tax bills.

Reform has spotted the flaw in her policy and is sticking the knife in. It is calling her “Kensington Kemi”, to suggest she only cares about people in the rich parts of London – not those in Dudley, Darlington or Doncaster.

By contrast, Reform’s big offer to voters is a plan to increase the income tax threshold to £15,000. What this really means is that people on incomes between £20,000 and £120,000 will take home an extra £486 every year. It will help people on high incomes, but also average and relatively low incomes (and anyone earning above £12,570 will benefit a bit).

Reform paints itself as the party of working people nationwide. It wants to portray Kemi as the party of rich southerners – and she’s made that easy for them.