Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch delivered an address at the party's conference in Birmingham, vowing that her Shadow Cabinet would prevent Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland from dismantling the United Kingdom. She emphasized the threat posed by separatist movements led by figures like Scottish Deputy First Minister John Swinney, whom she accused of working with Sinn Fein to undermine the union. Additionally, Russell Findlay, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, warned that complacency regarding the Union's security is dangerous and pledged to continue fighting for Scotland’s place within the UK.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-04,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservative Party, began her party's annual conference in Birmingham by pledging to transform it into a "common sense" party. She highlighted new plans focusing on tightening welfare, expanding prison capacity, and providing free childcare for higher-earning parents. Addressing concerns that these policies harken back to the "nasty party" era, Badenoch asserted that her approach aligns with old-school conservative values emphasizing personal responsibility and rewarding hard work.
Badenoch published a 95-page document titled “The Right Way,” outlining principles for future governance should the Tories win the next election. She referenced Margaret Thatcher's seminal work from 1976, "The Right Approach," noting that it paved the way for her party’s 18-year rule starting in 1979.
Meanwhile, Russell Findlay, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, denounced calls for independence at the conference, warning they pose a significant threat to national security. He criticized SNP First Minister John Swinney's recent summit with Sinn Féin as an act that undermines the UK and aligns Scotland with adversaries like Russia and Iran. Findlay argued such actions make Britain less safe in an already volatile world.
Written for “Tories Conference Badenoch Speeches” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 11 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it +0.35, but 1 quote(s) could not be found in the article and the other 1 are attributed speech rather than the article's own narration, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 56025: no verified evidence · logged 2026-10-04
Kemi Badenoch has vowed that she won’t let a separatist alliance led by John Swinney ‘rip the UK apart’.
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alliance → vow → UK
In her opening address to the Conservative conference in Birmingham, the Tory leader insisted her Shadow Cabinet will put a stop to plans in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to rip the UK apart.
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Cabinet → open → UK
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay also said that anyone who thinks the threat to the Union has passed is ‘dangerously complacent’ and vowed to ‘keep fighting for Scotland’.
He also condemned Mr Swinney for his ‘irresponsible’ decision to stand shoulder to shoulder with Sinn Fein during a recent summit in Wales, which also featured Plaid Cymru.
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which → say → Cymru
In a plea to party members after a debate about ‘resisting separatism’, Mrs Badenoch said: ‘Earlier today, you heard about how the Conservative Party is fighting to keep our country united.
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Party → resist → country
‘Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have been run by people who want to rip the United Kingdom apart and my team will not let them.’
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team → run → them
Her comments came after Shadow Scottish Secretary Harriet Cross and Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay spoke during a section with Shadow ministers for Wales and Northern Ireland about the Union.
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Cross → come → Union
Alex Burghart, the Conservative deputy leader and Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary, said: ‘We are the only party that consistently stands up for the Union.
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that → say → Union
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch vowed her team wouldn't allow the break-up of the United Kingdom
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said that anyone who thinks the threat to the Union has passed is ‘dangerously complacent’
‘
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threat → vow → Union
Labour won’t do it – they are the architects of “devolve and forget”.
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they → do → devolve
‘We are the only party that will not let the separatists off the hook, that will expose their failures on education, on health, on business, on crime, on everything.
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that → let → everything
‘The separatists that can’t ever get the basics right and yet want to be given the keys to the castle.
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basics → get → castle
Conference, we will not let that happen.’
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that → let → ?
Mr Findlay highlighted that his daughter was two when the SNP came to power, is now 21 and the nationalists are on course to remain in power until she is at least 26, meaning she is part of a generation who have only known a nationalist government in Edinburgh.
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who → highlight → Edinburgh
He gave embers a ‘warning’ and a ‘pledge’ in relation to the Union.
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He → give → Union
He said: ‘My warning is this: those who say the threat to our Union has passed are dangerously complacent.
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threat → say → Union
‘And my pledge: for the sake of my wonderful adult daughter and the next generation of Scots, I’ll keep fighting for Scotland.
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I → keep → Scotland
‘I’ll stand up to divisive nationalism.
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I → stand → nationalism
I’ll back oil and gas, as we did in (the by-election in) Aberdeen South.
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we → back → South
And with Kemi, we’ll show the people of Scotland there is another way - of educational excellence, fairer taxes, lower benefits, efficient public services and a stronger economy.
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we → show → excellence
That’s the Conservative way.’
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That → ’ → ?
Ms Cross also told the conference about failings in devolved areas and said: ‘Point to me one thing which the SNP has done well and I struggle to find one.
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I → tell → one
‘They use independence as the safety blanket, they know they can use that to pull it over people’s eyes and distract from what they are actually doing, and they always know there will be a rump of the country behind them if they wave that flag and shout loudly.
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they → use → flag
‘But Scots aren’t stupid, they can see what is happening, they know this country is not being run well, they know they are being taxed too high, they can see what is happening on high streets.
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what → see → streets
‘So the SNP might want to say that they speak for Scotland, or that they have Scotland’s interests at heart.
uncertain
they → want → heart
They do not – they have their interests at heart.’
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they → do → heart
At an earlier fringe event, Mr Findlay said the SNP’s “relentless” chatter about independence is “dangerously irresponsible” in today’s volatile world and a ‘gift’ to the UK’s enemies.
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chatter → say → enemies
Shadow Scottish Secretary Harriet Cross highlighted failures in devolved areas by the SNP at the conference in Birmingham
He said: ‘We face grave threats from China, Russia, Iran, and others.
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We → highlight → China
We’re already under attack in cyberspace.
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We → ’re → cyberspace
‘We face Russian hostility in our waters and Iranian plots on our streets.
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We → face → streets
These totalitarian regimes want a divided United Kingdom.
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regimes → want → Kingdom
And we have SNP politicians who share that aim.
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who → have → aim
‘They want to shut down Faslane.
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They → want → Faslane
They oppose Britain’s armed forces.
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They → oppose → forces
They would make us less safe.
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us → make → ?
He said it was a ‘disgrace’ that Mr Swinney linked up with Sinn Fein in a bid to ‘destroy the United Kingdom’.
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Swinney → say → Kingdom
SNP MSP Alex Kerr said: ‘Nothing will strengthen Scotland’s standing in the world more than becoming an independent country and rejoining the international community in our own right for the first time in over 300 years.
‘
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Nothing → say → years
In May of this year the SNP were returned to government for a historic fifth term on a pledge to give the people of Scotland a referendum on independence - while Russell Findlay led his party to it’s worst ever Scottish Parliament election result.
uncertain
Findlay → return → result
‘Russell Findlay is completely obsessed with the SNP, so it’s no surprise he’d rather spend his conference speech talking about us, rather than what he has to offer the people of Scotland - which is clearly very little.’
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which → obsess → Scotland
The Aporia
