Badenoch hints she is open to inheritance tax changes as Tory conference begins

Speaking to the Sunday Times ahead of the conference, Mrs Badenoch was asked if she planned to abolish the tax.

She replied: “It is morally right that people don’t get taxed twice. It is morally right that if you work hard and want to give something to your children the Government doesn’t take it away.”

Mrs Badenoch later added: “I am not going to announce tax cuts unless we can show how we pay for them… tax cuts are a good thing but you’ve got to be fiscally responsible.”

The Conservatives have made a series of policy announcements in the days approaching the annual party conference in Birmingham, as they seek to broaden their platform for government ahead of the next general election.

The Tories also announced a plan to tighten access to student loans for non-UK nationals – a policy they say would save the taxpayer £900 million a year.

The proposals would also block EU Settled Status (EUSS) claims, a system the Toriessaid is being “abused”.

Mrs Badenoch arrived at the conference on Saturday afternoon, her second as Conservative Party leader.

As she arrived, Mrs Badenoch was asked by reporters about the public’s opinion of the Tories, who find themselves behind both Labour and Reform UK in the opinion polls.

She told replied: “I think that people will see that we have gone on a journey. We’re not the party that the public said no to in 2024. We are a new Conservative Party.

“I’ve got a strong team. So much of my shadow cabinet are here, and they are going to be showing all the wonderful plans we have to get this country working again.”

The Conservative leader arrived at the conference venue in the centre of Birmingham alongside her husband, Hamish Badenoch, a banker.