Conference season is in full swing – and this week, it unfolded across two very different political stages. In Birmingham, the Conservatives came to town. As Kemi Badenoch continues to win strong approval ratings - despite the Conservatives struggling to recover from their 2024 defeat - her conference speech doubled down on a classic Tory pitch: a smaller state, lower taxes, and a return to economic aspiration. Cleo, a veteran of Tory conferences, breaks down the mood in Birmingham and weighs up whether Badenoch’s promises add up. Meanwhile, in Brighton, the Greens held their largest conference to date - but it was dominated by controversy. Members passed a motion declaring Zionism a form of racism, sparking fierce backlash from Jewish community leaders and MPs within the party. Green Party leader Zack Polanski was largely absent, busy campaigning in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election. We ask: can the Greens turn controversy into momentum - or has this motion cost them credibility? New episodes of In The Room come out weekly. Listen to the latest on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or watch on YouTube.

Showing now | In The Room

00:00

In The Room | Can Kemi Badenoch save the Tories with Thatcherism 2.0?

Conference season is in full swing – and this week, it unfolded across two very different political stages.

In Birmingham, the Conservatives came to town. As Kemi Badenoch continues to win strong approval ratings - despite the Conservatives struggling to recover from their 2024 defeat - her conference speech doubled down on a classic Tory pitch: a smaller state, lower taxes, and a return to economic aspiration. Cleo, a veteran of Tory conferences, breaks down the mood in Birmingham and weighs up whether Badenoch’s promises add up.

Meanwhile, in Brighton, the Greens held their largest conference to date - but it was dominated by controversy. Members passed a motion declaring Zionism a form of racism, sparking fierce backlash from Jewish community leaders and MPs within the party. Green Party leader Zack Polanski was largely absent, busy campaigning in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election. We ask: can the Greens turn controversy into momentum - or has this motion cost them credibility?

New episodes ofIn The Roomcome out weekly. Listen to the latest onApple PodcastsandSpotify, or watch onYouTube.

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