London Tories 'a credible alternative to Labour'

Kemi Badenoch says the Conservatives are "cutting through" to voters ahead of the local elections in London.

The party's leader told BBC London: "People need a Conservative message, and I want them to see that this is a new Conservative Party under a new leader, not the one they said no to two years ago - I am changing this party for the better."

All 32 London boroughs are up for election on 7 May. The Tories currently control five councils in the capital and the directly elected mayor of Croydon is a Conservative.

Badenoch said her party was "the only credible alternative to Labour at these London elections".

Asked if her party was struggling in formerly safe Conservative councils in outer London, she replied: "Actually, what's happening is that the message is getting through but there is a lot more competition.

"We have moved from an era of two-party politics to multi-party politics and that means that we need to do things a bit differently.

"What's actually happening is that a government party that came in with a huge landslide 18 months ago is already intensely disliked.

"People are now looking for something completely new."

In response to the rise of Reform UK and the Green Party in London, Badenoch said her party was "a new Conservative Party under new leadership".

"The Greens and Reform are saying all sorts of things to all sorts of people," she said.

"Today Nigel Farage wants to cut benefits, tomorrow he wants to increase benefits. Zack Polanski is telling people that there's only a perception of attacks against Jews.

"We're not doing all that stuff. We're being honest with people.

"I'm not making promises I can't deliver - sometimes people will be attracted to promises that are never going to be delivered.

"I want people to see that what I'm saying will happen and that's why you should vote Conservative."

Badenoch said she wanted to be "aspirational".

She added: "I'm telling people that if they want Conservative policies, they need to vote Conservative.

"Opposition parties, when they lose, take 18 years, 14 years, 13 years to come back.

"We're coming back in four years because we have to.

"I'm doing every single thing I can to make sure that people can see that this is a new Conservative Party, bringing back common sense, making sure that people can see that we're being honest and that we are worthy of their trust.

"You don't win trust back overnight - the journey can be hard and difficult - but we are doing it and we are on the march. Conservatives are coming back and we're going to start winning again."

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