Kemi Badenoch pledges to abolish stamp duty on all home sales in Tory conference speech: Live updates

Kemi Badenoch accused the government of choosing “a net zero slogan over a serious strategy of a stronger economy”.

He said the Tories, who had promised to reverse the drive to achieve Net Zero and scrap the Climate Change Act, would replace him with “a viable strategy that actually works”.

“A strategy that protects the natural environment and the landscapes we love. A strategy that takes sensible steps to address climate change without making bank ourselves in the process. We will cut bills for families, lower costs for businesses,” the official said.

While he denied being a “climate change skeptic”, he said he was a “net zero skeptic”: “Britain has done more than any other major country to cut emissions. But we can’t have a law that will make this country poorer, create jobs abroad and increase our reliance on hostile states.”

“So we will undermine the carbon tax on electricity, scrap Labour’s wind and solar tax and give you our cheap power plan instead.”

Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell says:

Kemi Badenoch is enjoying the longest applause for her speech after calling on Conservatives to stand with her in the fight to build a better Britain.

Had it been before his speech, there is no doubt that he now has the support of his members and MPs to continue as leader – especially after his promise to cut stamp duty.

He faced significant questions about his directions under the party’s leadership. But few from the conference in Manchester felt unanswered.

KMI Badenoch has promised to abolish stamp duty to “make the dream of home ownership available to all” and “unlock a fairer and more aspirational society”.

“The next Conservative government will abolish stamp duty on your home. It will go away,” he said. “This is how we will achieve the dream of home ownership for millions. Home ownership should be a dream available to everyone. Removing stamp duty on your home is a key to unlocking a fairer, more aspirational society. We cannot unlock every tax.”

“Stamp duty on scrap will benefit people of all ages because conservatism should speak to all generations. The young professional buying their first flat. Looking for a place to raise their first baby. The growing family hunting for their forever home.

“They will no longer be penalized with a tax that is an impediment to doing what is right for themselves, their families and society.”

Our political editor David Maddox says:

Home ownership is the most conservative of dreams, so Kemi Badenoch’s announcement to abolish stamp duty is exactly what is needed to unite her party behind it.

It needed something big and it was a speech loaded with new policies, but getting rid of one of the most hated taxes will be a challenge for Labor and Reform Britain, Nigel Farage said.

We were told we would have to wait two years for the policies, but eventually under pressure Ms Badenoch delivered in less than a year.

Kemi Badenoch has vowed to wield the axe if elected as the country’s next leader.

“We need to deregulate our housing market because a society where no one can buy or move is a society where social mobility is dead,” says Badenoch.

Stating that homeownership should be “a dream for everyone”, he said: “A country where people who want to own their first home can do it, at the heart of a Conservative Britain. But our housing market is not working as it should.”

The money for this policy will come from the cuts announced earlier in his speech

Motability cars are “not for people with ADHD”, Kemi Badenoch told the party conference, as the Tories would restrict eligibility for them.

“We will limit motorhomes to people with severe disabilities. These cars are not for people with ADHD,” he said.

He also criticized time “wasted” by police on non-criminal hate incidents.

“The conference will liberate the police to protect the public, not to chase political correctness,” he said.

Kemi Badenoch £47bn cuts by an incoming Tory government.

The Tory leader has pointed to his top team and shadow cabinet colleagues each taking steps to save cash.

He said: “Priti (Patel) has allocated £7bn from the overseas aid budget.

“Alex (Burghart) found £8bn in cuts to public services. Helen (ne) found £23bn in welfare cuts.”

He promised that the savings would continue to pay Britain’s deficit under a new “golden economic rule”, while the other half would be used to cut taxes.

Our political editor David Maddox says:

The former Prime Minister’s formative years were spent in his father’s corner shop in Grantham.

So it seems fitting that, on the 100th anniversary of his birth, his latest successor as Tory leader should end business rates for shops on the High Street.

In reality, this is perhaps a final roll of the dice to save high street shops being killed by competition from Amazon and other online providers. Ms Badenoch said she started working at a McDonalds on the High Street.