Tory party needs to pull its socks up, says leading mayor

By JASON GROVES, POLITICAL EDITOR Published: 23:15 BST, 5 October 2025 | Updated: 10:19 BST, 6 October 2025

Kemi Badenoch admitted the Conservatives have paid a 'political price' for her approach – as a senior Tory warned the party needs to 'pull our socks up'.The Conservative leader has launched a policy blitz this week to coincide with her party's annual conference.New proposals include scrapping Labour's Net Zero targets, ditching the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and clamping down on immigration. But Tory peer Ben Houchen said the slow pace of policy development had allowed Nigel Farage to 'steal a march' on the Conservative Party.Lord Houchen, the mayor of Tees Valley, said: 'We needed to get our show on the road much sooner than we have.'There's been a space created which has allowed Reform to jump in and try to steal a march.'He added: 'I'm hoping to hear that that period of reflection, that piece of work she's been doing, is done and we are going to start to pull our socks up and start to demonstrate to the public that we understand and we start to communicate better.'Socks were something of a talking point yesterday – with Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp sporting a pair featuring Union Jacks. Lord Houchen welcomed the 'more energetic' approach from Mrs Badenoch in recent weeks, but added: 'It's going to be tough. Honestly, if there was an election today, I believe Reform would win a majority.'One Shadow Cabinet minister said the delay in bringing forward policy on issues like leaving the ECHR left the party appearing to 'follow' Reform. 'We could and should have committed to leaving the ECHR months ago – it was obvious that we were going to do it,' the source said. 'Instead, we've let Farage lead the conversation and we're left trailing in his wake.' Kemi Badenoch admitted the Conservatives have paid a 'political price' for her approach – as a senior Tory warned the party needs to 'pull our socks up' Lord Houchen, the mayor of Tees Valley, said: 'We needed to get our show on the road much sooner than we have'Mrs Badenoch defended her approach and urged Tory activists to 'keep their faith in me'. She told the BBC it was right to focus on developing 'credible plans' rather than 'rush out with lots of random things like Reform are doing'.She acknowledged the party has paid a 'political price' at the polls, which have seen Tory support slip below 20 per cent for months. An Opinium poll conducted in the wake of Labour's conference last week put Reform up two points on 34 per cent, Labour down one on 21 and the Conservatives down one on 16 - just ahead of the Lib Dems on 12.But Mrs Badenoch insisted her plan would eventually bear fruit.'Nothing good comes quickly or fast,' she said. 'It will pay off. I'm an engineer and the way I was taught to do things is you have a plan, you work it through.'It's not about being the first to announce a policy. It's about having the best policy. That is what I'm offering.'And, yes, there may have been a small political price to pay in the polls. It will pay off eventually.'