It’s been a rough few days for Kemi Badenoch and co at the Tory Party Conference in Manchester – from botched merch, rows of empty seats and Robert Jenrick being a bit odd
It’s been a rough few days for the Tories.
Kemi Badenoch and co returned to Manchester for the first time since being kicked out of Government. Last time they were here, in 2023, the annual conference was overshadowed by a botched HS2 announcement. Then-Home Secretary Suella Braverman also apologised for standing on a Guide Dog.
So this time around it couldn’t go much worse, right? Wrong. From empty seats, botched merchandise and infighting, it’s been an interesting few days for His Majesty’s official opposition.
Here we look at some of the weirdest, stupidest, scariest and most puzzling moments of the last few days.
READ MORE: Nigel Farage’s Reform compared to 1930s fascists by Michael Heseltine in scathing attackREAD MORE: Kemi Badenoch sings Sweet Caroline in cringe clip during Tory conference washout
Incredible chocolate blunder
The Tories want to be in charge of Britain – but it turns out they can’t spell it.
Bars of chocolate handed out at the conference state: “When Labour negotiates, Britian loses.” A Labour source said: “Yet another Tory Flake. They can’t proofread five words on a bar of chocolate. This conference really isn’t proving to be the Boost Kemi needs.”
When shadow Housing Secretary James Cleverly was asked about the gaffe, he awkwardly replied: “Well, typos…” He then added: “You’ve got to make sure: Never skimp on sub-editors.”
Robert Jenrick malfunctions
Showman Robert Jenrick appeared to malfunction during his speech as he made a series of bizarre jokes and rants – and even pulled out a theatrical prop from a briefcase on stage.
The wannabe Tory leader, who repeatedly moved away from his justice brief, attacked Keir Starmer, describing him as combining “the management style of David Brent with the administrative grip of Blackadder’s Baldrick”.
And in another ranting section, he said there was “much to cherish about who we are”, including British food and drink, a “love of pubs”, “love of animals”, sporting heroes such as the Red Roses and Chris Woakes, a royal family “so admired they make the most powerful man in the world go weak at the knees” and “a military that has defeated every force on the planet”.
He also brandished a judge’s wig which he held up as a prop as he attacked Britain’s judges. His proposals led to accusations that the Shadow Justice Secretary is pushing a Trump-style plan that could mean the Supreme Court is “subservient” to powerful politicians.
Margaret Thatcher overload
This year’s Tory party shop was overflowing with Conservative tat – but one thing was missing. All traces of Kemi Badenoch had been erased from the merchandise stand at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester.
While images of former Tory PMs Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill were littered around the shop, the current Tory leader was nowhere to be seen.
Thatcher was most prominent of all. The Tories’ obsession with the late Prime Minister, who died in 2013, has really rocketed off the scale this year.
Cardboard cut outs of Thatcher to make you jump out your skin, famous quotes from her splashed over the walls and even a Thatcher museum showing some of her most famous outfits… they really have hit maximum Thatcher this year.
Just two protesters – for very niche cause
Not long ago anyone trying to get in to a Tory conference would have to stroll past hundreds of angry protesters to get in. But the party’s fortunes have waned so much that in 2025 there were just two.
Even veteran anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray, who has been a fixture at political events for nearly a decade, sat this one out. When The Mirror went looking for demonstrators to chat to, there was not a single one outside.
But later fellow journalist Zoe Crowther spotted two – lobbying for the nearby M6 to be pedestrianised. How times change.
Badenoch’s brave face on empty seat crisis
As those who have been at Tory conferences for years will know, this was not the most busy.
Take Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride’s speech, for example. This would usually be one of the most fiery and lively moments of the four days.
But the pictures below show what he was faced with. Mrs Badenoch put a brave face on it, telling BBC Breakfast: “I’m really pleased with the number of people who have come to our conference.
“A lot of the people who came just because we were in government, the corporate lobbyists, yes, they’re not there, but our members are here.”
Leader’s cringe Sweet Caroline singalong
Mrs Badenoch was filmed singing Sweet Caroline with Tory activists as she put a brave face on the party’s washout conference.
The Conservative leader admitted on Tuesday morning that her voice was hoarse after partying with the Tory faithful. A clip shows her waving a Union Jack flag in a bar as younger conference delegates let their hair down.
BBC Breakfast: Kemi Badenoch shown footage of party at Tory conference
Shadow minister says he’d serve under Nigel Farage
The Tories spent a lot of time slagging Nigel Farage off during the conference.
But some of the messaging was a little confusing, and the party’s position was thrown into chaos when Andrew Rosindell said he’d serve in government with the Reform leader.
The shadow foreign office minister told GB News: “Look, I’ve known him a long time. He used to be a member of the Conservative Party. He’s a good man. He’s a patriot and you could see him as Prime Minister.
“Could I serve in a Government with Nigel? Yes, but it would probably be a Conservative-Reform coalition. I have no problem with that.”
Ms Badenoch has repeatedly ruled out a pact with Reform UK.
‘Stop playing with your phone’ anger
There was a tense moment as Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp was confronted after spending much of a fringe event fiddling with his phone.
The ex-minister was at a discussion on migration when a delegate snapped: “If you put your phone down I’d be grateful.”
“I’m listening,” the Conservative frontbencher said meekly as he put the device on the desk.
London Assembly member heckles debate with Olympian
A Conservative London Assembly member heckled a debate on gender identity at the Conservative party conference.
Andrew Boff, who was sitting in the front row, said the event was “not a debate” and views being presented by the panel, which included former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies were “one sided”.
Shadow energy secretary Claire Coutinho was chairing the session. Mr Boff is deputy chairman of the London Assembly and previously led the Tories in the assembly.
Ms Davies said she would not apologise for standing up for women’s and girls’ rights.
Very unsubtle Union Jack jacket
Former Health Secretary Victoria Atkins was taking no prisoners with her outfit choice.
Posing in front of a giant tractor (highlighting Labour’s controversial inheritance tax changes), she donned an eye-catching Union Jack outfit.
One Twitter/X user quipped: “Sadly minutes after this photograph was taken, Victoria was tied to the top of a lamppost by an elderly short sighted conference attendee.”
Reform’s ‘bag of a fag packet’ manifesto joke
The Tory press office has some fun on day one of their conference when they were handing out Reform UK’s “back of a fag packet” manifesto.
Mock-up cardboard cigarette packs titled “Reform Manifesto: parody” were included in goodie bags handed out to the press. Where a health warning photo would usually feature on cigarette packets, a photo had been inserted of an empty wallet with a caption reading: “Unfunded promises can seriously harm economic health.”
A message then instructed people to “open for detailed costings” – with the box then being empty inside.
On the opposite side of the box, a label listed Reform’s manifesto as: “Unlimited benefits, cosy up to Putin, more debt, more spending, more tax.” A warning on the side of the box adds: “Promises may evaporate under scrutiny.”
Floundering ‘irrelevant details’ response
Mrs Badenoch’s flagship immigration plan has been savaged – after she said important details about her proposals were “irrelevant”.
The floundering Tory leader is under pressure to convince her membership she has what it takes to win hard-right votes back from Nigel Farage. On Sunday she announced she would remove 150,000 people a year from the UK, but struggled to say where they would be sent.
She told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: “People need to go back to their countries. They can go to safe third countries if that’s the best thing for them.”
Asked where they would go, she said: “Not here, not here. They don’t belong here, they are committing crimes, they are hurting people.” She added: “I’m tired of us asking all of these irrelevant questions about where should they go. They will go back to where they should do or another country, but they should not be here.”
Brutal Liz Truss Big Brother jibe
Robert Jenrick had a dig at Liz Truss, saying she would need “paying by the minute” to be in the Big Brother house.
The shadow justice secretary acknowledged the former prime minister’s unpopularity, and compared her to recent Tories to enter the reality TV show including former MP Sir Michael Fabricant.
Mr Jenrick said: “Now conference I’ve heard that a third Tory blonde is in negotiations to enter the Big Brother house. Liz Truss.
“But the negotiations have broken down. Conference she’s asking to be paid by the minute. Too soon? Perhaps. Too soon.”
Tories march out for Shadow Home Secretary speech
Conservative immigration plans have been front and centre of the party’s offering at this conference.
But surprisingly it turned out Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp – who is responsible for policies – is not much of a draw. On Sunday he took to the stage immediately after Ms Badenoch gave a welcome address.
And as the video below shows, they voted with their feet.
AI Winston Churchill
One of the more eye-catching displays in the exhibition hall was an AI version of Winston Churchill.
The wartime leader was bought to life by tech firm Paragon DCX. Apparently there were some conversations about depicting Margaret Thatcher, but the Tory Party decided it was more appropriate to use Sir Winston.
The (let’s be honest about this) slightly strange cartoon-like Tory thundered: “In my time we faced the thunder of war and the threat of tyranny.
“Today you you face another power. Artificial intelligence. It may decide whether Britain marches ahead or stumbles behind.” I’m told there is potential for the Iron Lady to be dispatched on future occassions.
20 Tories defect ahead of conference finale
Twenty councillors have walked away from the Conservatives to join Reform UK, it was announced on Tuesday.
Nigel Farage’s party unveiled the latest wave of turncoats on the eve of the finale. Mr Farage said: “The Conservative Party is dead and can no longer serve as an effective Opposition.
“It is no wonder that councillors who actually want to fix this country are finding their natural home with Reform.”
‘We must purge the heathens and heretics’
The Tories (as ever) are not a well-united party.
There’s been a lot of disquiet about Mrs Badenoch’s insistence that Britain must leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and tear up the Climate Change Act.
During one fringe event, a Tory delegate asked: “We say conservatism is a broad church. I don’t know about anyone else in the room. I’m quite sick of this bloody church being full of heathens and heretics… What would we do for non-believers who are Lib Dems and blue ties?”
Platforming David Starkey
Dr David Starkey has a long history of voicing vile opinions about race. He lost two prestigious university positions in 2020 after saying slavery cannot be considered genocide because “so many damn blacks” survived.
And in 2023 he suggested that Black Lives Matter activists were jealous of Jews because of the “moral primacy” that came from the Holocaust. But his appearance at a fringe event was one of the best attended of the Tory conference.
On human rights law applied to immigration he said: “It means that these people tumbling from war zones that have killed, tortured, done monstrous things. ‘But really, they’re just like you and me’. They’re not.”
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