Badenoch kicks off Tory local elections push with plan-first pledge

Kemi Badenoch launched the Conservatives’ local election campaign, arguing the Tories are the ‘only party with a plan’ as 5,000 council seats across 136 English councils go to the polls on May 7. She outlined policy ideas tied to a general-election agenda, including exempting retail, hospitality and leisure from business rates up to £110,000 a year, cutting environmental taxes to reduce energy bills, abolishing stamp duty, and an £800m funding boost to recruit 10,000 police officers, while signaling tough steps for lawbreakers. The campaign comes as the party seeks to rebuild support amid a multi-party landscape and ahead of additional regional and mayoral ballots.