I'd rather have another election than do a deal with Reform UK, says Badenoch

Kemi Badenoch has said she would rather have another general election than do a deal with Reform UK to secure power, if no party wins the next election.

The Conservative Party leader told the BBC that Nigel Farage's Reform are "neck deep in scandal" and joining forces with them would "just be one problem after another".

Polling suggests there would be a hung parliament at the next election, with Labour currently expected to be the largest party followed by Reform and the Tories.

As the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham nears its end, Badenoch has also pledged to cut the cost of hiring 21 to 24-year-olds by halving the rate of employer national insurance (NI) contributions.

Badenoch has been trying to position the Conservatives as a party that is different to the one that suffered an historic defeat in the 2024 general election.

She told BBC Political Editor Chris Mason "we are going back to the authentic Conservative Party, that people knew and loved" after she published a 100-page document, called The Right Way, setting out the party's principles , external .

Badenoch added "politics is volatile", as she tried to talk up the party's chances despite the polls suggesting only one-in-five voters would back them.

She said: "We're in a different political world, and it is within that context that we know that we can win. I'm not saying that we would win.