Kemi Badenoch went full Farage with her claim that a pledge to lower tax didn’t mean it would actually go down – 18 sceptical side-eyes
We cross now to whatever reality is currently inhabited by the Tory leader, Kemi Badenoch, who – it seems – has been taking lessons from Nigel Farage in doublespeak.
She was asked by ITV Meridian’s Kit Bradshaw about her party raising council tax after pledging to lower it. Here’s what she said.
EXC: Kemi Badenoch has denied that a local election slogan to 'lower taxes' meant council tax would actually go down.
The Conservative Leader told ITV News Meridian: "Council tax goes up with inflation… We’re not saying people are going to have less [tax] than they paid before."
— Kit Bradshaw (@kitbradshaw.bsky.social) March 23, 2026 at 3:55 PM
Big Brother would be so proud. Mr Bradshaw was the journalist who got this tetchy response out of Farage on the same topic –
EXC: Nigel Farage defends Reform-run Kent County Council increasing council tax by 3.99% despite election leaflets last year pledging to “reduce waste and cut your taxes”.
Mr Farage told me: “Cutting taxes can be not putting them up as much, I suppose.”@itvmeridian pic.twitter.com/YybyUQnbfW
— Kit Bradshaw (@kitbradshaw) March 9, 2026
It’s a fair swap, we suppose. The Tories give Reform an endless stream of defectors, and Reform responds with ready-made excuses for breaking election promises. The internet was sceptical, to say the least.
1.
Nigel Farage literally said the exact same thing about a week ago
— Lee Hurley (@hleehurley.com) March 23, 2026 at 5:17 PM
2.
‘When I said fewer people would be eaten by a shark, I didn’t mean less people’
— Toby Earle 🇺🇦 (@tobyontv.bsky.social) March 23, 2026 at 4:13 PM
3.
Badenoch follows Farage into Orwell land where lower taxes means higher taxes but just not as high as other taxes which are higher because they need to be higher.
— Mike Bailey (@linusd.bsky.social) March 23, 2026 at 2:50 PM
4.
So out of her depth she's shaking hands with Davy Jones.
— Between These Lines 2026 version ⚽ 🏈 🏀⚾🏒 (@footballlibrettist.bsky.social) March 23, 2026 at 2:03 PM
5.
A General Election campaign led by Badenoch will be TV Gold.
The interviewer is trying not to smirk as he plays with her like a kitten with a ball of wool.
Badenoch's combination of sneer, overconfidence and dimness is remarkable.— Peter Smith (@redpeter99.bsky.social) March 23, 2026 at 2:13 PM
6.
— Neil Norman And His Cosmic Orchestra (@fubsyshabaroon.bsky.social) March 23, 2026 at 4:20 PM
7.
To quote Reagan "if you're explaining, you're losing".
— Brian Mcleish (@bmcleish.bsky.social) March 23, 2026 at 4:27 PM
8.
"Why has council tax increased more in Sussex under the Tories than next door Kent under Reform?"
"What about Worcestershire…..?"— Peter Smith (@redpeter99.bsky.social) March 23, 2026 at 2:50 PM
9.
I have a new theory, Kemi bad enough can get away with saying moronic things because nobody is geniunly interested in what she has to say.
— Ollie B (@olliebollie.bsky.social) March 23, 2026 at 2:08 PM