Conservatives pitch £10bn Britannia Shield and tax cuts at Birmingham conference

Air defence and military proposals

Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge will present a £10bn air defence initiative named Britannia Shield at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham. The project draws inspiration from Israel's Iron Dome and incorporates advanced radar networks, command and control systems, interceptor missiles, and counter-drone technologies. Cartlidge set an objective to deliver a minimum deployable capability within five years, followed by expanded interceptor stockpiles over the subsequent five years. The Conservatives plan to finance the project through their pledge to raise defence expenditure to 3% of gross domestic product by 2030. In contrast, the current UK government has allocated approximately £790m for integrated air and missile defence in its Defence Investment Plan. The UK military has historically relied on nuclear deterrence, NATO collective security, and Royal Navy Type 45 destroyers rather than dedicated domestic missile batteries.

Tax proposals and fiscal plans

Shadow Chancellor Andrew Griffith outlined a series of tax cuts aimed at higher earners and property owners, stating that all reductions would be financed by spending cuts rather than borrowing. The proposals include reversing a planned council tax surcharge on homes worth over £2mn, extending subsidised childcare to parents earning more than £100,000, and addressing the effective 60% marginal tax rate on incomes between £100,000 and £125,140. Griffith addressed the conference on the income tax structure.

We believe it is unfair for anyone to face a situation where more than half of any extra income they earn goes to the government.

Party leader Kemi Badenoch also supported reducing inheritance tax when public finances allow, defending the position in an interview before the conference.

It is morally right that people don't get taxed twice. It is morally right that if you work hard and want to give something to your children the government doesn't take it away.

Economic philosophy and party discipline

Badenoch published a 30,000-word policy document titled The Right Way, referencing Margaret Thatcher's 1976 text The Right Approach to assert that private enterprise rather than the state generates economic expansion. At a conference business lunch, Badenoch told corporate executives that the party had not done enough in recent years to demonstrate its support for industry. Former Conservative MP and Marks and Spencer chair Archie Norman observed that business sentiment toward the party is beginning to shift after post-election disillusionment. Internally, Badenoch has maintained strict discipline across party ranks, following the expulsion of former leadership contender Robert Jenrick and the removal of the parliamentary whip from Lord Gavin Barwell over candidate rules on net zero emissions and the European Convention on Human Rights.

Electoral standing and polling data

The Conservative gathering occurs against a backdrop of subdued national polling, with the party registering at 19% in third place, four percentage points below its result in the 2024 general election. Polling from More in Common presented at a conference fringe event revealed that only one-third of voters who view Badenoch favourably currently plan to back the Conservatives. Badenoch holds a net favorability score of -15, compared to +7 for Labour politician Andy Burnham.