Badenoch calls Kent election an 'uphill challenge'

The leader of the Conservative Party has said the upcoming Kent County Council election will be an "uphill challenge" for her party.

Kemi Badenoch said "nowhere is safe" for her party when every seat on the council, which has been Tory-run for nearly 30 years, is up for election on 1 May.

Badenoch visited Romshed Farm, near Sevenoaks, in the latest stop on the local election campaign trail.

Speaking to BBC South East, she said: "I'm not pretending this is going to be easy. This is an uphill challenge. We're going to work for every vote."

The last time Kent County Council was up for election was in 2021 when Boris Johnson was prime minister.

The Conservatives secured more than 70% of the councillors.

But following the 2024 General Election, in which the Conservatives lost 251 seats across England, the party's new leader attempted to manage expectations, saying it "takes time" to rebuild trust with the public.

She said: "Oppositions tend to be out of government for decades, we're trying to do this in one term.

"We know the May elections are going to be difficult.

"But we are working hard for every vote because we believe across the board Conservative councils deliver lower taxes for better services."

When asked why she had chosen to campaign in Sevenoaks, which is traditionally safe Tory territory, she said "nowhere is safe".

She said: "I've never thought about seats being safe.

"We have to make sure that we work for every vote and we're not just complacent and assume that an area will always be Conservative."

You can find out more about the county council elections, including who is standing in your area, here.

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