Kemi Badenoch speech live: New poll shows drop in support for Conservatives as Farage’s Reform surges ahead

A surge in support for Nigel Farage’s party threatens to overshadow Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch’s tax-cutting conference closing speech.

New polling by More in Common shows backing for the Tories has dropped one point this week to 21 per cent, while Reform UK is up three to 24 per cent.

Meanwhile, Andy Burnham’s Labour continues to top the poll, up two to 29 per cent with a five-point lead over Reform.

The leader of the opposition will say there is a “battle for the soul of the nation” in her speech on Wednesday as she is widely expected to announce a proposed cut to the 40 per cent rate of inheritance tax.

Ms Badenoch will warn “something is going to break” without better growth under the Tories as she accuses Andy Burnham’s Labour of presiding over a “tax doom loop that is making us all poorer”.

Ms Badenoch will hope the speech revives the electoral hopes of her party, which trails both Labour and Reform UK in opinion polls.

She said on Tuesday if there was a hung parliament at the next election, she would rather fight two general elections in quick succession than form a coalition with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.