Politics At Sam and Anne's

She promised a “battle for the soul of the nation” – but can Kemi Badenoch turn her vision for the Conservatives into an electoral revival?
In a special debrief episode from the Tory conference in Birmingham, Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy unpack the big pledges in the leader’s speech – from abolishing inheritance tax on family homes to her deeply personal intervention on race, identity and her own mixed-race children.
Has Badenoch now drawn a clear enough dividing line between her party, Andy Burnham and Nigel Farage?

It’s Kemi Badenoch’s big day at Conservative conference - but it’s not just the adoring party faithful she has to impress.
Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy look at how the leader’s speech will land with both voters and party donors – in what she’s calling a “battle for the soul of the country”.
There are already signs the Tories’ finances are not in the shape they need to be to fight an election on two fronts – with our hosts picking up clues from the conference hall in Birmingham.
Plus, Sam and Anne check in on the state of the Green Party, after delegates adopted a motion declaring Zionism as a form of racism. What does it mean for leader Zack Polanski?
You can find the candidate standing in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election here.
Sam and Anne will return later for a special de-brief edition following Kemi Badenoch speech, which will be released mid-afternoon.

The ‘Burnham Bounce’ is extending Labour’s lead in the polls – so are the Conservatives anywhere near ready to challenge?
Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy unpack the latest polling numbers and what they mean for Kemi Badenoch as the party struggle to define its offer on the economy, triple lock and social care.
Back in London, Chancellor - John Healey - meets Britain’s biggest banks ahead of the Budget, amid growing speculation over tax rises and a key intervention from a former chief of staff to Rachel Reeves.
Plus, as the United States pull out their bombers from RAF Fairford, just how serious is the threat?

Is Andy Burnham an easier opponent for the Conservatives than Keir Starmer?
At Tory conference in Birmingham, Kemi Badenoch’s team sniff a chance to attack the Prime Minister – with a particular chance to seize and attack his economic argument.
Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy pore over Badenoch’s ‘The Right Way’ pamphlet and how she plans to take the fight to Reform in the north and the Liberal Democrats in the southeast.
Elsewhere, Anne has been speaking Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary – Helen Whately – who has a couple of blunt messages for Andy Burnham.
Plus, are the Conservatives truly over Robert Jencrick after his defection to Reform?

As Labour attempt to reshape the political debate, can the Conservatives seize back the headlines?
Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy are on the conference floor in Birmingham, asking whether Kemi Badenoch can carve out a distinct Tory agenda – or whether the party is still playing catch-up.
From the pension triple lock to European Union membership, how can the Conservatives wrestle the narrative away from Andy Burnham? And does Kemi Badenoch have to become the Queen of Mean to do so?