Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch insisted the party is new and different from the one that lost the 2024 general election, as she arrived at the Tories' annual conference in Birmingham.
Mrs Badenoch's party finds itself behind both Labour and Reform UK in public opinion polls, as she enters her second year of leading the Tories after their heavy defeat at the last election.
Leader's response to reporters
The Tory leader was asked by reporters what she planned to do to address voters' opinion of her party as she arrived at the Birmingham gathering.
She replied: "I think the public are going to see that this is a different Conservative Party. There is so much optimism. We have new plans. We're very different from Labour and Reform and the Lib Dems and the Greens and all the other parties."
"I think that people will see that we have gone on a journey. We're not the party that the public said no to in 2024. We are a new Conservative Party."
"I've got a strong team. So much of my shadow cabinet are here, and they are going to be showing all the wonderful plans we have to get this country working again."
Comments on Labour and Andy Burnham
Asked about how she would confront Labour's polling bounce since Andy Burnham came to power, Mrs Badenoch said: "Labour won a landslide two years ago, and they lost the prime minister. It's quite clear that governing is a lot tougher than they realised."
"Andy Burnham hasn't made a single tough decision just yet. All he's done is talk about plans for the future. I'm going to be showing how we can fix the country today."
Arrival at the conference
Mrs Badenoch arrived at the conference venue in the centre of Birmingham alongside her husband, Hamish Badenoch, a banker. They were greeted by a crowd of Conservative activists and politicians, waving union flags and Tory placards.
Senior Tories present included deputy leader Alex Burghart, shadow housing secretary Katie Lam, and Conservative chairman Kevin Hollinrake.
The Tory conference takes place between Sunday October 4 and Wednesday October 7. The party is expected to use the event to lay out more of its growing policy agenda ahead of the next general election.
Campaigners across the political divide remain nervous that an early election could be called by Prime Minister Mr Burnham, even after he insisted last week that he plans to wait until 2029 to hold a poll.
