Kemi Badenoch has said she would rather fight two general elections in quick succession than form a coalition with Nigel Farage's Reform UK in a hung parliament.
The Conservative leader insisted party members at their annual conference felt "happy because we know who we are" despite lagging behind Labour and Reform in opinion polls.
Asked if the party's mood meant it was in denial, Mrs Badenoch said: "We are feeling chipper because we are going back to first principles."
Party mood and polling
She acknowledged that the Conservatives are "not out of the woods yet" after the devastating 2024 general election defeat, with polling showing its popularity is lower than at that time.
But she added: "People at conference aren't happy because we're about to win an election, we're happy because we know who we are. We're not afraid to say what we think, and we're prepared to fight for what we believe.
"And that's the message that we're taking out to the country. And when people see that we're a different Conservative Party, they will vote for us."
Election prospects and coalition stance
Mrs Badenoch claimed the "volatile" nature of politics means the Tories could win at the next election.
She added: "I'm not saying that we would win. The current polling shows a hung parliament, no party getting an overall majority.
"My prediction is that there would be another election immediately after. But we're the only credible alternative to Labour, only ones with a plan. Look at what we talked about on defence today."
Asked if she would consider a coalition with Reform in a hung parliament, she appeared to rule out the possibility, telling the BBC: "I have said that we would have another election if there was no overall majority."
