Humiliating Photos Reveal Terrible Turnout For Key Speeches At Tory Conference

Posted on 06/10/2025 by Boris Clair

The number of delegates attending key events at the Conservative Party conference seems to be depressingly low, judging by photos of the main hall.

It’s the party’s first annual gathering since Kemi Badenoch won the leadership contest last November and the atmosphere appears to be particularly flat.

While it’s not too surprising – considering the Tories’ historic loss at the 2024 general election and how they are currently polling at just 16% according to YouGov – it’s a bleak reminder of just how much has changed for the party who were in government only 15 months ago.

Sky News’ Amanda Akass noted that it was “not exactly a packed hall” for the shadow chancellor Mel Stride’s speech today – and attached a photo of a room which appeared to be about two-thirds empty.

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Tory Conference.

This is how far they’ve fallen.

Mel Strides speech as Shadow Chancellor should have been packed.

The reality is.

There were more people in Gala Bingo just around the corner. pic.twitter.com/w1kNBBAAuu

— Goosey (@Goosey30111568) October 6, 2025

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Tory Conference.

This is how far they’ve fallen.

Mel Strides speech as Shadow Chancellor should have been packed.

The reality is.

There were more people in Gala Bingo just around the corner. pic.twitter.com/w1kNBBAAuu

— Goosey (@Goosey30111568) October 6, 2025

GB News also said it was the “quietest” Tory conference seen in the last nine years in an interview with Stride – although he tried to pass this year’s gathering off as a “turning point” for the party.

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‘The atmosphere is quite flat.’

‘I think it is a turning point.’

Ellie Costello asks the Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride, whether the poor attendance at the Conservative Party conference is a sign that the Tories are ‘dying’.

📺 Freeview 236, Sky 512, Virgin 604 pic.twitter.com/kT2UpWeHSk

— GB News (@GBNEWS) October 6, 2025

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‘The atmosphere is quite flat.’

‘I think it is a turning point.’

Ellie Costello asks the Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride, whether the poor attendance at the Conservative Party conference is a sign that the Tories are ‘dying’.

📺 Freeview 236, Sky 512, Virgin 604 pic.twitter.com/kT2UpWeHSk

— GB News (@GBNEWS) October 6, 2025

Other journalists pointed out that even regular Westminster protesters have not bothered to turn up to the Manchester gathering.

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Didn’t see a single protester as I came into the Conservative Party Conference this morning. Even Steve Bray’s sat it out so far. Damning

— Dave Burke (@DaveBurke12) October 6, 2025

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Didn’t see a single protester as I came into the Conservative Party Conference this morning. Even Steve Bray’s sat it out so far. Damning

— Dave Burke (@DaveBurke12) October 6, 2025

Kemi Badenoch angrily hit back at Laura Kuenssberg this morning over the Tories’ poor performance in the polls.

According to YouGov research from mid-September, just 16% of the public said they would be willing to vote Conservative – a shocking decline from a party that were in power 15 months ago.

There’s also been an exodus of former Tory ministers joining Reform, including one of Badenoch’s own frontbenchers in the shadow cabinet, Danny Kruger.

But, speaking on the first day of the Conservatives’ annual conference in Manchester, Badenoch tried to downplay criticism that she needed to do more to help her party.

The BBC’s Kuenssberg tried to bring up the topic by saying: “While you have been working out exactly what you wanted to do, the Conservative Party’s position – which was already dreadful – has got worse –”

But Badenoch cut in: “Laura. Polls are not elections.

“If I had rushed out and said all those things right at the beginning, people would have said, ‘Why should we believe you? Why have you suddenly changed?’

“Simply saying something doesn’t mean you’re going to be fine in the polls.

“What you’re saying is a counterfactual. You don’t know that if I had rushed out all of those things right at the beginning that we would be doing well. You have no idea.

“What I’m doing is being very consistent. I’m saying, vote for me, we will get through this, we’re going to have very clear credible plans, they’re not going to fall apart the minute someone asks a question like you get with Reform.”

During the same interview, Badenoch did actually refuse to many detailed questions about her new plan to control the country’s borders by removing 150,000 people with “no right” to be in the UK per year.

When Kuenssberg asked where these so-called illegal migrants would be deported, the Tory leader said: “I am tired of answering these irrelevant questions about where they should go. They will go back to where they should be or another country, but they should not be here!”

The MP for North West Essex also used her time on air to lay into Labour, claiming: “We’re not going to waste our time in opposition – like Labour did, they had 14 years in opposition, and they’ve got nothing.”

But the Tory leader has been heavily criticised herself for taking such a long time to come up with many firm policies, despite winning the leadership contest last November.

Kuenssberg concluded their interview by asking Badenoch: “What if the problem is you?”

She replied: “I was elected to do exactly what I am doing now. And I think Conservative Party members are going to keep their faith in me.”

She refused to say she would resign if the Tories performed poorly in the May local elections.

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🚨🎥 WATCH: Kemi Badenoch hits back at claims her slow policy rollout hurt the Tories’ polling

\"What you’re saying is counterfactual. You don’t know that if I had rushed out all those things right at the beginning that we would be doing well, you have no idea\" pic.twitter.com/pBt6Wr1vpy

— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) October 5, 2025

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You don’t know that if I had rushed out all those things right at the beginning that we would be doing well, you have no idea\" pic.twitter.com/pBt6Wr1vpy— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) October 5, 2025\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":614,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/amplify_video_thumb/1974761474930212864/img/SzAX8EQuHwWKDK9Y.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":1108,"title":"Politics UK on Twitter / 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🚨🎥 WATCH: Kemi Badenoch hits back at claims her slow policy rollout hurt the Tories’ polling

“What you’re saying is counterfactual. You don’t know that if I had rushed out all those things right at the beginning that we would be doing well, you have no idea” pic.twitter.com/pBt6Wr1vpy

— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) October 5, 2025