Badenoch hits back after Jeremy Clarkson's jibe about empty seats: 'This conference is buzzing'

The Conservatives' annual conference is “buzzing”, Kemi Badenoch has insisted, after she faced ridicule over empty seats in the main hall.

Questioned over jokes about turnout made by political opponents and commentators including Jeremy Clarkson, the Opposition leader said: “I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”

Mr Clarkson had appeared onstage as a surprise guest at the conference in Birmingham on Monday.

The farmer and TV personality quipped during his appearance that “a lot of people have come dressed as seats”.

Labour later shared a screenshot on social media of a sparsely attended main hall at the beginning of a speech by shadow education secretary Laura Trott.

The party wrote: “People disguised as chairs latest.”

Asked whether Mr Clarkson's observation had been embarrassing, Ms Badenoch told Channel 5 News: “I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. This conference is buzzing.

“We have many more people than last year. I saw Jeremy Clarkson, I saw Jeremy Clarkson’s event – people were standing up, you could barely see him.”

She added: “There were loud cheers. I was at a Young Conservatives event last night where you could barely get in. It was absolutely heaving.

“So maybe you should go to where the people are. I know the media always wants to talk about how quiet the conference is, we’re actually having a great conference.”

In a rally speech on Sunday, Ms Badenoch insisted that the Conservatives “will win” the next general election.

She is seeking to reverse the party's fortunes after its worst ever electoral defeat in 2024.

Labour leads recent opinion polls, despite an increase in her personal approval ratings.

On Tuesday, the Tory leader said that she was “working on fixing the brand and that means going back to our core principles”.

“What we’ve seen is that we’re in an era of multi-party politics. We had a government that came in with a landslide and the prime minister is out,” she said.

“Politics is volatile. What I'm showing is that this Conservative Party is different from the one people said no thanks to in 2024. I know that people are warming towards me.

“I now need to show them that the Conservative Party is a different party. I’m working on fixing the brand and that means going back to our core principles.”