Dashboard/Kemi Badenoch/Sky News interview with Beth Rigby: an early election, Reform and the triple lock
Interview · 6 Oct 2026
Sky News interview with Beth Rigby: an early election, Reform and the triple lock
Video: YouTube: Sky News (official channel). Retrieved 7 Oct 2026.
Some bluff & spinProvisional
129 sentences · 18 checked claims · 24 questions
Answers questions
63%
24 questions rated. Answered = 1, Partly answered and Declined openly = ½, Dodged = 0.
Answered 8Partly answered 9Declined openly 5Dodged 2
Beth Rigby
Cammy Badnock, you're here at this conference to talk about progress, but on the hard facts, your party is still polling lower than when you were at your worst ever election defeat in 2024. Since then, you've lost a further two 1,237 councilors, nearly a quarter of your seats in local government. Now, you're preparing for an election next May. That is the last thing you need, isn't it? It's not winnable.
Partly answeredAsked whether an election next May is unwinnable given the polls and council losses. Says it is about what is right for the country, accepts the 2024 defeat and describes a volatile, multi-party era; does not say whether it is winnable.Our model rated this
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Beth Rigby
you don't want an election right now.
Partly answeredAsked whether she wants an election now. Says she wants what is right for the country and has said there should be an election if defence is not funded, without saying whether she wants one now.Our model rated this
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Beth Rigby
You brought up an you brought up a prospect of an early election. That's why I'm asking you about it. Your chairman Kevin Holl said yesterday, "We're not where we need to be right now. We don't want an election right now. Ideally, it doesn't look winnable for anybody."
AnsweredAsked about her chairman saying the party does not want an election now. Agrees an election now would give a hung parliament, and says it would show voters the offer.Our model rated this
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Beth Rigby
Um, since you are preparing for a snap poll, will you rule out any deal with reform? Not pre-election, which you've already done, but post election.
DodgedAsked whether she rules out a deal with Reform after an election. Says she wants Reform voters back and that Reform is caught up in scandal, without addressing a post-election deal.Our model rated this
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Beth Rigby
to be really clear for people watching this to be really clear not be in government than do a deal with
DodgedAsked to say clearly whether she would rather not be in government than deal with Reform. Says people who want Conservative government must vote Conservative.Our model rated this
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Beth Rigby
you would not you'd rather not be in government after an election if that's
Partly answeredAsked whether she would rather not be in government after an election. Rejects it as a false choice and says there are other options, without naming them yet.Our model rated this
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Beth Rigby
I'm just asking you. You wouldn't deal do a deal with reform after an election.
Declined openlyAsked to confirm she would not do a deal with Reform after an election. Says she will not take the words put in her mouth.Our model rated this
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Beth Rigby
You've been very clear about no deals before. I'm just asking if that's the same after.
Partly answeredAsked whether her no-deals position holds after an election. Says a hung parliament could lead to another election, as in 1974; does not state outright that a deal is ruled out.Our model rated this
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Beth Rigby
So clearly, you're not going to deal with do deal with reform. You're saying you'd rather have another election.
AnsweredAsked to confirm she would rather have another election than deal with Reform. Says she would rather have another.Our model rated this
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Beth Rigby
other people did too. And you are still here. Uh you have proved your doubters wrong. uh your ratings are outping the party. Is there some quiet satisfaction for you in that that you've proved the doubters wrong?
AnsweredAsked whether she feels quiet satisfaction at proving doubters wrong. Says she believes in herself and is glad others do, but satisfaction will come from sorting out the country.Our model rated this
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Beth Rigby
I haven't got loads time. Let's get on to policies. on policies. Are you really going to find up to 15 billion pounds a year from cuts elsewhere to fund abolishing inheritance tax which only the super wealthy millionaires pay anyway? Is that really your priority for this country?
Partly answeredAsked whether finding up to £15 billion to abolish inheritance tax is really her priority. Says she has not announced abolition and that the tax is a problem, citing farmers; does not address the priority or the cost.Our model rated this
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Beth Rigby
Only one in 20 estates pay inheritance tax. Is that really your priority?
Partly answeredAsked whether it is a priority when only one in 20 estates pay. Says the tax now catches many people it did not before; does not say whether it is her priority.Our model rated this
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Beth Rigby
what less than 5% of the states pay inheritance tax. It's a wealthy tax.
AnsweredTold that under 5% of estates pay and it is a tax on wealth. Disputes it: says the wealthiest avoid it through trusts and it falls on the middle class.Our model rated this
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Beth Rigby
people have got to be able to question the answer. You just said a middle class people have people that have over a mill a million pound in their estates. Many people watching this.
Declined openlyPressed on whether estates of over £1 million are middle class. Says the policy has not been announced and people should wait for her speech.Our model rated this
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Beth Rigby
You say it's morally right. Why not use that money to cut taxes for everyone? You could take two P off the basic rate of income tax and give everyone a tax break. Working people a tax break.
Partly answeredAsked why not use the money to cut the basic rate of income tax for everyone. Says no tax cuts unless funded, savings come first, and taxes should encourage work; does not say why not income tax.Our model rated this
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Beth Rigby
say here's a good income tax would encourage working people. not not perhaps in some other tax for the super
AnsweredPut to her that an income tax cut would do more for working people. Disagrees, saying businesses tell her they are not investing because of those taxes.Our model rated this
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Beth Rigby
Okay. Uh the triple lock uh you're keeping the triple lock. By 2049 to50 it'll say50 billion pounds if you reform it as Burnham wants to. You're not going to keep it for that long are you?
AnsweredAsked whether she would really keep the triple lock as its cost grows. Says it is Conservative policy and they will not change it.Our model rated this
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Beth Rigby
If Andy Burnham lays the legislation, which he says he will, you're not going to reverse that. You wouldn't revise that. So it could be gone by 2030.
Declined openlyAsked whether she would reverse Burnham's change if it were legislated. Says she will not speak in hypotheticals, and people who want the triple lock should vote Conservative.Our model rated this
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Beth Rigby
Okay. Uh I want to come to reform and its approach to politics because there's a discussion in open up about what it means to be English. Your former colleague Swella Bravman said last week, "I've always considered myself British of Asian ethnicity. It's never been something I would question. Of course, I'm not English.
I'm not an English person. I am of Asian origin." What did you think about that?
AnsweredAsked what she thought of Suella Braverman saying she is not English. Says Braverman may speak about her own identity, but she dislikes identity politics and such talk excludes people like her mixed-race children.Our model rated this
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Beth Rigby
The reason I'm asking you is it has opened up a conversation. Well, well um and that's why I'm asking you what you think.
Partly answeredAsked again for her view on the debate it opened. Says she wants a different conversation and respectful language for all ethnicities, without engaging with Englishness itself.Our model rated this
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Beth Rigby
Or as a brown person, do you agree with
Declined openlyAsked, as a brown person, whether she agrees. Says she does not want to have that conversation and is tired of being pigeonholed.Our model rated this
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Beth Rigby
The reason I'm asking you because discussion about Englishness and I want to ask you as a leader and I'd ask
AnsweredAsked as a leader for her view on Englishness. Says identity is personal, nobody should police others' identity and the party stands for a shared British identity.Our model rated this
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Beth Rigby
Okay, thank you for that. I've got one final question on values and on your opponents because Farage is under investigation from the parliamentary commissioner for failing to care 5 million donation from Christopher Harbaugh. He said it was personal. Police investigating a number of potential breaches of electoral law over money reform has received. Do you think Nigel Farra is fit to be the British prime minister?
Partly answeredAsked whether Nigel Farage is fit to be Prime Minister. Says to await the standards investigation and that someone who breaks rules should not make them; gives no direct yes or no.Our model rated this
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Beth Rigby
One final thing, Andy Barnum, if I may. uh you may not agree uh with his politics or his policies. I suspect you really do not. But do you have professional respect for him as a politician and a leader?
Declined openlyAsked whether she has professional respect for Andy Burnham. Says her job is to hold him to account, not give personal views, alongside remarks on his uncontested leadership.Our model rated this
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