Kemi Badenoch proposes cutting 100,000 university places, doubling apprenticeships, and redirecting £3.6 billion to vocational training.

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has announced plans to cut 100,000 university places and double apprenticeships for 18- to 21-year-olds, redirecting £3.6 billion in savings from university funding to expand vocational training without new public spending. She emphasized apprenticeships as a valuable alternative to university, citing her own experience and calling for a cultural shift to boost their prestige. Badenoch also proposed capping student loan interest at RPI inflation, criticizing recent changes that froze repayment thresholds and increased graduate debt. Recent data shows a 7.7% rise in apprenticeship starts for 2025/26.