Kemi Badenoch's conference speech may have appealed to Tory members, but it will likely be her last

She made a few jokes and appeared to be enjoying herself for once.

The Conservative leader had a great time tearing into the Labour Government.

She announced she would get rid of lots of Labour policies: VAT on private school fees, the national insurance increase for employers, inheritance tax for farmers and increased workers’ rights.

Very boldly, she defended her party’s 14 years in Government - despite it being booted out of office in unceremonious fashion last July.

All of this was well within her comfort zone and received great applause from those in the room.

The announcement that she would abolish stamp duty - which does not apply in Scotland - was eye-catching and will have a bit of cut-through.

Her team will see this as a success because the Tories have been struggling to get any limelight since the election.

But Mrs Badenoch seemed to have forgotten the real problem her party is facing: Reform UK.

It is Nigel Farage’s party which is leading in the polls and looks likely to replace the Conservatives as the main party on the right.

She barely referenced Reform in her speech - only saying that they are “promising free beer tomorrow” - and didn’t even mention Mr Farage by name.

She completely failed to address the main reason her party is doing so badly: Tory voters are now backing Reform.

The omission of Reform in the speech suggests that Mrs Badenoch does not understand why her party is so unpopular.

It is because of its record in government that people are no longer supporting the Conservatives.

The general public does not feel better off after 14 years of Tory rule, and believes public services are in a much poorer state than they were in 2010.

Reform is also much more radical in policy areas such as immigration and cutting taxes - with the Tories often appearing as a pale imitation.

The two parties occupy a similar space but Reform taps into the anti-establishment vote and can resonate with those who feel let down by the Government.

The Conservatives’ baggage mean they are unlikely to win a battle with Reform unless they present themselves differently.

Mrs Badenoch had the perfect opportunity to tell the British public why they should back her instead of Reform.

But she could not do this because she does not seem to disagree with most of their policies.

It should not have come as a surprise.

Mrs Badenoch is living on borrowed time as her party is likely to have a terrible time next spring.

The Conservatives will be lucky to come fourth in the Holyrood, Senedd and local council elections in England - a damning indictment of the world’s most successful political party.

Mrs Badenoch has already struggled to make much of an impression against an unpopular Labour Government.

To make matters worse, the Tories have a ready-made replacement in Robert Jenrick.

It is hard to see how she will turn things around before next May.

Her conference speech went down well with those in the room, but it is likely to be her last.