Former British Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch has emerged as the new leader of the Conservative Party, defeating Robert Jenrick in the final round of voting. Badenoch, a Nigerian-British citizen, is the first black woman to lead a major political party in the United Kingdom and takes charge of a Conservative Party reeling from its worst-ever election defeat.
Badenoch succeeds Rishi Sunak as leader of the opposition after winning 53,806 votes against Jenrick’s 41,388, in a result announced by the party on Saturday morning. During her campaign, Badenoch pledged to return the Conservatives to “first principles” and launch a series of reviews in the coming months to shape a new policy platform.
The North West Essex MP is also the sixth Tory leader in less than eight and a half years and faces the challenge of uniting a fractured party. “The time has come to tell the truth,” Badenoch declared to supporters at the final count of the leadership contest. “It is time to get down to business, it is time to renew.”
Despite the challenges, Badenoch’s no-nonsense approach has earned her a loyal base among Conservatives. Known for her outspoken positions on identity politics and her desire to reduce state influence, she appeals to a faction within the party that believes a decisive rightward turn is necessary to reconnect with disillusioned voters.
She has a history of tense interactions with media figures, celebrities, and even some government officials during her time as a trade minister, but this has only bolstered her support among members who are wary of institutional and media influences. Speaking on the significance of her win and her ambitions for the party, she commented, “The task that stands before us is tough but simple. Our first responsibility as His Majesty’s loyal opposition is to hold this Labour government to account. Our second is no less important; it is to prepare over the course of the next few years for government”
