Conservative leadership challenger Kemi Badenoch delivers a speech on the final day of the Conservative Party conference at the Birmingham ICC Arena on October 2, 2024 in Birmingham, England.
Dan Kitwood | Getty Images News | Getty Images
LONDON – The United Kingdom's opposition Conservative Party on Saturday named right-winger Kemi Badenoch as its new leader, ending a long-running runoff after the Tories' crushing election defeat heralded a moment of reckoning for the party.
Badenoch ousted Robert Jenrick to take the top job, replacing outgoing leader and former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
“It is a great honor to be elected to this role,” Badenoch said in her first speech as party leader shortly after the results were announced.
The decision comes after a three-month competition, during which the initial shortlist of six candidates was whittled down to two over four rounds of voting by Conservative MPs.
The eventual winner was decided by Conservative Party members, with Badenoch receiving 53,806 votes to Jenrick's 41,388. Voter turnout was 72.8%.
Badenoch's victory underscores another shift to the right for the UK's oldest political party, suggesting it may take a harder line on immigration, climate measures and cultural policies in opposition.
Fellow right-wing candidates Badenoch and Jenrick were seen as unexpected opponents in the final vote, with some MPs suggesting that tactical voting aimed at damaging their least preferred figure had instead backfired on former front-runner and more centrist rival James Cleverly.
The Conservatives suffered a painful defeat in the UK's 4th of July general election, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labor government scoring a landslide victory, as voters tired of constant leadership changes and political infighting at the end of 14 years in power. Conservative Party.
Badenoch said conservatives must acknowledge their past mistakes and change course.
“Our party is important to the success of our country. But in order for our voice to be heard, we have to be honest. Honest about the fact that we made mistakes, honest about the fact that we let standards falter,” she stressed on Saturday.
“It is time to tell the truth, stand up for our principles, and plan for our future. Recalibrate our politics and our thinking, and give our party and our country the fresh start they deserve. It is time for renewal,” Badenoch added.
Who is Kemi Badenoch?
British-born Badenoch grew up in Nigeria and worked in IT and banking before entering politics in the UK, winning election as an MP in 2017. She has served in ministerial roles under three prime ministers, including business secretary.
Badenoch, 44, is a staunch supporter of Brexit and is known for her outspoken views and tough stance on divisive issues such as immigration and transgender rights, including in her role as Women and Equalities Secretary.
During the leadership race – her second in two years, after finishing fourth in a 2022 run-off – Badenoch pledged to reset the Conservative Party, arguing they had become too much like Labour and suggesting smaller state intervention and a greater focus on families.
However, her strong political views have sparked controversy over the years, with recent comments about maternity pay being “excessive” sparking a backlash, while her suggestion that “not all cultures are equally valid” has reinforced her image as a so-called culturalist. warrior.
Conservative leadership candidate Robert Jenrick speaks at a 'Meet the Leaders' event during day three of the Conservative Party Conference at the Birmingham ICC on October 01, 2024 in Birmingham, England.
Ian Forsyth | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Jenrick, who was a close ally of Sunak, began his political career as a centrist figure, but has since joined the right within the party, making regaining control of the UK's borders a central plank of his leadership.
The 42-year-old former lawyer resigned from his post as immigration minister in December 2023, insisting that Sunak's legislation in Rwanda went no further. He also pledged to withdraw Britain from the European Convention on Human Rights to boost deportations.
Jenrick's increasingly tough stance has landed him at the center of several scandals in recent years, including in 2023, when he ordered the painting of murals of cartoon characters at a reception center for child asylum seekers in Dover.
Earlier this week, Starmer also condemned him for suggesting police had “hidden” information about the killing of three girls in Southport in July, which at the time sparked a wave of far-right violence.
What does this mean for the Labor government?
The leadership victory is unlikely to have any immediate impact on the current government, as Labor retains the second-largest parliamentary majority in history.
It is also likely that the new leader of the Conservative Party will not remain in office by the time the UK votes to choose its next government in up to five years.
However, a revitalized opposition party will be better placed to put pressure on Starmer and rebuke some of his key policies.
“Our first responsibility as a government loyal to His Majesty the King is to hold this Labor government to account,” Badenoch said on Saturday. “Our second responsibility is no less important: to prepare over the next few years to form a government.”
The return of Brexiteer Nigel Farage to the political fray in June, coupled with the Reform Party's surprise electoral gains in the UK, may see the Conservatives shift further to the right in order to stem further electoral losses.
Some analysts suggested that the newly reformed Conservative Party could team up with the Reform Party to boost support – a suggestion that Farage said “never say never”.
Sunak congratulated Badenoch's win, saying she would be a “fantastic leader” and urged his party to unite behind her.
“You will renew our party, defend Conservative values, and take the fight to Labour,” he wrote in a social media post.
Starmer also described the election of the first black female leader of the Westminster Party as a “proud moment” for the country, adding that he looked forward to working with her “in the interests of the British people.”
