Kemi Badenoch was elected the new leader of the UK Conservative Party on Saturday, succeeding Rishi Sunak after his resignation following the party’s poor performance in the July general election.
Badenoch, 44, claimed victory with 57 percent of party members’ votes, defeating former immigration minister Robert Jenrick in a closely watched contest.
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Speaking after her win, Badenoch called the leadership role an “enormous honour” and acknowledged the challenges ahead. “The task that stands before us is tough,” she remarked. “We have to be honest about the fact we made mistakes” and admitted that “standards slipped,” signaling a shift in tone and commitment to change. She declared, “It is time to get down to business, it is time to renew.”
The former equalities minister, known for her “anti-woke” stance, now faces the uphill task of reuniting a fractured Conservative Party, which lost power in July after a 14-year reign. As leader of the opposition, Badenoch will spar with Labour leader Keir Starmer during weekly Prime Minister’s Questions sessions, but with a significantly reduced Tory presence in Parliament due to the election losses.
Among her immediate challenges is the need to rebuild public trust while preventing further shifts in support to Nigel Farage’s right-wing Reform UK party. Badenoch campaigned on a right-wing platform and advocated for a return to core conservative values, particularly on social issues. She has voiced concerns about the party’s liberal shift, especially on matters like gender identity, and positions herself as a “straight-talker”—a reputation that has sparked both support and controversy.
Addressing immigration, Badenoch has argued that “not all cultures are equally valid” in deciding who should live in the UK, a statement that has drawn both support and criticism. Her campaign trail remarks stirred further debate, notably her criticism of statutory maternity pay as “excessive” for small businesses and a controversial joke suggesting that up to 10 percent of Britain’s civil servants “should be in prison” due to poor performance.
As the new Conservative leader, Badenoch will now focus on charting a path forward for the party, balancing her right-wing policies with the centrist views held by many Tory members.
