Following an intense election, Kemi Badenoch emerged victorious and made history as the Conservative Party’s first Black woman leader in the United Kingdom, securing 57% of almost 100,000 votes, compared to rival councilman and immigration minister Robert Jenick’s 43%. She became the party’s 5th leader since 2016 and replaced the former Prime Minister and head of the party Rishi Sunak, who led the Tory’s to their worst defeat since 1832 in their recent 2024 election. Her job is to restore the conservative’s reputation after years of division, scandal and economic tumult, and return the party to power at the next scheduled election in 2029. In a room full of journalists and staff, she said during her speech that “[they] have to be honest- honest about the fact that we made mistakes.” Badenoch mentioned the party had veered towards the political centre by “governing from the left.” Her campaign was based around recreating the Tory ideologies, as she has said that conservatism is “in crisis” and under attack from a new “progressive ideology.” Badenoch argues for a low-tax, free-market economy, criticizes multiculturalism, opposes gender-neutral bathrooms and calls for lower immigration. Numerous Labour MPs have voiced their opinions about the new conservative leader. Dawn Butler, the official for Brent East posted on social media saying that Badenoch is representing “white supremacy in blackface.” Since then, the post has been removed from the platform, however, a second Labour MP said Badenoch was “one of the most nasty and divisive figures in British politics” for “downplaying racism.” The Labour Prime Minister commended her victory, saying “the first black leader of a Westminister party is a proud moment for our country.” Badenoch says she prefers not to focus on her race. When asked earlier in 2024 how it would feel to be the first black woman leader of the party, she responded saying that “[She] is somebody who wants the colour of our skin to be no more significant than the colour of our hair or the colour of our eyes.” In a Reuters interview, Imanie Samuels, a student told reporters that “They (the Conservative Party) is not more approachable because of the fact that they’ve not got a black person. It will depend on what she (Badenoch) is doing.”
Born in Wimbledon in 1980, Olukemi Adegoke was one of three children to Nigerian parents who worked as a general practitioner and physiology professor. She grew up in parts of Nigeria and the United States where her mom taught. At 16, she moved back to the UK. After finishing her degree in computer engineering at Sussex University, she worked in IT while completing her second degree in law. At age 25, she entered politics in 2005. She ran for parliament in 2010 and the London Assembly Hall in 2012 but was unsuccessful in both elections. When two assembly members were elected MP’s in 2015, Badenoch took a vacant seat. She backed Brexit in 2016 before becoming a Member of Parliament a year later for the Conservative seat of Saffron Walden in Essex. In 2018 she faced controversy when she admitted to hacking into the website of the then-commons leader and deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman as a prank, however, Harman accepted her apology.
Many British citizens are curious to see the future of politics after the election of a new Conservative Leader who has pledged to bring the party to victory in the 2029 election, however, she will have a difficult task of evolving the Tory’s reputation.
Written by Suriya Rampersad
