Kehinde Fajobi
Nigerian-born British politician, Kemi Badenoch has become the first Black woman to lead the UK’s Conservative Party, winning a decisive victory in the party’s leadership race and pledging a fresh start to steer the party back to its founding values.
Badenoch, who garnered 57% of the party members’ vote over former immigration minister Robert Jenrick, spoke on Saturday of her commitment to rekindling core Conservative principles.
Badenoch, who replaces Rishi Sunak as the Conservatives’ fifth leader since 2016, is firmly on the party’s right wing and intends to push policies that reduce government reach while tackling what she views as entrenched left-leaning ideologies in public institutions.
“The time has come to tell the truth,” she said at the leadership announcement event, describing her vision to reinstate Conservative values like “free speech, free enterprise, and free markets.”
She argued the party had suffered from a shift toward “governing from the left” and promised a period of “renewal.”
The Labour Party’s Keir Starmer praised her historic achievement, calling it a “proud moment for our country,” though Badenoch herself has often minimised her race in public discussions.
She previously commented, “I am 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.”
With her direct style, Badenoch has built both a dedicated following and vocal opposition.
Her time in previous government roles often involved confrontations with media and officials, yet her tenacity and focus on conservative values have earned her strong backing from party members.
In her victory speech, she laid out her priorities: “Our first responsibility as His Majesty’s loyal opposition is to hold this Labour government to account. Our second is no less important: to prepare ourselves over the next few years for government.”
Badenoch’s win comes after the Conservative Party’s July election loss, which saw their seats reduced from 365 in 2019 to just 121.
Some party members are hopeful her leadership could revive Conservative fortunes for the next election in 2029, while others worry her more conservative approach may alienate moderate voters who had shifted toward the Liberal Democrats.
At the heart of her agenda is a promise to address issues head-on, advocating for policies to counter what she describes as “identity politics.”
With a mandate from Conservative members, Badenoch is prepared to lead a period of transformation for the party, starting with tackling the root causes of its recent struggles and rallying her members to prepare for a return to government.