HomeNewsKemi Badenoch wins UK Conservative leadership

Kemi Badenoch wins UK Conservative leadership

Date:

Related stories

Five Nigerian pastors arrested in Cameroon

Five Nigerian pastors and other residents of Idabato II,...

25% of Kano primary schools operate with one teacher – PLANE

The Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE),...

Federal civil service debunks mass dismissal over foreign degrees

The Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) has refuted claims...

Kano: Hisbah set to resume betting shop raids after court verdict

The Kano State Hisbah Board has announced plans to...

ICPC begins tracking of N41bn projects in Kano

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission...
spot_img

Kemi Badenoch was elected the new leader of the UK Conservative Party on Saturday, succeeding Rishi Sunak after his resignation following the partyโ€™s poor performance in the July general election.

Badenoch, 44, claimed victory with 57 percent of party membersโ€™ votes, defeating former immigration minister Robert Jenrick in a closely watched contest.

READ ALSO: How four Nigerians were jailed in UK for forging marriage certificates

Speaking after her win, Badenoch called the leadership role an โ€œenormous honourโ€ and acknowledged the challenges ahead. โ€œThe task that stands before us is tough,โ€ she remarked. โ€œWe have to be honest about the fact we made mistakesโ€ and admitted that โ€œstandards slipped,โ€ signaling a shift in tone and commitment to change. She declared, โ€œIt is time to get down to business, it is time to renew.โ€

The former equalities minister, known for her โ€œanti-wokeโ€ 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 Ministerโ€™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 Farageโ€™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 partyโ€™s liberal shift, especially on matters like gender identity, and positions herself as a โ€œstraight-talkerโ€โ€”a reputation that has sparked both support and controversy.

Addressing immigration, Badenoch has argued that โ€œnot all cultures are equally validโ€ 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 โ€œexcessiveโ€ for small businesses and a controversial joke suggesting that up to 10 percent of Britainโ€™s civil servants โ€œshould be in prisonโ€ 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.

Subscribe

Latest stories

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here