Who is Kemi Badenoch, new Conservative leader replacing Rishi Sunak
Kemi Badenoch has been elected the new leader of Britain's Conservative Party, replacing former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. She is the first Black woman to lead a major political party in the United Kingdom. Badenoch was born in London and raised in Nigeria, but she returned to the UK at age 16. She studied Computer Systems Engineering at the University of Sussex before joining the Conservative Party at 25.
Badenoch's political journey and ministerial roles
Badenoch's political career started in the London Assembly, before she was elected to parliament in 2017. She has served in multiple ministerial positions under three prime ministers, including Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. With her no-nonsense style, Badenoch has been a staunch supporter of Brexit, calling it "the greatest ever vote of confidence in the project of the United Kingdom."
'Renewal 2030': Badenoch's vision for the Conservative Party
She retained her seat in Parliament during the July national election, which saw the Labour Party win a massive majority and the Conservatives reduced to 121 legislators in the 650-seat House of Commons. Badenoch, like many Conservatives, looks up to Margaret Thatcher, the party's first female leader, who changed Britain with her free-market policies in the 1980s. She describes herself as a disruptor, fighting for a low-tax, free-market economy and promising to "rewire, reboot, and reprogram" the British state.
'It is time to renew'
Badenoch's controversial views and international relations stance
As is in the world of politics, Badenoch has also courted controversies for her candid views on matters like transgender rights and maternity pay. Self-described as an opponent of wokeness, Badenoch opposes gender-neutral restrooms, "identity politics," and government initiatives to lower carbon emissions in the UK. On the international front, Badenoch has focused on working with India but blocked an India-UK free trade agreement over visa demands. Her leadership follows the Conservatives's worst election defeat since 1832 under Sunak's leadership.
