British Conservative Party leadership contenders Kemi Badenock (left) and Robert Jenrick (right).
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LONDON — Britain’s opposition Conservatives on Saturday named right-wing Kemi Badenock as their new leader, ending a protracted runoff that marked a moment of reckoning for the party after a crushing election defeat.
Badenock ousted Robert Jenrick to retain the top job, replacing outgoing leader and former chancellor Rishi Sunak.
The decision comes after a three-month campaign during which an initial shortlist of six candidates was whittled down to two rounds of voting by Conservative MPs. The winner is determined by members of the Conservative Party.
Badenock’s victory confirmed a further shift to the right for Britain’s oldest party, suggesting it may take a tougher approach to the opposition’s immigration, climate measures and cultural politics.
Right-wing candidates Badenock and Jenrick are seen as unlikely rivals in the final vote, with some MPs saying a tactical vote aimed at hurting their least favorite figures instead pitted the former front-runner against the more centrist race James Cleverly had the opposite effect.
The Conservatives suffered a crushing defeat in the UK’s July 4 general election, which was won by Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labor government. overwhelming victory Voters are tired of the ongoing leadership changes and political infighting at the end of the Conservative Party’s 14-year rule.
Who is Kemi Badnock?
Former business minister Badenoch, who worked in IT and banking before entering politics, was elected to parliament in 2017 and held ministerial posts under three prime ministers.
Badenock, 44, is a staunch supporter of Brexit and is known for her outspoken views and tough stances on divisive issues such as immigration and trans rights, including during her time as women and equalities minister.
Conservative leadership contender Kemi Badenoch speaks during the final day of the Conservative Party conference at the ICC Arena in Birmingham, England, October 2, 2024.
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Badenock, who finished fourth in the 2022 runoff in her second leadership bid in two years, vowed to shake up the Conservatives, arguing they had become too much like Labour, and proposed less state intervention and more focus on families .
However, her strong political views have caused controversy over the years, with recent comments about maternity pay drawing attention. “Going too far” sparking backlash, and she suggestion “Not all cultures are equally valid” reinforces her image as a so-called culture warrior.
Once a close ally of Sunak, Jenrick began his political career as a centrist figure but has since aligned himself with the right wing of the party and has made regaining control of Britain’s borders a core tenet of his leadership.
Conservative leadership candidate Robert Jenrick speaks during a ‘Meet the Leader’ event on the third day of the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, England, October 1, 2024.
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The 42-year-old former lawyer resigned as immigration minister in December 2023, insisting Sunak’s Rwandan legislation Not enough. He further vowed to pull the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights in a bid to increase deportations.
Jenrick’s increasingly hardline stance has made him the focus of several scandals in recent years, including in 2023 when he ordered a mural of cartoon characters to be painted over at a reception center for child asylum seekers in Dover.
He also caused a furore earlier this week when he was reprimanded by Starmer for suggesting police had “hidden” information about the killings of three girls in Southport in July. far right violence.
What does this mean for a Labor government?
A leadership victory is unlikely to have any direct impact on the current government, as Labor holds the second-largest parliamentary majority in history.
When the UK votes for its next government in five years, it is also likely that the new leader of the Conservative Party will no longer be in place.
However, a reinvigorated opposition will be better able to put pressure on Starmer and condemn some of his key policies.
At the same time, return Brexiteer Nigel Farage political battles in June, and unexpected election victory For his Reform Party, the Conservatives are likely to move further to the right to prevent further electoral losses.
Some analysts have suggested that the newly reformed Conservatives could even work with the Reform Party’s Farage to bolster support – something Farage has expressed resistance to. “never say Never.”
