Kemi Badenoch new leader of the British Conservatives, who turn to the right

Kemi Badenoch became the new leader of the British Conservative Party, now in the opposition in the United Kingdom, on Saturday, November 2, after a vote by its activists that elected this forty-year-old defender of the return to “true conservatism” and a strict immigration policy.

After three months of campaigning, this fierce “anti-wokeness”, Considered the favorite of the elections, he was elected with almost 57% of the votes, compared to Robert Jenrick, also located on the right of the party. She thus becomes the first black woman to lead one of the main political parties in the United Kingdom.

“The time has come to tell the truth, defend our principles, plan our future, rethink our politics and our thinking and give our party and our country the new start they deserve.”declared Kemi Badenoch just after the announcement of her victory.

Engineer by training 44 years old, M^me Badenoch was born in the United Kingdom to parents of Nigerian origin and grew up in the African country before returning to England at the age of 16. An MP since 2017, she held a number of junior ministerial roles from 2019 under Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government, before being promoted by her successors Liz Truss and then Rishi Sunak, under whom she was trade minister. He had already tried, without success, to assume the presidency of the party in 2022.

METRO^me Badenoch will have his work cut out for him to revive the largely weakened Conservatives. The party leadership elections were called following the announcement of Mr Sunak’s resignation following the Conservatives’ historic electoral defeat in the July 4 legislative elections. With 121 elected officials, the party lost two-thirds of its deputies in the House of Commons.

Voters sanctioned the Conservatives after fourteen years in power marked by Brexit, for what many believe has not been the success promised, an austerity policy that has impoverished public services and the scandals of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

But many people question Kemi Badenoch’s ability to unify and rebuild a very divided party and the relevance of the turn to the right that he seems to want to take. She comes to the top of conservatives with a reputation as an outspoken entrepreneur, appealing to the activist base but sometimes raising hackles even in her own camp.

“Not all cultures are the same”

During his campaign, he advocated a return to “true conservatism” without expanding its program much. After a legislative election marked by the rise to power of the far-right Reform UK party, the campaign was dominated by the issue of immigration. Kemi Badenoch has made it one of her priorities, stating in particular that “it wasn’t good” for the country and “Not all cultures are the same” to justify a more specific immigration policy, a solution that caused controversy.

During the last Conservative Party conference, she raised eyebrows by suggesting that maternity leave pay was “excessive” or estimating that 10% of administration officials were so bad that they “he should be in prison”.

Very critical of him “identity politics” consisting of asserting the specific rights of certain communities, Kemi Badenoch accused his party of having become increasingly “liberal” on social issues such as gender. She also said to herself. “skeptical” on the UK’s carbon neutrality target.

According to curator Michael Ashcroft, author of a biography about the new leader, she “radicalized” to the right of the party when he was at university, coming into contact with student activists whom he described “Budding metropolitan elite, pampered, privileged and pretentious”.