Kemi Badenoch replaces Rishi Sunak as new leader of Conservatives, becomes first black leader of major UK party
- Kemi Badenoch became the first black leader of major UK political party, replacing former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to become new leader of Conservatives.
Days after Rishi Sunak bowed out as UK Opposition Leader in Parliament, Kemi Badenoch (44) won a race to become the new leader of Britain's Conservative Party on Saturday.
Badenoch is the first Black woman leader of a major political party in Britain. She defeated Robert Jenrick to become Conservatives' fifth leader since mid-2016.
Badenoch received 53,806 votes, while Jenrick won 41,388 votes in a ballot of party members.
Replacing the former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who triggered the succession battle after leading the party to its worst ever defeat in the general election on July 4, Badenoch has pledged to lead the party through a period of renewal.
"The task that stands before us is tough, but simple, our first responsibility as his majesty's loyal opposition is to hold this Labour government to account," she told party members.
“Our second is no less important, it is to prepare over the course of the next few years for government.”
— Badenoch becomes the fourth woman to lead the Conservatives — after former premiers Margaret Thatcher, Theresa May and Liz Truss.
— She’s also the the first black person of either gender to lead what are traditionally the three main UK-wide parties: the Tories, Labour or the Liberal Democrats.
— The former business secretary now faces the daunting task of picking Britain’s main opposition party up from the ruins of that catastrophic loss — the Tories dropped to 121 seats from 365 in 2019 — and make it once again the electoral force.
— According to Reuters, the former trade minister's time in government was often marked by disputes with the media, celebrities and her own officials.
— However. her no-nonsense approach has also won over many supporters, including the Conservative members who chose her above Jenrick.
“Badenoch will need to find a way to appeal to a broader array of voters in order to win office at the next general election, which Labour must hold by mid-2029,” reported Bloomberg quoting Rob Ford, professor of political science at the University of Manchester.
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Business NewsNewsWorldKemi Badenoch replaces Rishi Sunak as new leader of Conservatives, becomes first black leader of major UK party
First Published:2 Nov 2024, 05:33 PM IST
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