Kemi Badenoch Makes History as New Conservative Leader

On Saturday, Kemi Badenoch made history by becoming the first black woman to assume leadership of a major political party in the United Kingdom. She secured the position as leader of the Conservatives, triumphing over Robert Jenrick with a margin of 12,418 votes. The 44-year-old, who has represented Saffron Walden and subsequently North West Essex as an MP since 2017, initiated her campaign for leadership in July, aiming to succeed Rishi Sunak. Andrew Sinclair of BBC Look East stated that the challenge for Badenoch was “to win people back and get the Conservative Party winning again”. Her constituents expressed diverse opinions regarding her new position; some greeted the announcement positively, stating she had “shattered the glass ceiling,” while another individual described her as “arrogant.” During her victory address, Badenoch pledged to “renew” the party and informed her enthusiastic supporters that it was “time to get down to business.” The BBC gathered reactions from individuals in central Saffron Walden concerning their local MP’s election as party leader. A resident stated: “I am very happy. She is very straightforward. When she was going for the leadership, it was about the principles and not policies. Go Kemi!” Another constituent remarked: “We need more women in power. More black women. It’s a first and we need the change.” Conversely, a market trader commented: “She is not a good MP. She is not interested in Saffron Walden. She is only interested in herself.” An additional woman expressed: “She is arrogant and rude and very attacking. All in all, very disappointing but [I’m] not surprised she has become the leader.” Mr. Sinclair commented: “The Conservative Party is very battered. The job facing Kemi Badenoch now is to find a narrative that will win back those people who used to vote Conservative but also win new supporters for the Conservative Party. That is going to be by no means a very easy feat.” He further noted: “She has got a pretty good reputation within the constituency of North West Essex for being a good constituency MP.” “The key to success when you become a minister or if you become a party leader is to have a strong, local team behind you, and as far as I can tell she has quite a strong constituency team.” The BBC has learned that Badenoch intends to announce her shadow cabinet by Wednesday, preceding the crucial Budget vote and her initial confrontation with Sir Keir Starmer during Prime Minister’s Questions. For updates on Essex news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.