Kemi Badenoch is the new Conservative party leader after defeating Robert Jenrick in a members’ vote, becoming the first Black leader of a major UK party and the fourth woman to lead the Tories,
The Guardian reports.
Badenoch took just over 56% of the 95,000 votes, in a poll that had a 73% turnout of eligible members. This amounts to the narrowest win of the four since the party changed its rules to allow party members the final say in contested leadership elections.
Speaking after the announcement in central London, Badenoch, an MP since 2017, who was shadow housing secretary, said the Conservatives needed to face up to hard truths if they wanted to win back the support of voters after July’s catastrophic election result which cut their number of MPs to 121.
“Our party is critical to the success of our country, but to be heard, we have to be honest,” she said. “Honest about the fact that we made mistakes, honest about the fact that we let standards slip. The time has come to tell the truth.”
She praised Jenrick despite a sometimes bruising campaign, saying: “You and I know that we don’t actually disagree on very much, and I have no doubt that you have a key role to play in our party for many years to come.”
Her words seemed to indicate Badenoch would be happy for her leadership rival to serve in her shadow cabinet, though she will be without James Cleverly, the shadow home secretary, who was eliminated in the final round of voting among Tory MPs, and Hunt, the shadow chancellor. Both have said they want to go to the backbenches.
Badenoch added: “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.
“Our second is no less important. It is to prepare, over the course of the next few years, for government to ensure that by the time of the next election, we have not just a clear set of Conservative pledges that appeal to the British people, but a clear plan for how to implement them, a clear plan to change this country by changing the way that government works.”
Victoria Atkins, the shadow health secretary and a prominent supporter of Jenrick, told Sky News that while she was disappointed, “we as a Conservative family really want this to work”.
