The U.K.’s opposition Conservative Party on Saturday named right-wing Kemi Badenoch as its new leader, closing a long-drawn-out runoff after the Tories’ landslide electoral defeat ushered in a moment of reckoning for the party.
Badenoch ousted Robert Jenrick to secure the top job, replacing outgoing leader and former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. “It is the most enormous honor to be elected to this role,” Badenoch said, giving her maiden speech as party leader shortly after the results were announced.
The decision follows a three-month contest, during which an initial shortlist of six candidates whittled down to two through four rounds of voting by Tory Members of Parliament. The ultimate winner was decided by Conservative Party members, with Badenoch receiving over 53,000 votes to Jenrick’s 41,000.
Badenoch’s victory confirms a further shift to the right for the U.K.’s oldest political party, suggesting it may take a more hardline approach toward issues like immigration, climate measures and culture politics in opposition. The 44-year-old is known for her outspoken views and tough stances on divisive topics.
The Conservatives suffered a bruising defeat in the U.K.’s July 4 general election, when Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government secured a landslide victory as voters grew weary of ongoing leadership changes and political infighting under 14 years of Tory rule.
Badenoch acknowledged the party’s past mistakes, pledging to “reset our politics and our thinking, and to give our party and our country the new start that they deserve.” She vowed to hold the Labour government to account while also preparing the Conservatives for a return to power.
The leadership win is unlikely to have any immediate impact on the current government, with Labour holding a strong parliamentary majority. However, a reinvigorated opposition party will be better placed to challenge Starmer’s policies, while the potential return of Brexit advocate Nigel Farage could push the Conservatives further to the right.
Badenoch’s election as the first Black leader of a major Westminster party was hailed as a proud moment for the country. But her divisive views and the Conservatives’ rightward shift will shape the political landscape as the party seeks to rebound from its electoral defeat and regain relevance.
