UK’s Conservative Party Turns Over a New Page

Kemi Badenoch has been elected as the new leader of Britain’s Conservative Party, marking a historic first as the party’s first Black woman leader.

THE ELECTIONS OF Kemi Badenoch as the new leader of Britain’s Conservative Party seems to have rattled not just the general public but even diehard Tories. This should also be seen as a last-ditch effort by the Conservatives to revive the party’s fortunes.

Last week, Britain’s chastened Conservative Party—facing its biggest defeat and lowest tally of seats in the House of Commons in the general elections earlier this year—elected Kemi Badenoch as its new leader. This marks the Tories’ shift towards a right-wing favorite who has raised concerns about identity politics, transgender rights, and state spending in an attempt to rebuild its reputation after a devastating election defeat.

Badenoch defeated Robert Jenrick in a vote among party members, winning by 53,806 votes to 41,000, after a months-long contest to replace Rishi Sunak as the party’s leader. She is the first Black woman to lead a major British political party, and the Tories are highlighting this as a testament to their diversity and inclusivity compared to Labour, which has only been led by White men thus far.

Rather disconcerting is the fact that her selection all but ensures a rightward shift in Britain’s political discourse over the next several years, creating a jarring stylistic clash between the new opposition leader and Keir Starmer, Labour’s serious and straight-laced prime minister.

After winning the party election, Badenoch outlined the tasks ahead to Tory faithful: hold the Labour government accountable and prepare for leadership with “a clear plan.” Badenoch also said the party needed to be honest “about the fact that we made mistakes, honest about the fact that we let standards slip.”

This was due to the Conservatives losing their grip on real issues and facing public ire over their management of the economy, crime, immigration, and declining public standards under leaders like BoJo and Liz Truss, who struggled with the daunting task of rebuilding Britain after Brexit and ultimately “lost the script.”

Badenoch, often described as one who relishes confrontation, has received muted support from her own lawmakers during her leadership campaign. She has leaned into US-style cultural clashes on a range of issues, inspiring grassroots members on the Conservatives’ right wing.

Curiously, Badenoch is often compared to Margaret Thatcher and has said she shares Thatcher’s “values of self-reliance, personal responsibility, and free markets.” Like the Iron Lady, Badenoch is reputed to be fearless and combative. She believes conservatism is in crisis and that her party must “get back on track,” having lost sight of its principles and values. Yet, the comparison between the two may be somewhat skewed.

Charles Walker, a former Conservative lawmaker who has followed Badenoch’s political ascent with interest, says he isn’t convinced she’s the new Thatcher. “It’s not just about having strong views. Margaret Thatcher had her views intellectually underpinned and was pragmatic,” he noted.

Niall Ferguson, a Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and a Bloomberg Opinion columnist, opines that like Thatcher, Badenoch is middle-class and the daughter of professionals. Like Thatcher, she studied a rigorous subject at university (computer systems engineering) and came to political and economic theory later in life, after real-world experience in the private sector. Ferguson adds, “Best of all, from my point of view, is her sense of history.

One of the books that has influenced her thinking is Daron Acemoglu and Jim Robinson’s Why Nations Fail, which argues that Britain’s spectacular rise in the 18th and 19th centuries owed more to constitutional constraints and the rule of law than to ‘colonialism or white imperialism or privilege or whatever.’ This is a fundamental argument not only about Britain’s past but also about its future, which will be prosperous only if we return our government to the principles that Badenoch holds dear.”

Michael Murphy, a London-based journalist writing for the Daily Telegraph, cautions that comparisons to Thatcher may obscure more than they reveal. While Thatcher was known for her “excessive punctuality” and meticulous attention to detail, Badenoch is reportedly often late to meetings and uninterested in reading ministerial briefings. These traits could trip her up in the marathon she must now run over the next four years if she hopes to return the Tories to power.

The Conservatives’ enduring longing for Mrs. Thatcher’s ghost decades later points to a party adrift and out of fresh ideas. Yet Badenoch has developed her own brand of conservatism suited to the times, and Labour’s waning popularity may present her with an opportunity to make inroads, Murphy added.

Meanwhile, Badenoch has garnered support from figures like J.K. Rowling for her “brains and bravery” in standing up for women’s rights. Both Badenoch and Rowling have vocally opposed gender ideology, with Badenoch stating during her leadership campaign that a child cannot be trans.

As Britain’s first Black woman leader of a major political party, Badenoch is certain to shake up the Conservatives, who suffered their worst election defeat in July under former leader and prime minister, Rishi Sunak.

Her focus is not only on the left-leaning Labour government but also on the right-wing populist Reform UK party, led by veteran Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, whose appeal attracted traditional Conservative voters in July’s election. However, the anticipated rightward swing under Badenoch, 44, could alienate the more moderate wing of the party.

She has critiqued previous administrations, including those of Sunak and Boris Johnson, for abandoning conservative principles in favor of an approach that “spoke right and governed left,” thus losing votes to other parties.

Badenoch has faced backlash for remarks such as suggesting that 5-10% of civil servants, or apolitical government officials, were “very bad” and “should be in prison” for undermining ministers. Comments about maternity pay being “excessive” and advocating for “more personal responsibility” have also raised eyebrows.

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While some might see such statements as problematic, Badenoch views her straightforward style as an asset, one she believes has helped her work effectively in government teams. Yet, beyond being a hard worker who rose through the ranks, Badenoch is a maverick who may well achieve her ambitious goals.

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