In a significant development within UK politics, Kemi Badenoch has been elected as the new leader of the Conservative Party. He succeeds Rishi Sunak, who resigned following an electoral setback.
The announcement was made on Saturday via the party’s official social media, noting Badenoch’s win over contender Robert Jenrick. With a voter turnout of 72%, Conservative MP Bob Blackman confirmed strong participation in the four-month leadership contest.
The 44-year-old Badenoch's victory marks a new chapter for the party as it seeks to recover from recent challenges.
Most people said they had not formed an opinion of Ms Badenoch yet, according to a YouGov poll. But 40 per cent of those questioned said they disliked her.
Former justice secretary Robert Buckland said that as a leader Ms Badenoch “will be an excellent person to work with”, having seen her strong character and abilities first-hand when they worked in government together.
“She knows that the party’s values need to be reset and that we’ve got to win trust as without trust, we don’t get anywhere in terms of electoral success,” he added. “I think she better understands that more than most and that’s why she deserved to win.”
The role as opposition leader was an “unenviable task” and Ms. Badenoch “will not be under any doubt about the scale of work ahead to win back power”, he added.