New chairman leads British Conservative Party on rightward path

As the new party leader, Kemi Badenoch should lead the British Conservative Party back into government with a hard-right line after a historic defeat in the general election.

The Conservative Party announced in London that its members had elected the former business minister as the successor to former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Badenock received 53,806 votes to her rival Robert Jenrick's 41,388. The 44-year-old is the first black woman to lead a major British party and the fourth female leader of the Conservative Party after Margaret Thatcher, Theresa May and Liz Truss.

“It is my greatest honor to be elected to this position and to lead a party that I love and that has given me so much.”Badenock said in his acceptance speech. She also paid tribute to Sunak: “No one worked harder than him during such difficult times,” she said of the former government and party leader. At the same time, she acknowledged that the Conservatives had to be honest with themselves and that they had made mistakes. “It’s time to tell the truth,” Badenock said.

Rival Jenrick congratulated Badenock on his election.Image: trapezoid

The new Conservative leader was congratulated by Sunak and her main political rival, Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Sunak said on the online platform Starmer admitted it was the first time a black leader had been elected. Westminster party “a proud moment for our country.”

Conservatives in trouble

The party now led by Badenock has not calmed down since Brexit. Within a few years, five different prime ministers have failed – because they were unable to control the consequences of leaving the EU, and ultimately, like Boris Johnson, failed because of scandal.

Since their election defeat in July, the Conservatives – one of the most successful democratic parties in Western Europe for decades – have held just 121 of the 650 MPs in London's House of Commons. The loss of trust among voters is huge. Badenock must now ensure stability and unity.

But it can be difficult. Badnock was known as a woman of clear speech, both in person and in the office. Like Jenrick, the former immigration secretary of state who defeated her, she is considered to represent the right wing of the party. A total of six applicants entered the competition. However, moderate candidates such as former home secretary James Cleverley were dropped from the parliamentary panel's ballot before members could make a final decision.

Tim Bell, a political scientist at the German news agency, said that conservatives are gradually transforming from a center-right force into a radical right-wing populist party. What policies do experts at Queen Mary University of London expect? Demands as little government intervention as possible, has a nationalist and anti-immigration tone, and opposes climate neutrality.

Badenock, who was born in London but grew up in his parents' native Nigeria, is considered a darling of the party's base. The computer scientist, who studies computer science, revealed some details about her political plans during the party campaign.

The 44-year-old has long portrayed herself as a “counter-woke culture warrior” who has attracted attention for her rhetoric against the so-called left-liberal establishment. Even while serving as Minister for Equal Rights (a role she held in addition to other cabinet posts), the mother-of-three was critical of issues such as gender and advocated against increased maternity pay.

Are the Tories still the people's party?

“Party members chose Kemi Badenock because they thought she was principled and willing to speak her mind, even if it was controversial,” Mark Garnett, a political scientist at Lancaster University, told the dpa news agency. The staunch Brexit supporter's style rivals that of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who is still admired by many members of the Conservative Party.

However, Garnett sees the Conservatives' future as a people's party, whose line is stridently right-wing, as problematic. July's election, in which the Social Democratic Labor Party replaced the Conservatives after 14 years in power, showed that most voters remain close to the political center.

Pressure from right-wing populist Farage

The immediate challenge for the Conservatives is winning back voters from the right-wing populist Reform UK party. Nigel Farage, the party leader who played a key role in pushing for Brexit, took away a large number of votes from the Conservative Party. But: “A Reform UK approach risks losing support among the centre-right and inadvertently increasing the appeal of a more populist Farage,” Garnett said.

Nigel Farage.Image: trapezoid

How can the new leader close the huge gap with Labor's majority? Expert Bell said it would depend more on how Starmer improves public services and stimulates economic growth. Garnett also emphasized: “In order to gain public attention, the new party leader must make full use of the Labor Party's mistakes.” (Sudan Development Authority/Department of Political Affairs)