British-Nigerian woman becomes leader of United Kingdom Conservative Party
A British-Nigerian Kemi Badenoch has been elected as the new leader of the Conservative Party, in United Kingdom having defeated Robert Jenrick in the final round of voting, and with the victory she became first black woman to lead a major political party in the country.
Penpushing reports that Badenoch, raised in Nigeria, in her victory speech, said it was the most enormous honour to be elected to this role, to lead the party that she love, adding that the party has given her so much.
The British-Nigerian woman in the final results scored 53,806 votes to defeat Jenrick who polled 41,388 votes which produced 131,680 eligible electors while turnout was 72.8 per cent, and she now takes over from Rishi Sunak, the former United Kingdom Prime Minister, who led the Conservatives to their worst-ever election defeat in July.
Penpushing further reports that still on her victory speech declared that she wants to have a new shadow cabinet in place before Tuesday when the first shadow cabinet meeting under her leadership is due to take place.
The elected leader of the Conservative Party thanked her predecessor and wished him very best for the future, just as she expressed optimism that she hope that she will be able to repay that debt, pointing out that no one worked harder in such difficult times
“I hope that I will be able to repay that debt. No one worked harder in such difficult times. I wish him very best for the future. We have all been impressed by your energy and your determination’, Badenoch stated
Penpushing also reports that she emphasized that the task before the Tories is tough, but simple, explaining that the first responsibility is to hold this Labour government to account, and secondly to prepare over the course of the next few years for government
‘Our first responsibility… is to hold this Labour government to account. Our second is no less important, to prepare over the course of the next few years for government. That huge job begins today’, Badenoch told party members.
Penpushing reports that she said the party needs clear policies and a clear plan for implementing them, and in response the chairperson of the Labour Party Ellie Reeves, said Badenoch’s election as Tory leader shows the party is incapable of change.
The party chairperson shortly after Badenoch was declared Rishi Sunak’s successor congratulated her on the new job, however, said sadly one thing is clear – the Conservatives have learned nothing since the British people resoundingly rejected them in July.
‘It’s been a summer of yet more Conservative chaos and division. They could have spent the past four months listening to the public, taking responsibility for the mess they made and changing their party’, she said
“Instead, Kemi Badenoch’s election as leader shows they’re incapable of change. Meanwhile the Labour government is getting on with fixing the foundations of our economy and cleaning up the mess the Tories left behind’, Reeves said.
Penpushing further reports that the Liberal Democrats leader, Ed Davey, congratulated Badenoch, adding that her victory as first black leader of a major political party in United Kingdom is historic moment for the country
‘I’d like to congratulate Kemi Badenoch on being elected leader of the Conservative party. The election of the first Black leader of a major UK political party is a historic moment for the country. Voters across the country believe her party is too divided, out-of-touch and unable to accept Conservative failures over the past years’, Davey stated
Penpushing also reports that the Liberal Democrats leader stated that the party will continue to offer the best opposition to the government and fight for a fair deal for Britain, while the Reform United Kingdom Deputy leader Richard Tice, said Badenoch’s election doesn’t give any hope as she is another in a long line of Tory politicians who say one thing and do another.
“Kemi Badenoch was front and centre of a government that failed Britain. She said nothing while Rishi Sunak hit hard-working people with record immigration, the small boats crisis, the highest taxes for 60 years, record NHS waiting lists and sky-high crime’, Tice said.
‘Instead of standing up for Britain whilst in government, she stood up for her own career prospects and chauffeur-driven cars. She has failed the British public before and she will fail them again as leader of the Conservative party’ he stated
Penpushing reports that it is recalled that Badenoch during her campaign vowed to return the Conservatives to first principles and launch a series of reviews in the coming months to shape a new policy platform.
The woman is the sixth Tory leader in less than eight and a half years and faces the challenge of uniting a fractured party, but in her victory, speech told members of her party that it was time to tell the truth and get down to business.
Penpushing further reports that the new leader of Conservative Party was born Olukemi Adegoke in London in 1980 to well-off Nigerian parents — a doctor and an academic, she got married to banker Hamish Badenoch in 2012, with whom she has three children.
The record has it that Badenoch spent her childhood living in Lagos, Nigeria, and in the United States, where her mother lectured, later returned to the United Kingdom at the age of 16 to live with a friend of her mother’s owing to the deteriorating political and economic situation in Nigeria, which had affected her family.
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