44-year-old Kemi Badenoch elected leader of UK conservative party

Kemi Badenoch, a prominent figure of Nigerian descent, has been elected as the new leader of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom.

The announcement was made by the Conservatives on Saturday via their official X (formerly Twitter) page, stating: “ANNOUNCED: @KemiBadenoch has been elected Leader of the Conservative Party.”

Badenoch secured her position by defeating Robert Jenrick in a closely contested final round of voting, receiving 53,806 votes compared to Jenrick’s 41,388.

In a statement following her election, Badenoch, recognized by the BBC as the first Black woman to lead a major political party in the UK, expressed her gratitude, calling the achievement an “enormous honour.”

She emphasized her commitment to holding the ruling Labour government accountable for its policies.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer congratulated Badenoch on her election, describing it as a “proud moment for our country.” He expressed his anticipation of working together for the benefit of the British people, marking the significance of her leadership in Westminster.

Badenoch’s rise to leadership comes in the wake of Rishi Sunak’s tenure, during which the Conservatives lost the prime ministerial election to Labour in July. Her election marks a pivotal moment in British politics, showcasing both her personal journey and the evolving landscape of party leadership in the UK.

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Born in January 1980 in Wimbledon, London, to Nigerian parents Femi and Feyi Adegoke, Badenoch spent parts of her childhood in the United States and Lagos, Nigeria, before returning to the UK at the age of 16.

She pursued higher education at the University of Sussex, where she earned a degree in Computer Systems Engineering, completing her MEng in 2003. Badenoch then began her professional career as a software engineer at Logica from 2003 to 2006. While studying part-time at Birkbeck, University of London, she obtained her LLB in 2009.

Following her initial roles in software engineering, she transitioned to the financial sector as a systems analyst at the Royal Bank of Scotland Group and later worked as an associate director at Coutts & Co from 2006 to 2013. Badenoch also served as digital director at The Spectator from 2015 to 2016.

At the age of 25, Badenoch joined the Conservative Party in 2005 and made her political debut in the 2010 general election for the Dulwich and West Norwood constituency, finishing third against Labour’s Tessa Jowell.

She later ran for the London Assembly election, where she placed fifth but eventually became an Assembly Member in 2015 after a resignation. Her political career continued to flourish; she was appointed to the 1922 Executive Committee and the Parliamentary Justice Select Committee in 2017, and later served as Vice-Chair for Candidates.

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In July 2019, Prime Minister Boris Johnson appointed Badenoch as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families. She advanced to roles such as Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury and Minister of State for Equalities, reflecting her growing influence within the party.

However, she resigned from her government position in July 2022, citing dissatisfaction with Johnson’s handling of a scandal.

Following her resignation, Badenoch launched a campaign to succeed Johnson as Conservative Party leader, advocating for a strong but limited government and critiquing ambitious environmental policies like net-zero carbon emissions as “ill-thought-through.”

Kemi Badenoch is married to Hamish Badenoch, who works at Deutsche Bank. Together, they have two daughters and a son.

Hamish previously served as a Conservative councillor on the Merton London Borough Council from 2014 to 2018 and contested the Foyle seat for the Northern Ireland Conservatives during the 2015 general election.