Kemi Badenoch admits facing racist abuse since becoming Tory leader

UK Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, has revealed that she has been subjected to racist abuse since emerging as head of the party in July, a development she described as both unexpected and troubling.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, Badenoch disclosed that the scale and intensity of the attacks against her took her by surprise, particularly given her long-standing stance that race was not a major obstacle to progress in Britain.

“There’s a certain cadre of people who clearly can’t cope with the fact that I won this and I’m doing it,” the 44-year-old said.

“The level of personal attacks from anonymous people, it’s hysterical. Not even just from MPs … but online as well. People used to talk about Trump derangement syndrome. I think there’s a Kemi derangement syndrome: ‘How could she possibly have done this?’”

Born in Wimbledon but raised partly in Nigeria before returning to the UK at age 16, Badenoch revealed that much of the hostility has focused directly on her ethnicity.

“There’s a lot of ethno-nationalism creeping up, lots of stuff about my race and my ethnicity and the tropes around, ‘well, she couldn’t possibly have done this all by herself,’” she noted.

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Her remarks highlight a striking shift from her earlier positions on race. Badenoch has previously drawn criticism for rejecting the narrative of systemic racism in Britain, opposing critical race theory, and arguing that white working-class boys face greater disadvantages than ethnic minorities on several social metrics.

In 2020, she controversially asserted that the UK was “the best place in the world to be black.”

Despite this, Badenoch now acknowledges that her leadership role has placed racial dynamics in sharper relief. “I always try to think of every possible explanation before I go to race and racism. I think that is a healthy way to run a society,” she said.

“But my view is that there are people out there who will say whatever it is, they will throw whatever kind of mud at you, and they will hope that it sticks.”

Her disclosure comes at a difficult moment for the Conservative Party, which is grappling with dismal approval ratings and internal divisions. Current polls place the Tories at just 17%, reflecting widespread voter dissatisfaction with the government’s performance.

Badenoch’s admission underscores both the personal and political challenges she faces as she leads a party under mounting pressure while navigating renewed debates about race, identity, and representation in British politics.