A more right-wing course?

British Tories now have a leader in Badenoch

The new Tory leader Kemi Badenoch

(Bild: AP/Alberto Pezzali)

Kemi Badenoch has been elected as the new leader of the British Tories. She is the first black woman to head a major British party. A total of six candidates were in the running, with Badenoch ultimately prevailing over Robert Jenrick (see video above).

The 44-year-old has a degree in computer science and was a business minister. During the party's internal election campaign, she revealed few details about her political plans. However, she is considered a Brexit supporter and representative of the right wing of the party. During her time as Minister for Equalities, Badenoch spoke out against an increase in maternity pay, for example, and was critical of gender issues.

"It's time to tell the truth," said the politician in her acceptance speech on Saturday. The Tories had made mistakes, but the party had "given her so much". Badenoch is the successor to former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Here you can see a tweet from Badenoch.

Sunak: "Conservative values"
He also congratulated the new chairperson. She will renew the party, stand up for conservative values and take up the fight with the ruling Labor Party, Sunak wrote on the X platform. Her top political rival, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, spoke of a "proud moment for our country".

Kemi Badenoch

(Bild: AP/Alberto Pezzali)

"Party members chose Kemi Badenoch because they see her as principled and willing to speak her mind, even if it leads to controversy," analyzed political scientist Mark Garnett from the University of Lancaster. However, most voters would not back her hard right stance. The immediate challenge is to win back votes from the right-wing populist Reform UK party.

The Tories now only have 121 of the 650 MPs in London's House of Commons. The Labour Party governs with a large majority. "To win the public's attention, the new party leader must make the best of Labour's mistakes," said Garnett.