Free Republic

No idea what she's like as an organizer or political leader, but her delivery is first rate.

Never frightened to ruffle feathers, Kemi Badenoch's willingness to say what others may regard as unsayable has made her the darling of the Tory grassroots. Her task now will be to convince voters to agree with her views as much as the Conservative Party members who have made her leader today.

The current six candidates to become Conservative Party leader will face a vote by MPs on Wednesday, when just four will remain.Two Tory leadership hopeful frontrunners have made their pitch to members and MPs ahead of candidates being whittled down this week. Kemi Badenoch and James Cleverly launched their campaigns today before the first round of voting on Wednesday, when six candidates will become four. Ms Badenoch took aim at the Conservative government she was part of as she said it "talked right but governed left", while presenting herself as the only person who could be brutally honest.

People are bringing views to UK that aren't welcome - BadenochPressed on migration, Badenoch says it is "clear" there are many people who have recently come to this country who have brought views that "have no place here". She says this is not just about conflicts in Middle East - citing her time as equalities minister when she says she saw people bringing cultural disputes from India "to the streets of Leicester". She says we need to ensure that migrants to the UK leave their "previous differences" behind. 'We are not a dormitory'The questioning on immigration continues. Badenoch says the...

Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch are the final two candidates to become Conservative leader after James Cleverly was eliminated in the last round of voting among Tory MPs in a stunning turnaround of fortune. Cleverly had topped the third round of voting, but came third in the one on Wednesday, losing two MPs’ votes to reach a total of 37. Badenoch came first, going from 30 votes on Tuesday to 42. Jenrick moved from 31 supporters to 41. The choice will now be made in a ballot of Conservative party members, with the result announced on 2 November. It means...

The Tory Reform Group, which represents One Nation Conservatives (people on the left of the party) has issued a statement saying it is refusing to back either of the two candidates left in the leadership contest – Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch. In a statement, the TRG says Jenrick and Badenoch have both “used rhetoric and focused on issues which are far and away from the party at its best”

A focus group showed signs the Conservative leadership race is cutting through, and one candidate seems to have a rare quality ... Shown clips of the two contenders, it was Kemi Badenoch who wowed the group, made up of former Conservative voters from Weston-super-Mare, which elected a Labour MP for the first time in its history, and North East Somerset and Hanham, a new seat replacing one formerly held by Jacob Rees-Mogg. Robert, a retired fire officer, called her a “breath of fresh air”, while Martin, a banking manager, praised her “no-nonsense approach”. Melanie thought her “strong”, Katie found her...

Kemi Badenoch has – potentially jokingly – told fellow Conservatives that up to 10% of civil servants are so “bad” they ought to be in prison. The Tory leadership candidate made the comments during an event with The Spectator at the annual Conservative conference. According to The Guardian, she said: “I don’t want people to get me wrong – I think that civil servants are like everybody else. They come in to do a job, and I’d say about 10% of them are absolutely magnificent. “And the trick to being a good minister is to find the good ones quickly,...

Kemi Badenoch has received a flurry of late endorsements for the Tory leadership, in a sign that some Conservative MPs believe she is set to win the race on Saturday. The shadow communities secretary has been backed by five new Tories in the past fortnight, including two members of the shadow cabinet. Robert Jenrick, the former immigration minister who is Mrs Badenoch’s rival in the two-horse race, has picked up two new Tory MP endorsements. It means Mrs Badenoch is now backed by 13 other members of the Tory shadow cabinet, while Mr Jenrick has the backing of three.

Kemi Badenoch has promised to win back voters who have deserted the Conservatives after securing an historic victory in a party leadership contest against fellow right-winger Robert Jenrick. The 44-year-old becomes the first black woman to lead a major political party in the UK. She defeated Jenrick by 12,418 votes after a marathon contest to replace Rishi Sunak, who led the party to the biggest defeat in the party's history in July's general election. In her victory speech, Badenoch promised to "renew" the party and told cheering supporters it was "time to get down to business". Badenoch, who is the...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A new trade agreement between the United Kingdom and Florida was signed here in Jacksonville Tuesday by Governor Ron DeSantis and UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Kemi Badenoch. The new memorandum of understanding is the ninth agreement of its kind between the UK and states here in the US and according to Secretary Badenoch, it is by far the largest to date. The agreement is aimed at increasing investments between Florida and the UK as well as strengthening trade, academic research, and business relationships. Priority areas laid out in the agreement include space, fintech,...