Kemi Badenoch has been elected as the brand new chief of the Conservative social gathering, voted in by social gathering members following a four-month race after former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s resignation. It is a historic posting – Kemi is the first-ever Black chief of the Conservative social gathering, profitable with 53,806 votes to fellow MP Robert Jenrick’s 41,388.
“It is the most enormous honour to be elected to this role, to lead the party that I love, the party that has given me so much. I hope I will be able to repay that debt,” she mentioned.
Kemi initially ran for Conservative management again in 2022, following Boris Johnson’s resignation. Because the MP for North West Essex, she has additionally beforehand held the roles of Minister for Ladies and Equalities and Secretary of State for Enterprise and Commerce – usually making headlines for her controversial feedback on trans rights, race and maternity pay. Because the chief of the opposition, Kemi Badenoch will select a shadow cupboard, every of whom will problem and query their counterparts in authorities.
Right here, GLAMOUR breaks down Kemi’s voting historical past and feedback on the problems that basically matter to girls – from reproductive healthcare to violence towards girls and ladies (VAWG), image-based abuse and extra.
On-line security and image-based abuse
Picture-based abuse – a broad time period masking a variety of dangerous actions involving nude or sexual pictures – is overwhelmingly dedicated towards girls and ladies. Kemi has not explicitly commented on the subject of image-based abuse, however did spark headlines when she criticised an early iteration of the On-line Security Invoice in 2022. She tweeted: “The bill is in no fit state to become law. If I’m elected Prime Minister I will ensure the bill doesn’t overreach. We should not be legislating for hurt feelings.”
Abortion entry
Kemi Badenoch has typically voted to maintain obstacles in place for these in search of entry to abortions. In 2022, Kemi voted towards introducing buffer zones round abortion clinics and hospitals, with a purpose to restrict harassment of girls in search of to entry reproductive healthcare. That regulation got here into drive beneath the Labour authorities in October 2024.
She voted towards the federal government’s ‘pills by post’ scheme in 2022, however she did vote in favour of the Abortion (Northern Eire) Laws 2021 – to handle gaps in abortion companies in Northern Eire.
Maternity pay
Kemi’s feedback on maternity pay sparked backlash throughout her management marketing campaign earlier this 12 months, when she mentioned on the Conservative social gathering convention: “Maternity pay varies, depending on who you work for. But statutory maternity pay is a function of tax, tax comes from people who are working. We’re taking from one group of people and giving to another. This, in my view, is excessive… Businesses are closing, businesses are not starting in the UK, because they say that the burden of regulation is too high.”
She added: “We need to have more personal responsibility. There was a time when there wasn’t any maternity pay and people were having more babies.” Kemi later mentioned that she didn’t suppose maternity pay “needs changing at all” – and that her statements have been “misrepresented”.
LGBTQIA+ rights
Kemi has abstained on voting on LGBTQIA+ points throughout her parliamentary profession – selecting to not vote on same-sex marriage in Northern Eire in 2019.
