Badenoch becomes the Conservatives’ fifth leader since mid-2016 after 53,806 party members voted in favour of her over a former immigration minister, Robert Jenrick, in the final stage in a long contest that saw a field of six whittled down to two. Jenrick won 41,388 votes.
With forthright views on everything from what she calls identity politics to the value of officials, Badenoch attracts both strong admirers and detractors. She is certain to shake up the Conservatives, who saw their contingent of lawmakers in the 650-seat parliament fall in July to 121 from 365 seats in 2019.
With the Labour government off to a bumpy start following the party’s landslide election, some Conservatives are increasingly optimistic that they could win back power at the next election, which has to be held in 2029.
But some more centrist Conservatives worry Badenoch might alienate not only the more moderate wing of the party but also some voters who were won over by the centrist Liberal Democrats at the last election.
The former trade minister’s time in government was often marked by disputes with the media, celebrities and her own officials. But her no-nonsense approach has also won over many supporters, including the Conservative members who chose her above Jenrick.
“The task that stands before us is tough, but simple, our first responsibility as his majesty’s loyal opposition is to hold this Labour government to account,” she told party members.
“Our second is no less important, it is to prepare over the course of the next few years for government.”
