Kemi Badenoch has been elected as the brand new chief of the Conservative occasion, voted in by occasion leaders 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 occasion, successful with 53,806 votes to fellow MP Robert Jenrick’s 41,388.
“It’s the most monumental honour to be elected to this function, to steer the occasion that I like, the occasion that has given me a lot. I hope I will repay that debt,” she stated.
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 in opposition to girls and women (VAWG), image-based abuse and extra.
On-line security and image-based abuse
Picture-based abuse – a broad time period protecting a spread of dangerous actions involving nude or sexual pictures – is overwhelmingly dedicated in opposition to girls and women. 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 invoice is in no match state to develop into regulation. If I’m elected Prime Minister I’ll make sure the invoice doesn’t overreach. We shouldn’t be legislating for harm emotions.”
Abortion entry
Kemi Badenoch has typically voted to maintain obstacles in place for these in search of entry to abortions. In 2022, Kemi voted in opposition to introducing buffer zones round abortion clinics and hospitals, as a way to restrict harassment of ladies in search of to entry reproductive healthcare. That regulation got here into drive below the Labour authorities in October 2024.
She voted in opposition to the federal government’s ‘tablets by submit’ scheme in 2022, however she did vote in favour of the Abortion (Northern Eire) Rules 2021 – to handle gaps in abortion providers in Northern Eire.
Maternity pay
Kemi’s feedback on maternity pay sparked backlash throughout her management marketing campaign earlier this 12 months, when she stated on the Conservative occasion convention: “Maternity pay varies, relying on who you’re employed for. However statutory maternity pay is a perform of tax, tax comes from people who find themselves working. We’re taking from one group of individuals and giving to a different. This, in my opinion, is extreme… Companies are closing, companies aren’t beginning within the UK, as a result of they are saying that the burden of regulation is just too excessive.”
She added: “We have to have extra private duty. There was a time when there wasn’t any maternity pay and folks had been having extra infants.” Kemi later stated that she didn’t suppose maternity pay “wants altering in any respect” – and that her statements had 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.
