British-Nigerian woman becomes leader of UK Conservative Party

British-Nigerian Kemi Badenoch has been elected as the new leader of the UK Conservative Party, defeating Robert Jenrick in the final round of voting, the BBC reports.

Ms Badenoch, who was raised in Nigeria, became the first black woman to lead a major political party in the UK.

The final results saw Ms Badenoch win 53,806 votes to defeat Mr Jenrick who scored 41,388 votes. There were 131,680 eligible electors and turnout was 72.8 per cent, according to the results tally reported by Sky News.

She takes over from Rishi Sunak, the former UK Prime Minister, who led the Conservatives to their worst-ever election defeat in July.

Ms Badenoch said she wants to have a new shadow cabinet in place before Tuesday when the first shadow cabinet meeting under her leadership is due to take place.

In her victory speech, she said 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 that I will be able to repay that debt,” Ms Badenoch added. She also thanked her predecessor Rishi Sunak, saying: “No one worked harder in such difficult times” before wishing him the “very best for the future”.

Ms Badenoch also recognised Mr Janerick, noting: “We have all been impressed by your energy and your determination.”

The new Conservative leader added that the task before the Tories is “tough, but simple.”

“Our first responsibility… is to hold this Labour government to account,” she said. “Our second is no less important, to prepare over the course of the next few years for government.”

She said the party needs clear policies and a clear plan for implementing them. “That huge job begins today,” Ms Badenoch told party members.

Meanwhile, Ellie Reeves, chairperson of the Labour Party, has said Ms Badenoch’s election as Tory leader shows the party is “incapable of change.”

Shortly after Ms Badenoch was declared Rishi Sunak’s successor, Ms Reeves congratulated her on the new job.

However, she said that “sadly one thing is clear – the Conservatives have learned nothing since the British people resoundingly rejected them in July,” the UK Guardian reported.

The Labour chair added: “It’s been a summer of yet more Conservative chaos and division. They could have spent the past four months listening to the public, taking responsibility for the mess they made and changing their party.”

“Instead, Kemi Badenoch’s election as leader shows they’re incapable of change. Meanwhile the Labour government is getting on with fixing the foundations of our economy and cleaning up the mess the Tories left behind,” Ms Reeves said.

Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrats leader, congratulated Ms Badenoch. He said: “I’d like to congratulate Kemi Badenoch on being elected leader of the Conservative party. The election of the first Black leader of a major UK political party is a historic moment for the country,” according to the Guardian newspaper.

“Voters across the country believe her party is too divided, out-of-touch and unable to accept Conservative failures over the past years.”

The Liberal Democrats will continue to offer the best opposition to the government and fight for a fair deal for Britain, he said.

However, Richard Tice, the Reform UK deputy leader, said Ms Badenoch’s election doesn’t give any hope as she is another in a long line of Tory politicians who say one thing and do another.

“Kemi Badenoch was front and centre of a government that failed Britain. She said nothing while Rishi Sunak hit hard-working people with record immigration, the small boats crisis, the highest taxes for 60 years, record NHS waiting lists and sky-high crime,” Mr Tice said.

“Instead of standing up for Britain whilst in government, she stood up for her own career prospects and chauffeur-driven cars. She has failed the British public before and she will fail them again as leader of the Conservative party.”

During her campaign, Ms Badenoch vowed to return the Conservatives to “first principles” and launch a series of reviews in the coming months to shape a new policy platform.

She is the sixth Tory leader in less than eight and a half years and faces the challenge of uniting a fractured party, according to the BBC.

In her victory speech, Ms Badenoch told members of her party it was “time to tell the truth” and “get down to business.”