Kemi Badenoch don make history as she win di UK Conservative Party leadership race.
Kemi Badenoch don promise to “renew” di Conservatives afta dem elect her as party leader. She defeat fellow right winger Robert Jenrick.
Dis na di closest race since Conservative members begin to vote for di leader in 1998. Badenoch win with 53,806 votes while Jenrick get 41,388.
Badenoch wey dey 44-year-old don become di sixth Tory leader in less dan eight and a half years and she go inherit a party wey don almost scata, from Rishi Sunak – wey bin lead di Conservatives to dia worst ever election defeat for July.
Badenoch, wey grow for Nigeria, na di first black woman to lead a major political party for di UK.
For her victory speech, Badenoch tell di party say “time to get down to business” and “time to renew” don reach.
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Badenoch, wey don only be MP for seven years, say di party need to focus on plans to “bring back” voters wey abandon di Conservatives, she add say: “Our party dey critical to di success of our kontri.
“But for dem to hear us, we need to dey honest.”
Di party must admit say we “bin make mistakes” and “let standards fall” ova di last 14 years for goment, she tok.
Her leadership campaign don embrace a policy-light approach, wey pledge to return di Conservatives to “first principles” bifor dem go outline a new direction – wey go focus on winning di next general election.
All eyes go now turn to who Badenoch go appoint to her top team as she set out di future shape of di party over di coming days.
She bin praise Jenrick despite im sometimes ‘bruising campaign,’ she also hint say dem fit offer am a senior job, she tell am say “you get important role to play for our party for years to come”.
Badenoch bin don previously tok say she go offer a frontbench job to all six of her rivals for di leadership race.
But shadow home secretary James Cleverly, wey be third for di race, and shadow environment secretary Steve Barclay don remove demsefs out of di frontbench role.
Di BBC understand say, Badenoch plan to reveal her shadow cabinet by Wednesday, ahead of di critical Budget vote and her debut for Prime Minister Questions.
Jenrick no tok to di media after dem announce di result but for social media im call on im supporters “to unite behind Kemi and take di fight to dis disastrous Labour goment”.
Im also thank “evribodi wey support my vision for a Conservative Party rooted in di common ground of British politics”.
Bob Blackman, wey bin oversee di election as chair of di Conservative 1922 Committee, reveal say di party membership bin don reduce to 132,000 – di lowest level on record and down by 40,000 members since di last vote by members for 2022.
Plenti pipo don congratulate Badenoch wey include some of her predecessors, including Sunak, wey post on social media: “I know say she go be a superb leader of our great party.”
Ex-prime minister Boris Johnson hail Badenoch “courage and clarity” and say she “bring di much needed zing and zap to di Conservative Party”.
For one social media post, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer say “di first Black leader of a Westminster party na a proud moment for our kontri”.
“I look forward to work with you and your party for di interests of di British pipo,” im tok.
But Labour Party Chair Ellie Reeves say di Conservative leadership campaign show say di party bin “learn nothing since di British pipo match leg for ground and reject dem for July”.
Lib Dem Leader Sir Ed Davey also congratulate Badenoch, im say “di first Black leader of a major UK political party na a historic moment for di kontri”.
But Reform UK Deputy Leader Richard Tice call Badenoch “anoda wey dey for di long line of Tory politicians wey dey tok one tin and do anoda tin”.
For statement, im say: “Kemi Badenoch bin dey front and centre of a goment wey bin fail Britain.”
Over di 14-week campaign, di debate bin dey dominated by immigration, di economy and how di Conservatives fit rebuild trust with voters.
Di party bin reduce to a record low of 121 seats for di House of Commons for di election, with under 24% of di vote.
Di party lose voters for all directions to Labour, di Liberal Democrats and Reform UK, with thousands of Conservative voters wey also choose to stay for home on 4 July poll.
Dame Priti Patel, Mel Stride and Tom Tugendhat bin spend di summer to campaign alongside Jenrick, Badenoch and Cleverly afta dem put dia names forward for di nominations at di end of July.
Dame Priti and Stride be di first two contenders wey comot for September from di ballots of Tory MPs
Na only four remain by di time di party gada for Birmingham for dia autumn conference for di end of di month.
Cleverly appear to be for di lead afta di conference, topping di third MP ballot. But for di final MP vote, im drop by 37 votes, behind Badenoch wey get 42 and Jenrick 41.
Di final two den go for a vote of di membership, wey turn out to be closer dan many bin expect, as dem see Badenoch as a favourite among di party grassroots.
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