Kemi Badenoch Becomes New Conservative Leader After Election Defeat, Appoints Patel and Stride to Shadow Cabinet

Nov 4, 2024, 09:29 AM

Kemi Badenoch, 44, the MP for North West Essex, has been elected as the new leader of Britain's Conservative Party, becoming the first Black woman to head a major British political party. She replaces former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak after the party's disastrous defeat in the July general election. Badenoch, whose parents are Nigerian, has pledged to return the party to its founding principles and 'start afresh'. She declared it is time to 'get down to business' as she begins forming her shadow cabinet. She has appointed Rebecca Harris as Chief Whip, Mel Stride as Shadow Chancellor, Priti Patel as Shadow Foreign Secretary, and Robert Jenrick as Shadow Justice Secretary.