Great Britain New leader takes British Conservatives to the right
Kemi Badenoch is to lead the Conservative Party in the UK back into government with a hard right-wing course after its historic defeat in the general election. The members elected the former business minister to succeed former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, as the Tory party announced in London.
02.11.2024, 12:29
SDA
Since Brexit, the Tories have not come to rest. Within just a few years, five different prime ministers have failed - because they were unable to get to grips with the consequences of leaving the EU and ultimately, like Boris Johnson, because of scandals.
Since the election defeat in July, the Tories - for decades one of the most successful democratic parties in Western Europe - now only have 121 of the 650 MPs in London's House of Commons. The loss of trust among voters is immense. Badenoch must now ensure stability and unity.
Woman of clear words
But that is likely to be difficult. The 44-year-old Badenoch is regarded as a woman of clear words, regardless of person or office. Like her defeated opponent, former Secretary of State for Migration Robert Jenrick, she is seen as a representative of the right wing of the party. A total of six candidates were in the running. However, moderate candidates such as former Home Secretary James Cleverly were eliminated in the parliamentary group vote before the members had the last word.
The Conservatives continued to transform from a center-right force into a radical right-wing populist party, political scientist Tim Bale told the German Press Agency. What policies does the expert from Queen Mary University of London expect? Calls for as little state interference as possible, a nationalist and anti-immigration tone and opposition to climate neutrality.
Born in London but raised in Nigeria, her parents' home country, Badenoch is considered the favorite of the party base. However, the computer science graduate has revealed few details about her political plans during the party's internal election campaign.
The 44-year-old has long presented herself as an "anti-woke culture warrior" who attracts attention with statements against the supposedly left-liberal establishment. Even during her time as Minister for Equalities - a position she held in addition to her other cabinet post - the mother of three made critical comments on gender issues and argued against an increase in maternity pay.
Are the Tories still the people's party?
"Party members chose Kemi Badenoch because they see her as principled and willing to speak her mind, even if it leads to controversy," political scientist Mark Garnett from Lancaster University told dpa. The style of the staunch Brexit supporter is comparable to that of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who is still revered by many Tory members.
However, Garnett sees the future of the Tories as a people's party in question with their sharp right-wing course. The election in July, in which the social democratic Labour Party replaced the Conservatives after 14 years in government, showed that most voters are still close to the political center.
Pressure from right-wing populist Farage
The immediate challenge for the Conservatives is to win back voters from the right-wing populist Reform UK party. Party leader Nigel Farage, who once played a key role in driving Brexit forward, chased many votes away from the Conservatives. But: "A rapprochement with Reform UK carries the risk of losing support from the center-right spectrum and unintentionally increasing the appeal of the more populist Farage," said Garnett.
And how can the new party leader close the huge gap with the social democratic Labour Party, which governs with a large majority? That depends less on her than on how Prime Minister Keir Starmer succeeds in improving public services and boosting economic growth, said expert Bale. And Garnett also emphasizes: "To gain the public's attention, the new party leader must make the best of Labour's mistakes."
