Afternoon summary
Kemi Badenoch is the new Conservative party leader after defeating Robert Jenrick in a members’ vote, becoming the first Black leader of a major UK party and the fourth woman to lead the Tories. As Peter Walker reports, Badenoch took just over 56% of the 95,000 votes, in a poll that had a 73% turnout of eligible members. This amounts to the narrowest win of the four since the party changed its rules to allow party members the final say in contested leadership elections. Speaking after the announcement in central London, Badenoch, an MP since 2017, who was shadow housing secretary, said the Conservatives needed to face up to hard truths if they wanted to win back the support of voters after July’s catastrophic election result which cut their number of MPs to 121. “Our party is critical to the success of our country, but to be heard, we have to be honest,” she said. “Honest about the fact that we made mistakes, honest about the fact that we let standards slip. The time has come to tell the truth.” Here is Peter’s story.
Opinion polls suggest that the Conservatives would have been better off choosing someone like James Cleverly as leader rather than Badenoch, who is not popular with the public at large. (See 9.38am.) She is also someone whose main campaign theme was that the state should be doing less, but who has become leader at a time when the public want more and better services from the state, not fewer. The Tories are ruthless at getting rid of leaders who underperform and there are many at Westminster who think this won’t be the last Conservative leadership contest before the election. But Badenoch has spark and courage, and her supporters are hoping she can turn things around.
Updated
Boris Johnson says Badenoch will being 'much needed zing and zap' to Tory party
Three of the five Conservative leaders who served as PM in the last parliament have posted messages on X congratulating Kemi Badenoch.
Rishi Sunak says:
Congratulations to @KemiBadenoch on being elected @Conservatives party leader.
I know that she will be a superb leader of our great party. She will renew our party, stand up for Conservative values, and take the fight to Labour.
Let’s unite behind her.
Boris Johnson says:
Congratulations to Kemi on her outstanding victory
She brings a much needed zing and zap to the Conservative Party
This sleaze-ridden Labour government has no ideas or agenda beyond the old tax and spend socialism
They are far more vulnerable than the parliamentary maths might suggest Kemi has exactly the right courage and clarity to expose Starmer’s failings
She is now ideally placed to flip them over and take the Tories to victory at the next election
I will be giving her my full support and call on all Conservatives to do the same
And David Cameron says:
Many congratulations @KemiBadenoch on being elected Leader of the @Conservatives. As the last Conservative Leader of the Opposition, I know all too well that it can be one of the toughest jobs in British politics. It is now time for the Party to renew and prove ourselves to the British people. Kemi will have my full support as she starts that crucial work. I also pay tribute to @RishiSunak and thank him for his service - to the Party and to the country. He has been an exemplary leader in challenging times. I wish him well with all he goes on to do in the future.
Theresa May, who does not tweet much, has not posted anything. And Liz Truss has not posted anything about Kemi Badenoch either. But just before the result was announced, she did tweet a link to the book extracts where she blames not just Rishi Sunak, but all the MPs who backed him (including Badenoch presumably) for the election defeat. (See 10.12am.)
