Tory leadership election live: Kemi Badenoch elected new Conservative leader

jamilqaisrani4@gmail.comNovember 2, 2024

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Tory leadership election live: Kemi Badenoch elected new Conservative leader

Full leaderhip election results

Here are the full figures from CCHQ.

There were 131,680 eligible electors. Turnout was 72.8%.

Kemi Badenoch received 53,806 votes

Robert Jenrick received 41,388 votes

There were 655 rejected ballots.

66,288 electors voted online and 29,621 electors voted by post.

Key events

Starmer congratulates Badenoch, saying having first black leader of Westminster party ‘proud moment for our country’

Keir Starmer has congratulated Kemi Badenoch on her election victory, saying the fact that she has become the first black leader of a Westminster party is “a proud moment for our country”. He posted this on social media.

Congratulations, @KemiBadenoch, on becoming the Conservative Party’s new leader.

The first Black leader of a Westminster party is a proud moment for our country.

I look forward to working with you and your party in the interests of the British people.

This is a version of what he said, in slightly more uplifting language, at PMQs on Wednesday when he said that having Rishi Sunak and his family light the diyas outside No 10 last year was “a significant moment in our national story” because he was the first British Asian PM and it showed Britain was a country “where people of every background can fulfil their dreams”.

Badenoch herself is unlikely to talk so much about being the first black leader of a major UK party. Although she was equalities minister, she thinks leftwingers exaggerate the extent to which black people are disadvantaged by structural inequalities in Britain.

Kemi Badenoch won with 57% of the vote.

That is a less decisive victory than David Cameron’s, (68%), Boris Johnson’s (66%) and Iain Duncan Smith’s (61%), and similar to Liz Truss’s (also 57%).

Badenoch said she would want to all colleagues to contribute to the job of renewing the party, including Conservatives in the Scottish parliament, in the Senedd, from Northern Ireland, as well as councillors and party members.

The Conservative party was “critical to the success of our country”, she said.

But she said they had to admit where they made mistakes.

Our party is critical to the success of our country, but to be heard, we have to be honest, honest about the fact that we’ve made mistakes …

The time has come to tell the truth, to stand up for our principles, to plan for our future, to reset our politics and our thinking, and to give our party and our country the new start that they deserve. It is time to get down to business. It’s time to renew.

And that was it. It was a very short speech from Badenoch, that was little more than a rehash of her stump speech.

Badenoch says Tories need ‘clear plan to change this country by changing way government works’

Badenoch says the Conservative party have a tough but simple job.

They have to hold the government to account, and to prepare for government, she says.

They need, not just clear “Conservative pledges that appeal to the British people”, but also, “a clear plan to change this country by changing the way that government works.”.

She claims Keir Starmer is discovering the perils of not having such a plan.

Badenoch pays tribute to Jenrick, saying she expects him to play ‘key role in party for many years to come’

Kemi Badenoch is speaking now.

She thanks Richard Fuller, the party chair, and party members.

She goes on:

It is the most enormous honour to be elected to this role, to lead a party that I love, the party that has given me so much.

I hope that I will be able to repay that debt.

She thanks her husband, Hamish Badenoch, and Rishi Sunak.

And she pays tribute to her rival, Robert Jenrick. She says:

I’d also like to pay a special tribute to Robert Jenrick, who has fought a great campaign.

Rob, we have all been impressed by your energy and your determination.

You and I know that we don’t actually disagree on very much. And I have no doubt that you have a key role to play in our party for many years to come. Thank you.

Full leaderhip election results

Here are the full figures from CCHQ.

There were 131,680 eligible electors. Turnout was 72.8%.

Kemi Badenoch received 53,806 votes

Robert Jenrick received 41,388 votes

There were 655 rejected ballots.

66,288 electors voted online and 29,621 electors voted by post.

Blackman does not give us the full result for Robert Jenrick – at least not so we can hear at the back.

He welcomes Badenoch to the state, and says it is wonderful to have the first black leader of the party.

Badenoch elected Tory leader

Blackman is now reading out the results.

Kemi Badenoch: 53,806

Robert Jenrick: 41 – we can’t hear the rest because of the cheering

Number of members eligible to vote: 131,680

Turnout: 72.8%

Spoilt ballot papers: 655 (610 unmarked or void, and 45 rejected because they voted for more than one candidate)

Bob Blackman, chair of the 1922 Committee, is now speaking.

He starts by thanking Richard Fuller for his work as party chairman.

He says, when he became chair of the 1922 Committee, he wanted to ensure the party had a chance to rebuild, with a broad swathe of candidates.

They reached compromise between those who wanted a very short contest, and those who wanted it to go into next year.

Blackman also says he wanted to ensure Rishi Sunak had the chance to respond to the budget. Suank “eviscerated” the budget, he says.

Fuller says whoever wins needs the party’s full support.

And he welcomes Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick into the room.

They get a standing ovation.

Richard Fuller welcomes those who are here. And he thanks members for making the contest so “engaging”.

He names all six candidates, and thanks them for putting themselves forward.

It’s starting. Richard Fuller, the Conservative chair, is taking the stage.

From Christopher Hope from GB News

Back in the room, we’re only about five minutes away from the star of proceedings. All the seats are taken and they have started playing stirring music (but not Taylor Swift – Kemi Badenoch’s current favourite).