KEMI BADENOCH, the former business secretary and front-runner in the race to succeed Rishi Sunak as Conservative leader, said she refused to sign a free trade agreement with India when New Delhi was trying to negotiate more UK visas in return for access to its vast billion-strong market because she “didn’t like the extent of the proposed migration.”
Badenoch also said that it is important to address integration issues in the country.
“If you want to have a successful multi-racial country, you need to make an effort to do that. You can’t just pretend that there are no tensions,” she said in an interview with The Telegraph.
Badenoch cautioned against the lack of a clear strategy for integration, saying it was detrimental to society. “We just pretend that everything is fine and it’s a few bad apples,” she added, highlighting the need for open discussions about the challenges facing diverse communities.
Despite the controversy, Badenoch remains the favourite among Conservative party members, who will decide the next leader from two final candidates. She has been both praised and criticised for her direct approach, with supporters viewing her as a necessary change from the status quo and detractors considering her divisive.
She argued that while business leaders and the NHS push for increased immigration, it’s essential to focus on training the domestic workforce rather than relying on short-term fixes.
Badenoch, who supported the 2021 Sewell report by Lord Tony Sewell—stating the UK is not "institutionally racist"—calls for more honesty regarding recent racially aggravated violence. She criticises the lack of a clear integration strategy and the tendency to downplay tensions.
Born in London in 1980, Badenoch spent her childhood in Nigeria before returning to the UK at 16. She studied engineering and law, later moving into banking and joining the Conservative Party in 2005. She married Hamish Badenoch in 2012 and has three children.
Badenoch’s rivals for the leadership include Tom Tugendhat, James Cleverly, and Robert Jenrick. She criticised the previous administration's focus on issues like animal welfare over core political matters. “We are sent to parliament to do difficult things – and that’s what I went into politics for, to fix things that are broken,” she said.
Badenoch highlighted the need for lower immigration and considered leaving the European Convention on Human Rights as a last resort to address illegal immigration.
Reflecting on her tenure and the accusations she faces, Badenoch remained resolute. “I can take their attacks – and I will always speak up for what I believe is right, throughout my leadership campaign and beyond,” she said.
Bob Blackman MP speaks during the event