Kemi Badenoch, the new leader of the UK Conservative Party, has fired back at critics who suggest her rise was only possible because of diversity policies.
In an interview with The Times, Badenoch said some within and outside the party are uncomfortable with her victory, and instead of acknowledging her merit, they fall back on “racist tropes” to explain her success.
“There’s a certain cadre of people who clearly can’t cope with the fact that I won this and I’m doing it. The level of personal attacks from anonymous people is hysterical,” she said. “People used to talk about Trump derangement syndrome. I think there’s a Kemi derangement syndrome.”
The 45-year-old, who spent her early years in Nigeria before moving to the UK at 16, noted that critics often dismiss her achievements with lines like: ‘It must have been DEI’. She described the idea that Black people could only succeed through diversity schemes as “extraordinary” and “offensive.”
Badenoch stressed that such narratives paint Black people as “lazy, corrupt, or all DEI hires,” a stereotype she strongly rejects. “I take everyone at face value,” she added.
Though speculation has swirled that Robert Jenrick — her main challenger for the Tory leadership — may have fueled the backlash, Badenoch made it clear he was not behind the attacks. Instead, she pointed to online spaces where “ethno-nationalist” rhetoric has been growing, with people spreading lies about her race and background.
“I think even Rob himself finds it distressing,” she admitted, “but it’s just something that we deal with.”
Her leadership comes at a turbulent time for the Conservatives, who lost power last year after Labour’s Keir Starmer ended their 14-year rule. With the party struggling in the polls, questions remain about whether Badenoch can hold on to her position — but she insists racist attempts to undermine her won’t define her story.
