European Politics > Impressive new leader of Britain's Conservative Party - Kemi Badenoch

 

Introducing Kemi Badenoch, the New Leader

of the UK Conservatives

Dec 14, 2024 10:00 am By Hugh Fitzgerald

There was Margaret Thatcher. There was Winston Churchill. And now there is Kemi Badenoch, in the line of pro-Israel Conservative leaders. In the past, it was the Labour Party that gave more support to Israel, with such people as Richard Crossman and Prime Minister Harold Wilson. But no longer; now it is the Conservative Party that has supported the embattled Jewish state as it fights a seven-front war.

More on this remarkable figure, Kemi Badenoch, can be found here:

Leader of U.K. Conservative Party Kemi Badenoch

showcases her pro-Israel bona fides

by Lianne Kolirin, Jewish Insider, December 12, 2024:

Kemi Badenoch grew up in 1980s Lagos, Nigeria, a world away culturally, politically and economically from Israel. But when it comes to the Jewish state, the new leader of U.K.’s Conservative Party and the first Black woman to head a major political party in England, feels Israel “in her kishkes,” attests the man she has tapped as shadow attorney general, Lord David Wolfson.

“She sees Israel for what it is, which is a democratic, pluralist state with Western values, with an independent judiciary and fighting to maintain that society in a very tough neighborhood,” Wolfson told Jewish Insider.

It has been a busy few days for the 44-year-old Badenoch, newly returned from Canada and the U.S., where she met with a host of politicians and public figures on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, at a time when that “tough neighborhood” has been dramatically altered in large part by Israel’s military defeats of the Iran-backed terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah.

Badenoch replaced former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak when she was voted into the top job by Conservative Party members last month.

And although her party was decisively defeated in the country’s general election in July, Badenoch is wasting no time in building up her profile and influence. While in the U.S., she met with Vice President-elect J.D. Vance.

Vance, who will take office with President-elect Donald Trump on Jan. 20, posted a picture of himself and Badenoch in the U.S. on Sunday.

“Great to see the leader of the UK conservatives, ⁦@KemiBadenoch⁩ during her trip to the US. We discussed many topics, but I was unable to persuade her that coffee is much better than tea. Cheers, Kemi!” Vance posted on X.

Badenoch was in Washington to attend the 2024 conference of the International Democracy Union (IDU), whose tagline is “the global movement of the center right.”

It was at the conference where Badenoch gave a rousing speech outlining her journey into politics, which earned her a standing ovation. Among those she met with were House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Pierre Poilievre, candidate for Canadian prime minister, and former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the latter of whom praised her speech as a “powerful message” supporting freedom and democracy….

So far, Keri Badench sounds awfully good to me. Early days, but possibly a Daniel come to judgement. Now she must win, and take the helm of the S.S. Narrenschiff, that Ship of Labourite Fools whose feckless crew needs to be turned out, and the ship of state righted.

================================================================================

‘Islamophobia Allegations Politically Motivated’: Tory Vice-Chair Slammed for Remarks

Not to be outdone by accusations of antisemitism in the Labour Party, Britain's largest Muslim organization is decrying the Conservative Party for Islamophobia! This is an attempt to take the publicity away from antisemitism, an attempt to keep presenting Muslims as victims, and an attempt to increase Muslim influence in Westminster. 

There is little doubt that there are Islamophobes in the Tories, but they are several magnitudes of difference from the antisemites in the Labour Party. Badenoch is right!

London march organized by the group Stand Up to Racism as an expression of unity against racism, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. © Global Look Press / Brais G. Rouco

Tory vice-chair Kemi Badenoch MP, has been heavily criticized for claiming that allegations of Islamophobia against Conservative Party members are “politically motivated.”

Badenoch, Tory MP for Saffron Walden, made the remarks during a Sky News interview on Sunday, after calls, including from Conservative peer Baroness Warsi and the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), for a full-blown inquiry into allegations of Islamophobia within the party.

The Tory vice-chair told Sky News' Sophy Ridge: “I don't think that the Muslim Council of Britain is an organisation that would look very favourably on the Conservative Party anyway so I think there is probably a political motive there.”

In response, Baroness Warsi tweeted that her party was in denial yet again on a social issue, insisting “we always find ourselves on the wrong side of history when it comes to the right of minorities.”

Sayeeda Warsi✔
@SayeedaWarsi
 The was a time we denied racism existed within our party, there was a time we denied homophobia was deep rooted- we now deny #Islamophobia 🤦🏽‍♀️
A lot @conservatives get right but sadly we always find ourselves on the wrong side of history when it comes to the right of minorities

Kemi Badenoch MP

Ridge on Sunday✔
@RidgeOnSunday
'There's probably a political motive there' - Conservative MP @KemiBadenoch dismisses the @MuslimCouncil of Britain's call for an inquiry into Islamophobia within the Tory party. #Ridge 

For more, head here: http://po.st/orxWY3 

Miqdaad Versi, a spokesperson for the MCB, voiced his disappointment at the Tory vice-chair’s attack on his organisation, while others claimed there would be outrage from the Tories 'if Labour had given the same response regarding anti-Semitism.'

Miqdaad Versi✔
@miqdaad
"Don't shoot the messenger" - the MCB's previous message appears equally apt today.

Will Ms Badenoch also attack The Times, Observer, Lord Sheikh, Baroness Warsi & Conservative Muslim Forum for being politically motivated? http://www.mcb.org.uk/shooting-the-messenger-mcb-responds-to-sajid-javid-comments-on-bbc-andrew-marr/ …


Socialist Voice
@SocialistVoice
 WATCH: Tory MP Kemi Badenoch says accusations of Islamophobia and racism in the Conservative Party are ‘politically motivated’ 

Just imagine the Tories’ outrage if Labour gave that same ignorant response regarding antisemitism...pic.twitter.com/bYfWWpqAcM

The outrage here ignores the fact that Labour's antisemitism is infinitely more obvious than Tories Islamophobia. 

The MCB is the largest Muslim organisation in the UK with over 500 mosques, and educational and charitable associations affiliated to it. They have spearheaded calls for an inquiry and said it has evidenced multiple incidents of Islamophobic incidents being committed by Tory members.

Badenoch had earlier refuted claims that the Tory Party had an issue with Islamophobia within its ranks, saying she “completely” disagreed with Baroness Warsi’s assessment.

She said: “We take every single allegation of Islamophobia seriously and where we do find party members or people who hold positions in local government doing things, we suspend them, we investigate them…”

What Badenoch did not allude to is the fact that the Conservative Party code of conduct does not apply to ordinary grassroots Tory members. It is only applicable to “anyone who formally represents the Party as an elected or appointed official.” It calls into question whether the Tories have a disciplinary system robust enough to tackle allegations of racism or Islamophobia.

The Tory’s problems reflect that of their Labour rivals. Police announced last week that they have launched a criminal investigation into allegations of anti-Semitic hate crimes committed by Labour Party members, after receiving a dossier of alleged incidents by a complainant in September.