Telegraph readers on Kemi Badenoch’s victory: ‘She will give Starmer a headache’
After 14-and-a half-weeks of intense campaigning, Kemi Badenoch has officially won the Conservative Party leadership race.
It is “time to get down to business” and “renew” the Conservatives and Britain, Mrs Badenoch said in her acceptance speech.
She told party supporters: “The task that stands before us is tough but simple. Our first responsibility as His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition is to hold this Labour Government to account.
“Our second is no less important, it is to prepare over the course of the next few years for government, to ensure that by the time of the election, we have not just a clear set of Conservative pledges that appeal to the British people, but a clear plan for how to implement them.”
Mrs Badenoch’s campaign centred on “first principles”, including family, freedom and personal responsibility, instead of policies, claiming it is too early to put forward a detailed offering.
On July 5, former prime minister Rishi Sunak announced he would be stepping down as leader of the Conservatives.
Six candidates entered the race to become the next party leader: Priti Patel, Mel Stride, Tom Tugendhat, James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch. On Saturday, Mrs Badenoch has been chosen as the face of the party’s future.
Mrs Badenoch now confronts the dual task of uniting a party that has been marred by in-fighting over the past three years and reviving the Tories’s electoral fortunes after they slumped to a historic defeat at the general election in July.
In light of the announcement, Telegraph readers have, in turn, been weighing in on Mrs Badenoch’s victory. From a resurgence of hope for change to concerns about her stance on immigration, here’s what you have had to say on the Tory leadership race result.
‘A little bit of Thatcher about her’
Many readers expressed enthusiasm for the result, voicing high expectations for her ability to take on Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister.
Reader Richard Schrader said: “Kemi will eviscerate Starmer. She is the right person to lead the opposition. There is no need to come up with policies until nearer the next election. The job right now is to oppose and it needs to be someone who can bring some aggression to the job.”
CP added: “She will give Starmer a headache. She is more of a realist in terms of policy and does not promise what she knows would be undeliverable.”
Chris Green was equally impressed: “Watched the speech – she hit all the right notes. Measured, balanced and to the point, with a presence that holds attention. She has a little bit of star quality, and a little bit of Thatcher about her. If she keeps this up, she’ll be a success.”
A few Reform voters shared how Mrs Badenoch’s fighting spirit could convert them back to being Conservative supporters.
John Dawkins said: “She has the fighting spirit and intelligence to tackle this enormous task. I’m a Reform voter at present, but look forward to the next couple of years in the battle to rebuild the Right.”
Jo Hunn echoed a similar sentiment: “Seems like a good choice to me – common sense, no-nonsense and she will wipe the floor with Starmer at PMQs. I voted Reform at the last election, but I will watch this with interest.”
‘Last nail in the coffin of Conservatives’
Some readers voiced deep disappointment, predicting that her leadership will push the Tories closer to extinction and affirming their loyalty to Reform.
Mike Noel argued: “Kemi is not radical enough to get the Tories back on track. The Conservatives betrayed the British people with their unConservative policies and she was party to this core group: all the more reason to vote Reform.”
Peter Marsh felt that Mrs Badenoch was “the last nail in the coffin of the Conservative party”.
He added: “A very sad day indeed. Farage must be in stitches. I bet he can’t believe his luck.”
Charles Swan congratulated Mrs Badenoch but continued: “I won’t be voting Tories next time. It is no longer the party it was.”
Jim Bale also weighed in: “I like her and she’s their best shot but the party is still dominated by people who aren’t what I would class as Conservative and I’m afraid I’ve already gone to Reform.”
‘The Tories are toast’
Mrs Badenoch’s commitment to remaining in the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is a key reason many are choosing to stay with Reform UK.
JP Jones expressed disappointment: “Bad news for the country. Another globalist at the helm of a main party. This will not bring Reform voters back into the fold given her pro-immigration stance. This will make it harder to get rid of Starmer.”
Richard Russell agreed, saying: “Well, that’s it, folks, the Tories are toast. They’ve crowned another leader who’s all-in on mass migration and hard net zero, so why not just cut the charade and merge with Labour? Honestly, they haven’t been Right-wing for decades now. The only true Right-wing option left is Reform UK.”
Paul Jones argued: “The ‘one nation’ Tories will now be out of government for at least a decade. Already Kemi’s mentor, Gove in the Spectator, is pushing to stay in the ECHR.
“Leaving the ECHR and towing the boats back to France, minimising legal migration, scrapping ‘net zero’, protecting free speech, etc, will only come from Reform. Let us see what happens in the local elections next year.”
‘The figures themselves speak of failure’
Several Telegraph readers saw the low voter turnout as a clear sign of dwindling Conservative support.
Joe Pendlebury said: “The figures themselves speak of failure – less than ten per cent of the membership of earlier years. Conservatives have moved to Reform.”
Ivan Milatovic added: “You had 141,000 people voting two years ago. That is now down to 95,000. Mr Sunak won more votes when he lost than Mrs Badenoch did. If that is not a sign of a party in huge trouble, I don’t know what is.”
P Lamb shared a similar sentiment: “Two years ago, Truss got 81,000 votes and Sunak 60,000 votes. Now Badenoch wins with 53,000 votes. The figures suggest that the Conservatives are a declining force, possibly terminally.”
Mr Melchett didn’t think the figures were ‘exactly sparkling’. He argued: “Only a 72 per cent turnout and a far closer winning margin than you might have expected given the press. The party is potentially still divided quite heavily and appealing to both sides is her first and probably hardest job.”