Kemi Badenoch elected new leader of UK Conservative Party

Former British Business Secretary, Kemi Badenoch, has emerged as the new leader of the Conservative Party, defeating Robert Jenrick in the final round of voting.

Badenoch, raised in Nigeria, is the first black woman to lead a major political party in the United Kingdom and takes over a Conservative Party reeling from its worst-ever election defeat.

She takes over from Rishi Sunak as leader of the opposition after winning 53,806 votes against 41,388 for Jenrick, in a result announced by the party on Saturday morning.

During her campaign, Badenoch vowed to return the Conservatives to “first principles” and launch a series of reviews in the coming months to shape a new policy platform.

The North West Essex MP is also the sixth Tory leader in less than eight and a half years and faces the challenge of uniting a fractured party.

More details soon …

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