Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, has revealed that she has been subjected to racist abuse since assuming the party’s top position in July.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Badenoch said the hostility she has encountered took her by surprise, suggesting that some critics have struggled to accept her victory.
“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 44-year-old said. “The level of personal attacks from anonymous people, it’s hysterical … People used to talk about Trump derangement syndrome. I think there’s a Kemi derangement syndrome.”
Born in Wimbledon but raised partly in Nigeria before returning to the UK at 16, Badenoch disclosed that much of the abuse has focused on her race and ethnicity.
“There’s a lot of ethno-nationalism creeping up, lots of stuff about my race and my ethnicity and the tropes around, ‘well, she couldn’t possibly have done this all by herself,’” she added.
Her comments mark a notable shift from her earlier stance. Badenoch has previously dismissed racism as a major barrier to progress in Britain, frequently clashing with anti-racism campaigners and rejecting critical race theory. In 2020, she argued that white working-class boys were more disadvantaged than ethnic minorities, sparking controversy.
Now, however, she admits her leadership has brought racial issues into sharper focus.
“I always try to think of every possible explanation before I go to race and racism … but my view is that there are people out there who will say whatever it is, they will throw whatever kind of mud at you and hope that it sticks.”
Badenoch’s disclosure comes as the Conservatives face one of their toughest moments in decades, with the party currently polling at just 17 per cent amid widespread public dissatisfaction.
