The results of the Conservative leadership contest are in. Almost four months after the Tory party suffered its worst general defeat in its history, Kemi Badenoch has been crowned as the party’s new leader. Badenoch won 53,806 votes to Robert Jenrick on 41,388 – the turnout was 72.8 per cent, down on the 2022 contest which saw a turnout of 82.2 per cent.
On being announced as the victor, Badenoch gave a short speech – beginning by thanking her husband Hamish for his support, saying her candidacy would not have been possible without him. Badenoch opted to be magnanimous in victory – praising Rishi Sunak for his hard work and complimenting the runner up despite relations between Badenoch and Jenrick becoming frosty in the second half of the contest. She said that Jenrick would have a big role to play in the Conservative party for many years to come. As for Badenoch’s message to the party and the wider electorate: ‘It is time to get down to business, it is time to renew.’
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