Kemi Badenoch is the new leader of the Conservatives after defeating Robert Jenrick in a ballot of party members.
Badenoch 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.
The result, announced at an event in central London by Bob Blackman, who chairs the 1922 Committee of Conservative backbenchers, means Badenoch took slightly more than 56% of the vote, a clear though not overwhelming victory.
Badenoch, an MP since 2017, who was shadow housing secretary, becomes the first Black leader of a major UK party.
Speaking after the result, Badenoch said that for the party to get a hearing after its massive electoral defeat “we have to be honest – honest about the fact that we made mistakes, honest about the fact that we let standards slip. The time has come to tell the truth.”
She praised Jenrick despite a sometimes bruising campaign, saying: “You and I know that we don’t actually disagree on very much, and I have no doubt that you have a key role to play in our party for many years to come.”
She went on: “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.
