Kemi Badenoch facts for kids

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The Right Honourable

Kemi Badenoch

Official portrait, 2024

Leader of the Opposition

Incumbent

Assumed office
2 November 2024

Monarch

Charles III

Prime Minister

Keir Starmer

Preceded by

Rishi Sunak

Leader of the Conservative Party

Incumbent

Assumed office
2 November 2024

Preceded by

Rishi Sunak

Secretary of State for Business and Trade

In office
7 February 2023 – 5 July 2024

Prime Minister

Rishi Sunak

Preceded by

Grant Shapps

Succeeded by

Jonathan Reynolds

President of the Board of Trade

In office
6 September 2022 – 5 July 2024

Prime Minister

Liz Truss
Rishi Sunak

Preceded by

Anne-Marie Trevelyan

Succeeded by

Jonathan Reynolds

Minister for Women and Equalities

In office
26 October 2022 – 5 July 2024

Prime Minister

Rishi Sunak

Preceded by

Nadhim Zahawi

Succeeded by

Bridget Phillipson

Secretary of State for International Trade

In office
6 September 2022 – 7 February 2023

Prime Minister

Liz Truss
Rishi Sunak

Preceded by

Anne-Marie Trevelyan

Succeeded by

Office abolished

Junior ministerial offices

Minister of State for Local Government, Faith and Communities
In office 16 September 2021 – 6 July 2022
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Luke Hall
Succeeded by	Paul Scully
Minister of State for Equalities
In office 14 February 2020 – 6 July 2022
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	The Baroness Williams of Trafford
Succeeded by	Amanda Solloway
Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury
In office 13 February 2020 – 16 September 2021
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Simon Clarke
Succeeded by	Helen Whately
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families
In office 27 July 2019 – 13 February 2020
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Nadhim Zahawi
Succeeded by	Vicky Ford

Shadow Cabinet posts

Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
In office 8 July 2024 – 2 November 2024
Leader	Rishi Sunak
Preceded by	Angela Rayner
Succeeded by	Kevin Hollinrake

Member of Parliament
for North West Essex
Saffron Walden (2017–2024)

Incumbent

Assumed office
8 June 2017

Preceded by

Alan Haselhurst

Majority

2,610 (4.8%)

Member of the London Assembly
as the 4th Additional Member

In office
5 May 2016 – 8 June 2017

Preceded by

Gareth Bacon

Succeeded by

Susan Hall

Member of the London Assembly
as the 9th Additional Member

In office
16 September 2015 – 5 May 2016

Preceded by

Victoria Borwick

Succeeded by

Shaun Bailey

Personal details

Born

Olukemi Olufunto Adegoke

2 January 1980 (age 45)
Wimbledon, London, England

Political party

Conservative

Spouse

Hamish Badenoch

(m. 2012)

Children

Education

University of Sussex (MEng)
Birkbeck, University of London (LLB)

Occupation

Politician
software engineer
consultant

Signature

Kemi Badenoch (born Olukemi Olufunto Adegoke on 2 January 1980) is a British politician. She became the Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Conservative Party in November 2024. She is the first Black person to hold these important roles.

Before this, Badenoch was a minister in the UK government's Cabinet. She served under Prime Ministers Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak from 2022 to 2024. She has also been a Member of Parliament (MP) since 2017. She represents the area of North West Essex.

Who is Kemi Badenoch?
- Education and Early Jobs
Kemi Badenoch's Political Journey
Kemi Badenoch's Political Ideas
Personal Life
Awards
Images for kids
See also

Who is Kemi Badenoch?

Kemi Badenoch was born in Wimbledon, London, on 2 January 1980. Her parents were from Nigeria. Her father was a doctor and her mother was a professor. Kemi spent parts of her childhood in Nigeria and the United States. She returned to the UK when she was 16. This was because of problems in Nigeria.

Education and Early Jobs

Badenoch studied Computer Systems Engineering at the University of Sussex. She earned a Master of Engineering (MEng) degree in 2003. She also studied Law part-time at Birkbeck, University of London. She graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) in 2009.

She started her career in the IT sector. She worked as a software engineer and a systems analyst. Later, she moved into finance and consultancy. She worked at a private bank and then as a digital director for The Spectator magazine.

Kemi Badenoch's Political Journey

Kemi Badenoch joined the Conservative Party in 2005.

Time in the London Assembly

In 2012, Badenoch tried to become a member of the London Assembly. She was not elected at first. However, in 2015, another member left to become an MP. This meant Badenoch took her place. She kept her seat in the Assembly until 2017.

Badenoch supported Brexit in the 2016 vote. This was about whether the UK should leave the European Union.

Becoming an MP

In 2017, Badenoch was chosen to be the Conservative candidate for Saffron Walden. This was a safe seat for her party. She won the election and became a Member of Parliament (MP).

In her first speech as an MP, she talked about Brexit. She also named Winston Churchill, Airey Neave, and Margaret Thatcher as her political heroes.

Roles in Government

After Boris Johnson became Prime Minister in 2019, Badenoch was given government roles. She worked in departments dealing with children, families, and equalities. She also worked in the Treasury, which manages the country's money.

In 2022, she resigned from the government. This was due to concerns about Boris Johnson's leadership.

Leadership Bid in 2022

After Boris Johnson resigned, Badenoch ran to become the new leader of the Conservative Party. She said she wanted "strong but limited government". She was a strong candidate but did not win.

Serving in the Cabinet

When Liz Truss became Prime Minister in September 2022, Badenoch was appointed Secretary of State for International Trade. She also became President of the Board of Trade.

When Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister in October 2022, Badenoch kept her role as Trade Secretary. She also became Minister for Women and Equalities.

In February 2023, she became the first Secretary of State for Business and Trade. This new role combined her previous trade duties with business and industry.

Leader of the Opposition

In the 2024 general election, Badenoch was re-elected as an MP for the new North West Essex area. After the Conservatives lost the election, she became Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

In July 2024, she announced she would run again for leader of the Conservative Party. She won the election in November 2024. This made her the new leader of the Conservative Party and the Leader of the Opposition. She is the first Black person to hold these roles.

In her acceptance speech, Badenoch said her party would "hold this Labour Government to account". She also said they would "prepare... for government" in the future.

Kemi Badenoch's Political Ideas

Kemi Badenoch is seen as being on the right-wing side of the Conservative Party. She has described herself as being on the "liberal wing" but "not really left-leaning on anything". She looks up to thinkers like Roger Scruton and Thomas Sowell.

Views on Society

Badenoch is often described as a "social conservative" and "anti-woke" politician. She has spoken against teaching certain ideas like "white privilege" as facts in schools. She believes this can be harmful.

She has also criticized "identity politics". She thinks it can stop open debate and individual rights.

Immigration Views

Badenoch believes that immigrants should share British values. She has said that the UK is "not a dormitory for people to come here and make money". She wants a stronger plan to help new arrivals fit into British culture.

She has also stated that the Conservative Party "got it wrong" on immigration when they were in power. She wants to introduce a "strict numerical cap" on immigration.

Foreign Policy Ideas

Badenoch supports strong ties between the UK and Israel. She has said that Israel shows "moral clarity" in dealing with its enemies.

She also believes that the UK should strengthen trade deals with countries like the United States. She sees China as an "economic threat" due to its trade practices. She thinks the UK should reduce its reliance on China.

Views on History and Rights

Badenoch believes that the UK's colonial history has both good and bad parts. She thinks both sides of the story should be told. She has also said that wealth in the UK is not just due to colonialism or "white privilege". She credits events like the Glorious Revolution for the UK's economic success.

LGBT Rights and Feminism

As Minister of State for Equalities, Badenoch has spoken about LGBT rights. She has opposed plans for trans employees to self-identify their gender in workplaces. She also supports keeping single-sex spaces, like bathrooms and changing rooms, for women.

She has also spoken about gender-affirming healthcare for young people. She believes that some young people are being too quickly put on medical pathways. She wants to ensure clinicians can give honest advice without fear.

Personal Life

Kemi Badenoch is married to Hamish Badenoch. They have two daughters and a son. Hamish works for Deutsche Bank and was a local councillor.

Kemi Badenoch describes herself as an agnostic. This means she is unsure about the existence of God. However, she follows cultural Christian values. Her maternal grandfather was a Methodist minister in Nigeria.

She identifies as Yoruba, which is an ethnic group. She has said she does not have much in common with people from northern Nigeria.