KEMI BADENOCH, the former business secretary and front-runner in the race to succeed Rishi Sunak as Conservative leader, said she refused to sign a free trade agreement with India when New Delhi was trying to negotiate more UK visas in return for access to its vast billion-strong market because she “didn’t like the extent of the proposed migration.”
Badenoch also said that it is important to address integration issues in the country.
“If you want to have a successful multi-racial country, you need to make an effort to do that. You can’t just pretend that there are no tensions,” she said in an interview with The Telegraph.
Badenoch cautioned against the lack of a clear strategy for integration, saying it was detrimental to society. “We just pretend that everything is fine and it’s a few bad apples,” she added, highlighting the need for open discussions about the challenges facing diverse communities.
Despite the controversy, Badenoch remains the favourite among Conservative party members, who will decide the next leader from two final candidates. She has been both praised and criticised for her direct approach, with supporters viewing her as a necessary change from the status quo and detractors considering her divisive.
She argued that while business leaders and the NHS push for increased immigration, it’s essential to focus on training the domestic workforce rather than relying on short-term fixes.
Badenoch, who supported the 2021 Sewell report by Lord Tony Sewell—stating the UK is not "institutionally racist"—calls for more honesty regarding recent racially aggravated violence. She criticises the lack of a clear integration strategy and the tendency to downplay tensions.
Born in London in 1980, Badenoch spent her childhood in Nigeria before returning to the UK at 16. She studied engineering and law, later moving into banking and joining the Conservative Party in 2005. She married Hamish Badenoch in 2012 and has three children.
Badenoch’s rivals for the leadership include Tom Tugendhat, James Cleverly, and Robert Jenrick. She criticised the previous administration's focus on issues like animal welfare over core political matters. “We are sent to parliament to do difficult things – and that’s what I went into politics for, to fix things that are broken,” she said.
Badenoch highlighted the need for lower immigration and considered leaving the European Convention on Human Rights as a last resort to address illegal immigration.
Reflecting on her tenure and the accusations she faces, Badenoch remained resolute. “I can take their attacks – and I will always speak up for what I believe is right, throughout my leadership campaign and beyond,” she said.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Man pleads not guilty to murder of BBC presenter's family
A 26-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering the wife and two daughters of BBC sports commentator John Hunt in a crossbow and knife attack.
Kyle Clifford, who also faces charges of rape, appeared via video link at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday.
Clifford, arrested in July after a manhunt, is charged with three counts of murder, one count each of rape and false imprisonment, and two counts of possessing offensive weapons – a 10-inch knife and a crossbow.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session.
He is expected to enter a plea for that charge at a later date.
The victims were Carol Hunt, 61, wife of horseracing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28.
An earlier hearing revealed that Louise had been found tied up and that both she and her sister had been shot with a crossbow, while their mother had been stabbed with a knife.
The fatal attack occurred at the family’s home in Bushey, a commuter town near Watford, northwest of London.
(With inputs from AFP)